Secrets of Free Swimming Success –
Leisure Connection welcomes more than 400,000 eligible swimmers into their pools

Six months since the launch of the Government’s free swimming initiative Leisure Connection is reporting huge successes with over 400,000 people who qualify for the scheme swimming in their pools across the UK.

“The scheme has seen fantastic uptake far better that we envisaged – a few of our centres are already nearing the end of their grant allocation and we have only just reached the half way point! We have seen an additional 80,000 visits in the first five months against the same time period last year”, says Kate McKnight, Leisure Connection’s National Product Development Manager.

Leisure Connection has been praised by clients and customers alike for its implementation of the groundbreaking scheme and explains the secrets of their success…

Kate continues: “Planning and organisation with our Local Authority partners has been the key to a successful launch of free swimming. Working together with our clients early on has been extremely important. We spent a great deal of time looking at the scope of the scheme and together we reached sensible conclusions for client and customer alike.”

“We have invested a great deal into local PR and marketing to communicate the initiative and continue to keep the free swim at the forefront of our customer’s minds. We also spent time briefing all site-based employees about how to cope with peaks in demand for sessions and as a result recruited appropriately to reflect larger bather loads. We prepared ourselves for the possibility of a negative reaction but we have been lucky and only received positive feedback.”

The key to getting this initiative right in the future is two-way communication with customers says Leisure Connection. The company is investing a great deal into data management and finding out what their customers like and what they don’t. They believe this will be invaluable.

“We have received fantastic comments from our customers who have now realised that swimming is a great family activity and a really affordable way of beating the credit crunch, some of our older customers have been given the opportunity to take up lessons and develop a life skill that has been missing since childhood; building their confidence in the water has been a fantastic and rewarding experience for our many Aquatic Teachers and Coaches.”

As a result of the initiative Leisure Connection has been able to develop and launch a range of pool based exercise programmes, which are proving extremely popular and have been working with the ASA to offer free swimming lessons.

“Free swimming lessons offered by the ASA are proving extremely popular with the majority of people booking further lessons the following term, which is a win-win situation for all involved.”

POOL OPENING MARKS COMPLETION OF £22 MILLION PROJECT

The opening of Alfreton Swimming Pool last month completed the final phase of a £22m project to upgrade the leisure facilities across Amber Valley.

The impressive new pool complex features a 25m competition standard main pool, separate teaching pool with children’s play area and water fountains, poolside seating for spectators, oversized changing cubicles for families, four group changing rooms for school and club use, two changing rooms specifically designed for disabled swimmers, including one adapted for more severe disabilities that has changing hoists and shower wheelchairs, as well as special teaching facilities to assist people with a disability to learn to swim.

Alfreton Swimming Pool is one of three facilities managed by DC Leisure on behalf of Amber Valley Borough Council. It complements Alfreton’s new Leisure Centre, which has a six-court sports hall, a 60-station kinetika gym, air-conditioned studio, two glass backed exhibition squash courts, sauna, indoor bowls, new changing rooms, café, bar and specialist gymnastics academy. The other two sites, Ripley Leisure Centre and William Gregg VC Leisure Centre in Heanor, were also demolished and rebuilt as part of the rejuvenation programme. Both now have 25m swimming pools, teaching pools, kinetika gyms, studios and four-court sports halls.

Leader of Amber Valley Borough Council, Cllr. Stuart Bradford, says: “We are confident that this facility will be well received by local swimmers and serve the area well for many, many years. We are looking forward to working with the Town Council, along with other groups and organisations to ensure that the pool is well used. We are delighted with the new centres and very pleased to be able to offer such a wider range of high quality, affordable leisure opportunities for the residents of Amber Valley.”

The project to transform the leisure centres is the result of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) agreement funded by Amber Valley Borough Council, DC Leisure and Barclays Bank.

Peter Kirkham, Development and PFI Director of DC Leisure, adds: “We have worked closely with the Borough Council to design, build and operate the three sites. These fantastic new facilities will provide a huge incentive for people to try something new and get more active.”

Leisure Company amongst best businesses in Somerset

Team Members have suspected it for some time, and it has finally been made official - Avalon Leisure is amongst the top businesses in the county.

The Annual Somerset Business Awards 2009 were held on 29th October at the Rural Business Centre, Huntworth, Bridgwater and Avalon Leisure received recognition for the hard work of all Team Members and service to customers by being named as runner up in the Business of the Year (50+ employees) category.

This award follows on from the ‘Highly Commended’ status gained earlier in the year by Frome Leisure Centre following an inspection by Quest - the UK quality scheme for sports and leisure.

All three Centres managed by Avalon Leisure on behalf of Mendip District Council - the others are Wells Leisure Centre and Strode Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre in Street - are now ranked in the top 10% in the UK.

Commenting on the award Operations Director, Rob Taylor, said “This recognition from the Somerset Chamber of Commerce is a great honour and testimony to the hard work and effort put in over the last 18 months, by Team Members at all of our centres”.

Ian Mundy, Client Officer Mendip District Council, said, “It’s great to see Avalon being recognised once again for the excellent service they provide to the Mendip community”

The Big Channel Swim

Five Serco Leisure employees braved strong currents and sea sickness to swim the English Channel in relay to raise money for the John Adams Trust Fund. The ‘Serco Superstars’, Ian Phelps, James Shepherd, Craig Hirst, Sally Minty Gravett & Tracey Huish, undertook the gruelling 21.5 mile swim from Dover to Calais on 21 September and completed it in 13 hours and 56 minutes precisely. The team weren’t short of obstacles – on the way to France they were swept off course and ended up swimming 28 miles! It was worth it as the team raised about £15,000.

Royal Marines Commando Challenge

Team members and members of Strode Swimming Pool & Fitness Centre in Street took part in the annual Royal Marines Commando Challenge on Sun 11th October 2009. The Commando Challenge, which takes place at Woodbury Common, incorporates a 4 miles of hill running and demanding 3 mile assault course. The money raised at the event will go towards the Devon Air Ambulance and The Royal British Legion. Most who took part said they would do it again, although they need a little bit of time to recover first!

Staff at Strode Pool work for Avalon Leisure.

DC LEISURE APPOINTS HR MANAGER

DC Leisure has appointed Clare Hayler to the role of Human Resources Manager. She joined the company in October, having spent six years with the car rental firm, Avis.

Up until now, DC Leisure has outsourced its HR function to an external consultancy. On her appointment, Clare said: “This is the first full time internal HR position at group manager level. It’s a great opportunity to help shape the future direction of HR within DC Leisure and ensure all our policies and procedures are consistent and robust. I’m very excited about the challenge ahead.”

Operations Support Director of DC Leisure, Richard Millard, added: “Our staff are a key asset and crucial to the success of our business. With over 6,500 employees, we are too big not to have an internal HR resource, who has a thorough understanding of the needs of the company.”

One of Clare’s first priorities will be to review and update the HR Quality Management System.

Maxwell expands with John Adams funding

The Maxwell Swimming Club has been awarded £3,000 in funding from the John Adams Trust Fund. The money will enable the club to expand its Academy Programme at the Swan Pool in Buckingham, paying for some of the cost of coaching the club’s Silver Academy Squad.

Based at the Aqua Vale and Swan Pool Leisure Centres, which Serco Leisure manages on behalf of the Aylesbury Vale Community Trust, the club was established in 1979 and has developed into one of the most successful clubs in the country, producing a number of swimmers representing Great Britain at junior and senior level, national champions and finalists, and district record holders.

Maidstone Environment Award

Thanks to the hard work of the team, the Maidstone Leisure Centre was one of 12 entrants shortlisted for the Kent Environmental Awards out of 44 entrants – a fantastic achievement. Four judges visited us in June and we’ll find out if we’ve won at the awards ceremony in September. “We’ve made big savings in the water and energy we consume by using adjusting settings, installing energy and water-saving equipment and raising awareness,” says Lindsay Connolly, technical coordinator.