More Than a Leisure Centre, We’re Part of the Community.
Ever wondered what makes Impulse Leisure different? We’re not a private gym chain. We’re a charity. Everything we do comes back to one goal: creating active and healthy communities across Essex. Every membership, every class, and every visit helps us do more for the people who live here.
Our Story
Impulse Leisure began in 2000, as a charitable trust called Thurrock Community Leisure, with one purpose in mind: to make active, healthy living possible for everyone in our community. Since then, we’ve grown into a network of leisure centres, a golf course, and an entertainments venue across Essex, all funded through careful reinvestment rather than price rises.
In 2025, we marked 25 years of creating active and healthy communities. However much we’ve grown, our purpose has never changed. We’re here to help people live healthier, happier lives, and we’ll keep doing exactly that for years to come.
Our Story in Numbers
How We're Different
Unlike private leisure providers, we don’t have shareholders. We don’t exist to make a profit for anyone. Instead, we’re run by a Board of volunteer Trustees, local people who give their time for free. Every penny we make gets reinvested straight back into our facilities and our community. That’s what makes us a charity, not just a leisure centre.
Want to help guide our future? Find out more about becoming a Trustee.
Our Mission
To create active and healthy communities.
That means more than running gyms and pools. It means making sure cost, ability, or circumstance is never a barrier to getting active. It means working alongside local health services to reach the people who need support the most. And it means reinvesting everything we make straight back into the facilities and programmes that make all of this possible.
Everything we do is shaped by this mission, and it’s reflected in the values that guide us every day.
Our Values
Community First – We listen to local people and shape our services around what they need.
Inclusive for All – We offer memberships and activities for every age, ability, and budget.
Working in Partnership – We work alongside the council, the NHS, and local charities to reach further together.
Fully Transparent – As a charity, we’re open about how our surpluses are reinvested into the community.
The Impact We Make
From health referral schemes to swimming lessons, carers’ coffee mornings to junior gym sessions, we run programmes designed to support wellbeing at every stage of life. We also work closely with health and social care partners, helping ease the pressure on local NHS services. It’s about more than fitness. It’s about building a healthier community, together.
Join Our Team
We’re proud to employ 170+ people across our centres, from lifeguards and fitness instructors to duty managers and more. We’re committed to helping our team grow, with training and qualifications on offer at every level. If you’re looking to build a career in leisure, we’d love to hear from you.
Explore What We Offer
From your local centre to a round of golf, there’s more than one way to get involved with Impulse Leisure. Take a look at what’s on offer, and find the right fit for you.
Our Centres
Find your nearest Impulse Leisure centre and see what's on offer. From gyms and pools to group classes and sports halls, each of our centres is built to help you get more active, more often.
View our centres
