Leisure operator and developer DC Leisure has rebranded as a social enterprise called Places for People after being acquired by the property management and development group of the same name.

DC’s merger with the not-for-dividend organisation marks the first time a leisure provider has joined forces with a housing provider and the outfit says its core mission is to create active places and healthy people. The financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.

Places for People Leisure Management will now be the new industry facing brand replacing DC Leisure Management. It will continue to provide leisure facilities and tender for outsourced leisure management contracts, while aiming to drive leisure participation through the building of new centres, improving existing facilities and creating new active places.

Steve Philpott, chief executive of Places for People Leisure, and CEO of DC leisure for the past decade, said: “We’ve spent 23 years establishing DC Leisure’s reputation as arguably the most respected leisure management provider in the UK.

"This rebrand enables us to highlight what we can offer in the future as a community-minded organisation bursting with passion and enthusiasm to get communities more physically active.”

In recent months Places for People Leisure has confirmed new partnerships with a range of local authorities, including Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Mole Valley District Council, Newport Pagnell Town Council and Mid Sussex District Council, helping to shape local leisure provision.

The operation of leisure centres will be sub-contracted to Places for People Leisure using the brand name of Places for People. Brands such as kinetika, Swimming Academy and Swim4Health will be phased out over the coming months.

Places for People Leisure currently partners 30 local authorities, managing over 100 leisure centres across England. Its sites attract over 25 million visits each year and in the past seven years the organisation has built 12 new leisure facilities.