The £15m Crewe Lifestyle Centre, designed to be accessible for people with special needs and dementia, has been officially opened by the president of the International Paralympic Committee, Sir Philip Craven.

The 7,800sq m (83,959sq ft) two-storey building is to serve as a central hub for the community of Crewe, bringing together a range of different services under one roof.

As well as sport and fitness facilities, the Lifestyle Centre is home to Cheshire East Council services including a new town library, Family Services centre, a cafe and office space. There are also day-care facilities for adults with learning disabilities, including autism, sensory impairment, complex needs and a dementia garden.

The leisure facilities are managed by leisure trust Everybody Sport and Recreation and include a 25m (82ft), eight-lane swimming pool, a multi-purpose sports hall and group fitness studios.

The 100-station fitness suite is equipped by Matrix Fitness and features the 7Xi range of CV equipment, along with a selection of IFI-accredited (disability friendly) equipment. Meanwhile, the Exigo Spyder rig takes centre stage in the functional area, complemented by TRX, monkey bars, a squat station and core plates.

Speaking at the launch event, Sir Philip, who lives in nearby Shavington, said: “It has been an absolute honour to be asked to open this fantastic facility. Although I’ve participated at the highest levels of international sport, my passion for grassroots sport remains as strong as ever.

“This lifestyle centre is opening its doors to the whole community. When you see this building from the outside, you immediately want to come in and see what it’s all about and to have so much going on under one roof is terrific news for Crewe.”

Architects Pozzoni were appointed by Cheshire East Council and Kier Construction to put together the design plans for the centre, after detailed consultation with the existing user groups and local planning authority.

Designing for dementia has become a growing feature of modern leisure facilities, with community hubs currently being developed in Warrington as well as the new Crewe Lifestyle Centre. It’s also a subject that was picked up on by Health Club Management editor Kate Cracknell in the September 2015 edition of the magazine.