The Mayor of Hounslow, Councillor Bishnu Gurung and Councillor Munir Ahmed, Mayor of Ealing have officially opened Gunnersbury Park’s new sports hub  (Wednesday 22 September 2021).

The sports hub has been delivered by Ealing and Hounslow councils, who jointly own Gunnersbury Park. It is run by GLL - under the Better brand.

One of the largest outdoor sporting facilities in London, the sports hub has actually been welcoming local people through its doors since April. This event celebrated its official opening and gave everyone a chance to see the brand new, top-of-the-range facilities.

The opening also marked National Fitness Day, which highlights the importance of physical activity and healthier lifestyles.

Councillor Peter Mason, Leader of Ealing Council and Councillor Chaudhary, the Hounslow Leisure portfolio holder were also in attendance. They thanked all involved for their hard work in the successful delivery of the sports hub and met guests from Sport England, Football Foundation, Lawn Tennis Association, London Marathon Charitable Trust and Middlesex Cricket.

Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub is located close to Acton Town tube station and has already seen large numbers of people using the centre to enjoy themselves and improve their fitness.

The recent Olympic and Paralympic Games will hopefully inspire even more local people to take advantage of the top quality indoor and outdoor sports facilities. These include grass pitches for football, cricket, rugby, artificial grass pitches plus tennis courts and a gym with more than 100 machines, exercise studios and changing facilities.

A range of lessons and courses are also available and can be booked by people of all ages and sporting abilities.

The fantastic new sporting facility is also part of the Football Hubs Programme, supported by the Premier League, the Football Association (FA) and the Government’s Football Foundation. 

Adults, juniors and local clubs can enjoy two brand new floodlit 3G artificial grass pitches, together with nine football grass pitches, a rugby pitch and 3 cricket pitches. Tennis fans can aim to be the next Emma Raducanu by practicing on one of eight courts.

Councillor Peter Mason, leader of Ealing Council: “This fantastic new sports hub is all part of our commitment to supporting the long-term health and wellbeing of our residents. This is one of London’s largest outdoor sports facilities with some of the best sports provision in the capital. We remain committed to ensuring that Ealing is a place where residents of all ages have access to a wide range of excellent sports and fitness facilities.

“Now open, it is providing first-class facilities to local people wanting to keep active and improve their fitness.

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone involved in seeing this project to completion so we can all see and enjoy these amazing facilities.”

“This is another step to the fulfilment of our long-term vision which sees Gunnersbury Park as a place where local people can enjoy sport, beautiful green spaces and a rich local history long into the future.

Councillor Bishnu Gurung, Mayor of Hounslow: “We can already see the success of this brilliant new venue, where people can enjoy not just the large range of top-quality sporting activities, but also the beautiful green space of Gunnersbury Park whilst keeping fit and active.

“We’ve worked hard alongside our partners at Ealing Council and today we’re celebrating a venue which is already becoming a firm favourite of local people and a hub for the community. A huge thank-you to everyone who has worked with us and helped fund the project.”

Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “We are delighted that this amazing new site is now open to the public after receiving Football Foundation investment. It has been a real joy to be here today and see local people enjoying the facilities.

“Good quality facilities support the health of local people and communities, which is why we’re investing in projects like this across the country with funding provided by the Premier League, The FA, Government and Sport England.”



Julia Mattingley, Head of Operations & Commercial at Gunnersbury Estate (2026) CIC: “We are delighted to see the new Sports Hub open, and we look forward to working with our partners at Better to welcome new visitors to the park.”

Joe Thompson, Facilities Grants Lead at The London Marathon Charitable Trust: “The London Marathon Charitable Trust’s mission is to Inspire Activity, and we know the Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub will do just that! The pandemic has shown how important it is to live healthy, active lives, and it is fantastic to see this significant Sports Hub officially open, providing a huge range of sports and activities for the community.”

Matthew Keown, Better’s Partnership Manager for Ealing: "Better are delighted to be operating the Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub - enhancing our offer for communities in West London.

"As a charitable social enterprise, Better see ourselves as the hub of community health and wellbeing - so it is a perfect fit for us. Our priority is to ensure the Sports Hub becomes a place where the community have access to a wide range of sports and fitness activities, helping people become more active, more often."

Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation: “We are delighted that this amazing new site is now open to the public after receiving Football Foundation investment. It has been a real joy to be here today and see local people enjoying the facilities.

“Good quality facilities support the health of local people and communities, which is why we’re investing in projects like this across the country with funding provided by the Premier League, The FA, Government and Sport England.”

 

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