Reimagined National Badminton Centre officially launched
The new-look National Badminton Centre was officially opened this week with an informal evening reception held in the Courtside Lounge at the home of badminton.
Badminton England CEO Sue Storey and Chair of the Board Peter Emptage each warmly welcomed the guests before Mayor of Milton Keynes, Councillor Marie Bradburn, cut the ribbon to officially relaunch the National Badminton Centre (NBC).
The NBC is the home of our performance team, where the best talent is nurtured and developed to compete and represent England and Great Britain on the world stage. And the Centre is where we showcase our sport, share our sport’s heritage and welcome everyone interested in badminton, health and fitness.
As a building, however, the National Badminton Centre – with its prestigious ‘Accredited Elite Training Centre’ status – had grown tired since its last modification around 15 years ago. So last autumn, Badminton England invested in its public-facing facilities to better meet the demands of both new and existing audiences, to maintain and improve the competitive environment for our elite athletes and to ensure vital revenue streams were maintained – enabling the sport’s national governing body to invest back into the sport and its badminton community.
A refurbished reception area has created an inclusive, welcoming first impression, our new Shuttle Cafe & Bar area will now cater for all kinds of events – everyday meetings or big, bold functions or post-workout socialising – while the Courtside Lounge is open to anyone who wants to switch their office or their study at home for a calm, relaxed working environment. And the Badminton Museum now begins in a refurbished Heritage Lounge – with a sleek, modern seated area for all to enjoy.
Both gym areas, the Perform Gym and the Thrive Gym, have been entirely modernised with new cutting-edge equipment installed throughout, the Velocity Studio is a smart new spin cycle space while our Inspire Studio is ready to welcome fitness enthusiasts to a new calendar of classes. All the restrooms and changing rooms are light, bright and airy with a modern feel and, when the weather turns a little less wintry, there is even a new outdoor courtyard space available to all who visit the National Badminton Centre.
We hope the newly-renovated site will attract new court-users and gym-goers and all those who want to meet colleagues, share a coffee with friends or family, host a working lunch or enjoy a drink in the evening. With this renovation, we have transformed the National Badminton Centre into a great place to work, rest and play.
Sue Storey, CEO at Badminton England, said “It has been a long time since we have been able to invest any money into refurbishing the National Badminton Centre, but the building was looking tired. Now it looks absolutely amazing!
“A new café, two new gyms, a new spin studio, a new fitness suite and our open spaces are now modern work spaces. We want the local community to come down to the Centre to exercise, to work, to socialise, to meet people or to play badminton on one of our courts of course! And every penny we make from the National Badminton Centre will continue to be reinvested into the sport of badminton.
“We’re very lucky to have a dual purpose at the National Badminton Centre. We are one of only eight accredited elite training centres in the country with a clear objective to ensure our athletes are in the best possible position to challenge for medals at Olympic Games and titles on the World Tour. However, our strategy at Badminton England is centred around making badminton ‘a sport for everyone’ – so we are also equally passionate about the Centre catering to the wider community as part of our ongoing ambition to continue to grow the sport. I’m excited that this facility is now well-placed to meet the needs of both those aims.”
We look forward to welcoming everyone to the new-look National Badminton Centre…
