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Mendip Extends Leisure Management Contract

Mendip District Council has extended its Leisure management Contract with Avalon Leisure and Western Community Leisure to 2015. Avalon Leisure manages four centres on behalf of the Council and Western Community Leisure, a leisure trust.

The two-year extension was awarded after the Company came up with a series of operating and financial efficiencies that will significantly reduce the Council’s subsidy payments, without sacrificing the excellent standard of service to customers – the centres run by Avalon Leisure at Strode Swimming Pool, Frome and Wells have all recently been awarded ‘Highly Commended” status by a national benchmarking scheme for leisure centres, putting them in the top third percentile in the country.

This follows a successful capital investment and service improvement strategy completed in 2006 that has seen attendances rise by over 10% per annum for the past three years – considerably above the Sport England target of 1%. Annual customer satisfaction scores for the Council’s leisure facilities have also improved.

Stuart Cave, the Council’s Group Manager for Economy and Community, said: “At a time when many Councils are faced with some tough decisions, extending our contract with Western Community Leisure and Avalon Leisure was an easy one as we get excellent service and value for money – a winning combination”.

Channel Swimming for the John Adams Trust Fund

Serco Leisure has established The John Adams Trust Fund as a tribute to the work and legacy of John, their former Chairman and as a mechanism to raise funds for good causes.

By raising funds in a variety of ways Serco will be able to support their Local Authority clients and Trust partners in innovative and pro-active projects to the benefit of individuals or local communities. Individuals; organisations and community leisure trusts will have the opportunity to apply to access the monies for identified projects or initiatives.

Serco Leisure staff are fully commited to raising funds for the Trust Fund. One of the major fundraising events this year is the Cross Channel Relay Swim attempt by the A Team. This is due to take place at the end of September, weather permitting. The team consists of Ian Phelps (Director Leisure), Andy King (Community Development Director), James Shepherd (Contract Director), Craig Hirst (Projects Manager), Sally Minty-Gravett (Swim Co-ordinator), Tracy Huish (Swim Teacher).

Each of the team members have got their own sponsorship from friends and family. But in addition to this Serco Leisure has put together the B Team. The B Team have been auctioned off around the business and in return for a fee have done such activities as midnight deep cleans, Aerobics classes, gym shifts, catering assistants, and being a PA for a day.

The following are examples of those who have already been awarded funds from the Trust Fund, thus benefiting from the efforts of our staff:

Funding Dreams
Joe Hoyes applied for funding from the Trust Fund at the end of 2008. Joe used to work as a Fitness Instructor at the Loughborough Leisure Centre, which we manage on behalf of Charnwood Borough Council. Joe is now part of the Great Britain Canoe and Kayak squad and was awarded the sum of £2,000 to enable him to continue his training and work towards his quest to compete in the 2012 Olympics. Joe said: “I’m really grateful for the support of Serco Leisure and the John Adams Trust Fund. This will enable me to concentrate fully on achieving my goal.”

Encouraging Success
Beachfield Swimming Squad was formed over 20 years ago to provide a graduated training programme for the youth on the Isle of Sheppey. The squad was in much need of new equipment and financial support to fund coaches. The award of £3,000 ensures the Club can continue to compete in all levels of competitive swimming, from Club galas to National Age Group galas. Lee Jarmain, Executive Committee Chairman, said: “As a non-profit organisation we are very grateful for any financial assistance. This award will not only assist us in replacing equipment but is a testimony to the time and effort the volunteers make every week for the children of the island and surrounding area”

Other groups that have received funding since the John Adams Trust was set up are:
Tenterden Leisure Trust Bursary who were rewarded £2000.00 for awards to talented young athletes; Halfway Badminton Group (Sheerness) who were awarded £300.00 toward coaching costs; Maxwell Swimming Club (Aylesbury) who were awarded £3000.00 toward their academy programme.

FROME LEISURE CENTRE HIGHLY COMMENDED BY INDUSTRY BENCHMARKING SCHEME

A Mendip leisure centre has been judged among the best in the country.

Frome Leisure Centre, which is run by Avalon Leisure on behalf of Mendip District Council in partnership with Western Community Leisure, a leisure trust, has received a ‘Highly Commended’ assessment from Quest – the UK quality scheme for sports and leisure.

The assessment score was higher than its last inspection in 2007 and the much-prized ‘Highly Commended’ status now places the Frome centre among the top third of Quest registered leisure centres in the UK.

Quest is judged by trained professional leisure assessors. Centres are encouraged to consider how they run their business to meet the needs of its customers, considering service planning and improvement, staff management, customer relations and operational service from the customers’ point of view.

The external assessment also includes a ‘mystery shopper’ visit by the assessors.

Peter Gilpin, managing director of Avalon Leisure which manages the centre, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and is down to the hard work of all the staff at Frome Leisure Centre, led by manager Sarah Cruwys.”

Frome centre manager Sarah Cruwys, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have achieved such a great score, which recognises the progress we have made since our last assessment and the continuing improvement since Avalon Leisure took over the reins.”

DC LEISURE ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH URBAN REBOUNDING

DC Leisure is working in partnership with Health2Fitness Ltd, in an agreement which makes the company the exclusive supplier of Urban Rebounding equipment and the accompanying REPs Accredited Instructor Training across the DC Leisure estate. Although Urban Rebounding sessions have been successfully held at The Arena, DC Leisure’s site in Camberley, since 2005, this new agreement formalises the relationship between the two companies and lays the foundation for a UK wide initiative.

Health2Fitness launched Urban Rebounding in this country in 2005. The group exercise class is set to music and performed entirely on a specially designed mini-trampoline with a non-slip surface. The exercise is accomplished by jumping only a few inches off the surface of the rebounder for an effective cardiovascular workout that also strengthens and tones the whole body.

DC Leisure is increasing the availability of Urban Rebounding within its centres as part of the Sport Unlimited scheme. The £36m Sport England programme was launched in 2008 and aims to get more children playing sport outside of school. It specifically targets those aged between five and 19 who are not naturally attracted to sport. The three year project is part of the London 2012 participation legacy and by providing high-quality, exciting new sporting opportunities hopes to demonstrate that sport has something for everyone.

Richard Millard, Client Relations and Sports Development Director for DC Leisure, says: “Urban Rebounding has a wide ranging appeal and offers an alternative to mainstream sports. It has been particularly popular in schools and among populations that are not typically attracted to exercise. There are extensive opportunities to incorporate Urban Rebounding in the activity programmes within our centres as it is suitable for juniors from the age of eight, teenagers, adults, over 60 sessions and even GP Referral schemes. It is well placed to help us achieve our client’s objectives, which in turn will help the Councils meet the Government’s health and fitness agenda.”

James Winfield, Director of Health2Fitness and Urban Rebounding Master Trainer, explains: “Urban Rebounding is suitable for exercisers of all ages, abilities and fitness levels. There are over 20 different workouts to keep the programme fresh. Everyone works at their own pace and intensity by controlling how hard they push with their legs, making it a very inclusive workout. The workouts are challenging, but great fun!

“We’re delighted to be working with DC Leisure and feel that there is an excellent synergy between Urban Rebounding and DC Leisure’s aim to get more people, more active, more often,” adds James.

The principle behind rebounding is that by utilising gravity, acceleration and deceleration on the vertical plane, G-Force is created. This increased force activates every single cell in the body, which adapt and become stronger to produce the health benefits. The workout is incredibly low impact as the rebounder absorbs 87% of the shock compared with doing the same exercises on the floor. Research by NASA has proved that rebounding is 68% more effective than jogging, while other scientifically validated projects have shown that it burns more calories, stimulates lymphatic drainage, improves balance and co-ordination, increases cardiovascular fitness and reduces body fat.

Urban Rebounding will be exhibiting for the first time at this year’s Leisure Industry Week on September 22-24. There will be demonstrations both on the Stand and in the Lucozade Sport Fitness Arena. For more information or to see Urban Rebounding in action visit Stand H186 at the show.

Leisure Connection hosts the launch of the new wave of Government health initiatives

Leisure Connection hosted the year’s biggest government announcements about sport and physical activity at their flagship Willesden Sports Centre on Thursday 13 August.

The great and the good from Parliament, the leisure and sport industry and other VIPs all attended a briefing by Andy Burnham MP, the Secretary of State for Health set out the government's vision for a fitter England.

In his speech, the Health Secretary called on the NHS to make the promotion of active lifestyles “core business and not a peripheral concern”. Health professionals should see improving activity rates and getting their patients moving as central to their work.

In his speech, the Health Secretary also gave an update on up and coming plans for Change4Life – the lifestyle revolution that is helping families to eat well, move more and live longer.

In line with Bike4Life, Sky, the entertainment and communications company, working with British Cycling, has organised a summer series of Skyride mass-participation cycling events across five major cities, plus hundreds of local led rides, to encourage all ages and abilities to get back on their bikes. Sky’s target is to inspire a million more people to ride in the next five years.

A Dance Champions Group featuring stars of Strictly Come Dancing including Arlene Phillips, Lisa Snowdon and Darren Bennett, and Come Dancing star Angela Rippon, will be running a national campaign to boost participation in dance in the run up to 2012.

Swim4Life - around 250 councils have already signed up to the Free Swimming programme. More than 20 million young people and senior citizens are eligible to swim for free, and 4.4 million free swims have been made since the scheme began in April. The Department is now reopening the bidding rounds, with another £1 million pounds on offer for councils who didn’t sign up in the first place. In the coming weeks it will also be looking to see how it can support existing free swimming councils to innovate and extend the free swimming offer.

Fresh efforts to build on Natural England’s Walking for Health campaign to make 200,000 more people active by 2012 through Walking for Health under the Walk4Life brand. The Walk4Life programme already provides a service for 30,000 people every week.

Victoria Branch, Leisure Connection’s Marketing Manager said: “Firstly it was great to welcome Andy Burnham MP and the VIPS and media to Willesden Sports Centre. It’s great to see the government re-committing themselves to boosting sport and physical activity. We are looking forward to working with the Department of Health and the FIA to ensure these initiatives can be delivered locally for the benefit of our communities and the millions of customers we welcome into out centres each year.”

GB WHEELCHAIR RUGBY SQUAD CHOOSES DC SITE FOR 2012 PREPARATIONS

Visitors to Fakenham Sports and Fitness Centre were treated to an awe-inspiring display of sporting excellence last week, when the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby team played two pre-arranged training matches. The DC Leisure site was delighted to host the squad, in the first of a series of fixtures in the run up to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The Fakenham Centre in Norfolk is located near to where the team stays for training and practice matches. When it opened in 2004, the centre was designed to be inclusive and is therefore very well set up for with car parking, access and changing facilities for disabled users. The four-court sports hall has also had the line markings for wheelchair rugby added especially for the team.

Ten of the 16 man squad training at Fakenham had competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where they came fourth and narrowly missed out on a medal, losing to the eventual winners, the USA. However, the GB team is widely recognised as having some of the best wheelchair rugby players in the world.

The squad has already planned its next training match at the centre in September and will be holding matches on a monthly basis from January as part of the process for selecting the squad for the Olympics. There will be a training week at Fakenham in August next year, when teams from across Europe will be invited to compete against the GB side.

“We see Fakenham Sports and Fitness Centre as an integral part of our training in the run-up to 2010”, says Duncan Tunbridge, Sports Operations Manager from Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby.

Pat Dodd, General Manager of Fakenham Sports and Fitness Centre, adds: “Wheelchair rugby is a wonderful sport to watch and so exciting. We are thrilled to be able to help the squad in its preparations for London 2012. Not only can we provide a first class sports hall, we also have an excellent outside caterer and meeting rooms where they can have coaching or strategy discussions.”

The Fakenham Centre has also just achieved world record status for archery. Pat continues: “We have worked with the Fakenham Bowmen, a local archery team, for 18 months now and held two annual tournaments during that time. The feedback is always very positive about the excellent facilities, particularly the lighting in the sports hall. After we achieved national record status, it made sense to try to attain world record status. We are now hoping to be named as a Centre of Excellence for archery next year too.”

Harpers Fitness at Harpenden Leisure Centre undergoes refurbishment

Harpers Fitness at Harpenden Leisure Centre is to undergo a refurbishment this week to transform and update the gym in a bid to encourage even more people from St Albans to adopt a more active lifestyle.

Harpers Fitness, which works in partnership with St Albans City and District Council, is working hard to change the perception of public access leisure provision and as a result will be delivering a state of the art gym in Harpenden.

The gym will been split into specific zones for different exercises. There is will be a personal training zone, a CV zone, a weights zone and cardio zone and the whole gym will be re decorated.

There will also be considerable ongoing investment into improving the communal areas throughout the centre and updating the existing colour scheme.

The refurbishment programme starts on Monday 3rd August. It has been designed to cause little disruption to gym users. Group training classes will be temporarily moved downstairs but it is expected that the gym will only close for one day.

Charles Smith, centre manager for Harpenden Leisure Centre said: “The investment is great news for current members and new members alike. The investment will transform the gym and offer a fantastic local community for the Harpenden community.”

DC LEISURE APPOINTS REGIONAL FITNESS TEAM

Following Sarah Leonie’s promotion to the role of Group Fitness Manager, DC Leisure has restructured its fitness team and appointed three new Regional Fitness Managers.

As a competitive swimmer, Allan Reid has always had an interest in sport and physical activity. He holds a degree in Business and Sport from Southampton Institute and a second degree in Health and Fitness from Southampton Solent University. Allan joined DC Leisure in 2002, initially as a relief Receptionist, he then became a Fitness Instructor, progressed to Fitness Manager and until recently was Operations Manager at Fleming Park Leisure Centre in Hampshire. On his new role, Allan says: “The operational experience I’ve gained in different areas of the business has been invaluable and gives me a true understanding of some of the challenges facing the sites. Fitness is my real passion and I’m delighted to start this new position as part of the new team.” Allan will be looking after the Southern region for the company.

Before joining DC Leisure, Mark Knight was involved with Professional Rugby League both as a player and a coach. He joined the company three years ago and was previously Fitness Manager at the sites in Widnes and Runcorn that form the Halton Borough Council contract.

Mark, who will be covering the Northern and Western parts of the country, explains: “I hope to be able to help our centres develop links and create partnerships with external agencies such as local schools and Primary Care Trusts to increase their appeal and strengthen their positions within the community.”

Tim Burrow has also been appointed to the Regional Fitness Team. He joins the company from Freedom Leisure and will be overseeing the London and East Anglia region. Tim has 12 years experience in the Leisure Industry, which started as a part time lifeguard during the holidays. He has worked his way up through the ranks to General Manager and immediately prior to taking up his new post, was Fitness Manager at the K2 site in Crawley. Tim has recently been named FitPro Ambassador of the Year, and has also won Fitness Team of the Year and BodyLife Awards. Tim adds: “I have been aspiring to this role for many years and I am really excited about the prospect of working with so many talented fitness professionals, it’s great to finally get this opportunity to make a difference. My aim is to support the sites and help them achieve their goals – meeting targets and adhering to the QMS.” Tim has a background in international athletics and competed for Great Britain at junior level.

DC Leisure’s Chief Executive, Steve Philpott, comments: “We have a tremendous wealth of talented people working within our centres, as these appointments prove. Sarah now has an incredibly strong team in place, who can work with the sites to build on their successes and continue to drive the business forward through training and high levels of customer service. I am very pleased that Allan, Mark and Tim are now in role and wish them every success in their new positions.”

DC Leisure has been working in partnership with Winchester City Council to help it achieve the Customer Service Excellence Standard. The company, which has managed River Park Leisure Centre on the Council’s behalf for 18 years, has helped the Council’s Economic & Cultural Services Division achieve the Standard with flying colours at its first attempt. The leisure centre has also recently achieved a Quest Score of 78%, putting it in the highly commended category.

The Customer Service Excellence Standard has replaced the former ‘Charter Mark’ and is the recognised gold standard for customer care approved by the Cabinet Office. Winchester City Council has committed to a three year programme of assessments and to meeting the Standard in every one of its 17 divisions. The first three of these divisions – Customer Service, Landlord Services and Economic & Cultural Services - have already undergone the rigorous process and passed with style.

The Standard explores five key areas which are critical in delivering excellent customer service, ranging from how well the Council knows its customers to the ways it delivers its services. A total of 57 elements of customer service are examined by an independent assessor through a combination of written submissions, desk based research, site visits, customer interviews and stakeholder focus groups.

The assessor was very positive about what he saw in Winchester, commenting on the obvious passion of staff for what they do and the ‘culture of quality’ which existed. He also noted that there is a clear and effective commitment to delivering customer focused services both at a corporate level and by individual staff members.

The City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Performance and Organisational Development, Cllr. Stephen Godfrey, commented: “This is an excellent set of results for the first year of our programme and I congratulate all those staff who have won the Standard so far. As a Council, we’ve talked for some time about offering ‘customer service we’re proud of’ and now we have clear proof that we are doing just that. Progress on this project has been excellent and to schedule, with the accreditation results reflecting the hard work of the staff involved. I am very impressed with the way our staff have committed themselves to this challenging programme.”

The Council’s Head of Customer Service, Paul Wood, added: “We also appreciate that our customers’ expectations are always changing, so we’ve been able to make good use of the assessment process to identify improvements and new ways of working, and to share good practice across the Council.”

Following the assessment for the Customer Service Excellence award, River Park Leisure Centre also underwent Quest accreditation in May. The score of 78% is an improvement of 5% on its previous result. General Manager, Sarah Morgan, explained: “I am delighted with the score, which must be attributed to the hard work put in by the entire team. The centre was complimented on its high standards, particularly of cleanliness and maintenance, as well as the friendliness of the staff. I am very proud of what has been achieved in such a short space of time.”

Castlehill added to Serco Leisure Portfolio

As of 1st September 2009 Serco Leisure officially commenced day-to-day management of the Castlehill Centre in Bolton.

The addition of Castlehill is great organic growth for the Bolton contract increasing it 10 13 sites. The Castlehill Centre is a dryside site comprising a boxing gym, 20 station fitness gym, 1 court sports hall, 2 outside 5-a-side AWP’s, 1 full-size grass football pitch, IT room & relaxation area with pool tables, table tennis etc. The centre is the local youth centre for the area and is predominantly used by local clubs, PCT, youth service etc.

Serco Leisure are responsible for the management of the Centre, which is adjoined by the local library and primary school.

DC LEISURE HAS NEW RLSS NATIONAL TRAINER ASSESSOR

Jo Talbot, DC Leisure’s Group Lifeguard Manager, has qualified as a Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS) National Trainer Assessor (NTA) and is now able to deliver courses and train Trainer Assessors. In order to become a NTA, Jo has completed an A1 Assessor’s qualification and a Certificate in Teaching Sport to demonstrate her ability as a senior trainer.

Jo’s career as a lifeguard began with a part-time role at the age of sixteen. She consolidated her experience at Parish Wharf Leisure Centre in Somerset, where she also progressed into the position of Duty Manager. Jo qualified as a RLSS Trainer Assessor (TA) in 2000, which enabled her to run National Pool Lifesaving Qualifications (NPLQ) courses to train new lifeguards. She joined DC Leisure when it began managing the Parish Wharf facility on behalf of North Somerset Council in 2004, and was promoted to her current senior group role in April 2007. Jo is responsible for overseeing the lifeguarding requirements at all the DC Leisure sites and co-ordinates First Aid, lifeguard, pool plant and defibrillator training courses.

Jo explains: “The safety and wellbeing of our customers is our top priority at all times. With 69 swimming pools and over 3,000 lifeguards across the DC Leisure estate, lifeguarding is a key element of our business. There is an ongoing need to ensure our staff hold valid qualifications and that their training is up-to-date with current guidelines and recommendations. By qualifying as a NTA, I am able to train more TAs within the company, who in turn will be able to deliver more NPLQ course.”

New Websites for all Serco Leisure Clients

All websites for Serco Leisure clients will be overhauled, transformed and re-launched late in 2009. One of the main objectives is to better inform the local community about what is happening at their local leisure centres.

The most apparent change to the new websites will be the re-design; simultaneously improving the appearance, navigation and usability as well as showcasing the facilities and activities available and importantly complying with DDA regulations.

The websites will also contain a large amount of new functionality to not only offer customers a wider range of services and transactions online but also to increase the commerciality of the websites and generate additional income for the leisure centres. A secure payment server will be used to ensure customer details are secure.

The implementation of the new websites will also allow Serco Leisure to capture extensive, accurate data such as gender, ethnicity, age, date of birth, etc.

  A Mendip leisure centre has been judged among the best in the country.

 Wells Leisure Centre, which is run by Avalon Leisure on behalf of Mendip District Council, has received a 78 per cent score from Quest – which is a nationally recognised system for measuring the quality of leisure centres.

 This score is four percentage places above its last inspection in 2006 and now places the Wells centre among the top third of Quest registered leisure centres in the UK.

 The Quest award has highly commended Wells Leisure Centre for the way it is managed, what it has to offer and how it meets the needs of its customers.

 Quest is judged by trained professional leisure assessors who use industry standards to decide what percentage to award a centre. To be successful centres are encouraged to consider how they run their business from the customers’ point of view. They are asked to consider service planning and improvement, staff management, customer relations and operational service.

 The external assessment also includes a ‘mystery shopper’ visit by the assessors.

 Before being assessed externally to be awarded a Quest percentage, Wells Leisure Centre had to undertake an internal inspection to plan how it will improve and drawing up an action plan for improvements. Assessors then use this information and what is already currently on offer to decide what score to award.

 Some of the key findings from the inspection were:

• Management recognise the benefits of improvement and are developing staff and the service including a training and development programme.
• The quality of pool water is excellent.
• Links with Mendip District Council ensure there is a balanced programme of activities.
• Working with a marketing company has improved service, and the image being created at the centre is professional.
• A committed team of duty managers provide positive direction for the centre with a can-do enthusiasm among staff helping to improve the overall service.

 Peter Gilpin, managing director of Avalon Leisure which manages the centre on behalf of Western Community Leisure, a leisure trust, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and is down to the hard work of all the staff at Wells Leisure Centre, led by manager Jackie Treasure.”

 Wells centre manager Jackie Treasure, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have achieved such a great score, which recognises the progress we have made since our last assessment.”

 Cllr Ron Forrest, Mendip District Council’s portfolio holder for community, said: “The council provides excellent leisure facilities in Mendip, and this wonderful result from Quest reinforces that message.

 “We pride ourselves on providing leisure activities and centres which are available to everyone, whether you are a beginner or a fitness fanatic. The council and staff at Wells Leisure Centre should be exceptionally proud of the work they do in helping the local communities lead healthier lifestyles.”

Leisure Connection has scooped a number of national industry awards, beating off fierce competition along the way. 

 PFM Awards Dec 08

 The first award was presented at the Premises and Facilities Management awards, which was held December 2008 in London.  Leisure Connection stood out from a busy finalist crowd, which included Honeywell Building Solutions and Wembley National Stadium, to take home the award for Partners in Sports Facilities Management, in partnership with their client North Kesteven District Council. 

 Tracey Munford, Partnership manager said:  “We were of course delighted to be recognised and rewarded at these awards.  We are very proud of what we have jointly achieved with our client partners at North Kesteven District Council, where our partnership continues to evolve from strength to strength.  We are now looking to build on this fantastic achievement and blueprint, which we hope to replicate in all contracts going forward.”

Corporate Social Responsibility Award Dec 08

The second award of the year came in the shape of the Corporate Social Responsibility award at the annual Leisure Report Awards, held at Lords Cricket ground.  Tracey continues:  “We are very proud of what we do to support our communities and indeed our clients and take our corporate social responsibility very seriously.  This award was voted by our peers and professionals from within the industry and it’s great to be recognised for our commitment.”

Low Carbon Performance Awards Feb 09

 On the 4th February, the Chartered Institute of Service Engineers CIBSE, held their annual Low Carbon Performance Awards hosted and presented by Ken Livingstone and Dame Ellen

MacArthur, the round the world yachtswoman. Despite stiff competition, the field was narrowed down to Leisure Connection and Somerfields, Leisure Connection coming out the winners in the ‘Client of the Year’ category for all the work carried out so far in encouraging awareness on sites and for technical trials and rollout. Paul Bailey, Head of Property Services, said ‘At last we have national recognition for the hard work being carried out by the Technical Team, our Energy Champions and Local Authority partners to reduce our carbon footprint and costs. I expect this award to be the springboard for even more energy savings in the future’

 Avalon Leisure who manage Frome Leisure Centre, Wells Leisure Centre, Strode Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre, Shepton Mallet Lido and Avalon Lifestyle Centre at Farrington Golf and Country Club continues to meet the requirements of the Investors In People Standard for the 13th year running.

 Investors In People provide straightforward, proven frameworks for delivering business improvement through people.

 The Investors In People report highlighted many strengths for Avalon Leisure, particularly good communications and leading by example. Team members quoted “The management often roll up their sleeves and help out and we are able to approach them at any time. They are keen to develop people and pass on their knowledge to us.”

 Rob Taylor Contract Manager of Avalon Leisure said “The investment in our people has proven to be the key to our corporate success. The investment of leadership skills for our managers has particularly proven worthwhile and will no doubt be one of the major drivers of Avalon Leisures future success.”

Up to 80,000 people in Bristol will benefit from free swimming sessions when a new scheme launches in April.

 Anyone under 16 or over 60 can take advantage of the Government backed free swimming initiative being funded by Bristol City Council and available at the six pools run by SLM.  Anyone in these two age categories will be entitled to swim free with an Everyone Active activity card from 1st April 2009.

The free sessions, available during the ‘swim for all’ sessions, are designed to promote healthy and active lifestyles among younger and older people.   The six pools in Bristol that will be offering free swimming are Horfield Leisure Centre, Henbury Leisure Centre, Easton Leisure Centre, Bristol South Swimming Pool, Jubilee Swimming Pool and Bishopsworth Swimming Pool.

Councillor Rosalie Walker, said: " Offering free swimming is a real measure of our commitment to making a real difference to people’s lives. Our ambitious swimming strategy has paved the way for first-class swimming opportunities in the city and we are now well-placed to deliver this free swimming initiative.

“Swimming is an excellent sport for all-round fitness and well-being. I would encourage all those over 60 – and young people too to get their free Everyone Active cards now – so they can make the most of this exciting offer when it comes into effect in April.”

 PIC: From left; Duty officer Paul Mason, Mendip district councillor Ron Forrest, lifestyle manager Lisa White, centre manager Al Wood, fitness instructor Rich Hill and lifestyle brand manager Jon Marsh

 A Mendip leisure centre has been judged among the best in the country.

 Strode Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre in Street, which is run by Avalon Leisure on behalf of Mendip District Council, has received a 76 per cent score from Quest - a nationally recognised system for measuring the quality of leisure centres.

 The Quest award has highly commended Strode for the way it is managed, what it has to offer and how it meets the needs of its customers.

 This now places the Strode centre among the top third of Quest registered leisure centres in the UK.

 Quest is judged by trained professional leisure assessors who use industry standards to decide what percentage to award a centre. To be successful centres are encouraged to consider how they run their business from the customers’ point of view. They are asked to consider service planning and improvement, staff management, customer relations and operational service.

 The external assessment also includes a ‘mystery shopper’ visit from the assessors.

 Before being assessed externally to be awarded a Quest percentage, Strode had to undertake an internal inspection to plan how it will improve what it offers in terms of how staff plan to perform against recognised leisure industry standards, identifying their strengths and areas for improvement, and drawing up an action plan for improvements.

 Assessors can then use this information and what is already currently on offer to decide what score to award.

 Some of the positive key findings from the inspection were: 

• Strong operationally.
• Benefitting from clear leadership and effective teamwork.
• Using Information, Communication and Technology well.
• Considerably better at marketing than it has been.
• Clearly enjoying the confidence of its partner, Mendip District Council.

 Peter Gilpin, Managing Director of Avalon Leisure, which manages the centre on behalf of Western Community Leisure, a leisure trust, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and is down to the hard work of all the staff at Strode Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre, led by centre manager Al Wood.”

 Strode’s centre manager Al Wood said: “Thanks to all the hard work from all our team members who have achieved a score of 76 per cent, which means that we are a highly commended facility and shows that we are committed to continuous improvement at our centre.

 “We hope to continue to improve on this score and improve all of our customer's experiences at Strode Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre.”

 Cllr Ron Forrest, Mendip District Council’s portfolio holder for community, said: “The council provides excellent leisure facilities in Mendip, and this wonderful result from Quest reinforces that message.

 “We pride ourselves on providing leisure activities and centres which are available to everyone, whether you are a beginner or a fitness fanatic. The council and staff at Strode Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre should be exceptionally proud of the work they do in helping local communities lead healthier lifestyles.”

GYMNASTICS ACADEMY OPENS IN AMBER VALLEY

 The official opening of the Gymnastics Academy at Alfreton Leisure Centre took place on November 25. The event was attended by the Mayor and Consort of Amber Valley Borough Council, Cllr Jean Gemmell, the chairman of British Gymnastics, Alan Somerville OBE and the Partnership Director of Derbyshire Sport, David Joy. The highlight of the day was a demonstration of the new equipment by Olympic gymnasts Becky Downie and Laura Jones, and culminated with a dazzling routine by the Amber Valley Gymnastics display team.

 The Academy features over £76,000 worth of new equipment including both men and women’s apparatus, a full length tumble track and the only landing pit facility in Derbyshire. It also has cutting edge visual technology and computer systems, which will deliver instant visual feedback to the gymnasts and coaches. The project has been jointly funded by Amber Valley Borough Council, DC Leisure and Sport England, through the Community Investment Fund, together with support from, English and British Gymnastics, Derbyshire Sport, Amber Valley School Sport Partnership and Amber Valley Gymnastics Club.
 The Academy will become a Centre of Excellence for gymnastics in Derbyshire, as well as being the main base for Amber Valley Gymnastics Club, a Gym Mark accredited club. It will offer courses for pre-school children and recreational gymnastics. Plus there will be volunteering opportunities for those wishing to develop their leadership and coaching skills in gymnastics through the ‘Leadership Academy’ initiative. 

Peter Sharkey, General Manager of Alfreton Leisure Centre, says: “The main aims of the Academy are to increase participation and identify and support talented gymnasts of the future. The centre will enable clubs, schools and the local community to sample gymnastics in a fantastic facility with qualified coaches, leaving them with a really positive introduction and experience of the sport. We are launching an extensive gymnastics programme in the New Year, and already have over 160 children enrolled onto it, so there is lots of interest and excitement throughout the community.”

 Richard Millard, Client Relations and Sports Development Director, adds: “This is an excellent example of how effective and successful a joint funding partnership can be. The new facility will help more people get active and involved in sport, whilst also ensuring a wide variety of gymnastics groups will benefit for many years to come.”

 Richard adds: “DC Leisure is also working closely with British Gymnastics on the launch of Gymnastics Proficiency Centres to increase participation in a quality assured environment.”

DC LEISURE WINS IFI AWARD

 DC Leisure is delighted to have won the category for ‘Demonstrating Corporate Commitment’ at the first annual Inclusive Fitness Awards sponsored by Cybex. The ceremony, which was held at the ICC in Birmingham on December 10, celebrated the work of IFI accredited facilities across the country and the progress that has been made in the health and fitness industry to include disabled people.

 The evening was hosted by Britain’s most successful Paralympic swimmer, Chris Holmes MBE MA, and featured an after dinner speech by Michael McGrath, CEO of the Muscular Help Foundation and the only disabled person in the world to have reached both the North and South poles. The awards were presented by representatives of the IFI Inspirations, a new scheme comprised of individuals who support and endorse the work of the initiative. Each one is a role model to motivate other disabled people into physical activity.

 One of eight prizes presented during the evening, the award for Demonstrating Corporate Commitment recognises facilities or organisations that have widened inclusive opportunities and experiences for all within the community.  Sue Catton, IFI National Director, explains: “We were overwhelmed by the number of nominations and exceptionally high standard of all the IFI accredited facilities. The recipient of the Corporate Commitment award will have multiple accredited IFI sites adopting the IFI principles, and will have shown an ongoing commitment to the project. DC Leisure has always been a great supporter of the initiative and been at the forefront of the cultural change in the leisure industry’s approach to inclusion, disability and access.”

 Steve Philpott, CEO of DC Leisure, says: “As a company, we have fully embraced the Inclusive Fitness Initiative and made it an integral part of our daily working practice. It’s great when your achievement is recognised in this way and we are very pleased to have won such a significant award.”

The Inclusive Fitness Initiative was introduced in 2000 to help the fitness industry become more inclusive. It has four key areas of development - accessible facilities, inclusive fitness equipment, staff training and inclusive marketing strategies. The IFI now aims to have launched 1000 inclusive fitness facilities across the UK by the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in London.

 Harpers Fitness, the name of community, public access sport and leisure in the UK, has linked up exclusively with Liam Richards and Danny Ball, better known as Strike - made famous earlier this year when they wowed audiences (and Amanda Holden) in the final of Britain’s Got Talent.  They became an inspiration to thousands of children (and adults) up and down the country with their innovative and breathtaking martial arts moves and choreography. 

Recognising their appeal, Harpers Fitness approached Liam and Danny to launch a fantastic new programme aimed at 5-16 year olds in a bid to encourage more young people to enjoy exercise and physical activity as part of their everyday lifestyle.

The performance martial arts programme, which launched in January 2009 is called Harpers Strike and offers a fun based introduction to performance martial arts, which Liam and Danny so effortlessly demonstrated on our screens. 

Harpers Strike is a structured sessions of fun-based martial arts activities, which are a fusion of structured martial arts training and pre-choreographed performances set to music. Each routine involves a mixture of martial arts moves at levels suitable to the class. 

The various moves are taught in a fun way before pulling them together to create fully choreographed routines.  Each term (three per year) the class will learn a new set of moves. 

The programme splits into three different age categories – 5 – 7 years, 8-11 years and 12-16 years, each providing a route to more specialist areas of training and discipline.

The programme will be delivered by specially selected trainers, who Danny and Liam have hand-picked and trained. 

Harpers Strike will be rolled out across more than 40 centres within the Harpers Fitness estate throughout 2009 and 2010. 

THE ARENA CELEBRATES AFTER £1.7m REFURBISHMENT

 The Arena Leisure Centre in Camberley was officially re-opened on January 21, 2009, following a £1.7m refurbishment. Attending the ceremony on behalf of Surrey Heath Borough Council were The Mayor, Cllr. Alan Whittard, the Portfolio Holder for Arts and Leisure, Cllr. Wynn Price, the Director of Customer Service, Chas Bradfield, Head of Arts and Leisure, Nick Mowat and Leisure and Recreation Manager, Kate Flynn.

 The project was funding by £1.4m from Surrey Heath Borough Council and a further £300,000 from DC Leisure, which operates the centre on the council’s behalf. DC Leisure was also responsible for managing the investment and was commissioned to design and build the project on account of its excellent track record in this area.

 Steve Philpott, Chief Executive of DC Leisure, says: “We are committed to ensuring the highest levels of leisure provision and customer satisfaction at all times. The improvements made at the Arena make it an even bigger asset for the local community and help it maintain its position as one of the most successful leisure centres in the country.”

 The extensive programme of improvements started in July 2008 and has seen the centre transformed with more space and new equipment. The Kinetika gym has been extended and modernised with flat screen televisions and a wireless music system installed, as well as the number of exercise machines being increased from 86 to 120. The aerobics studio has also been re-vamped and extended by 50% in size, with new flooring and equipment, and a dedicated cycling studio has been built complete with 20 bikes for high energy, fun classes, in a self-contained area. A new spa and steam room have been added, and the changing facilities have been upgraded throughout with new showers, toilets and lockers. In the café and bar, there is now additional seating, a members lounge and servery.

 On the refurbished facility, Centre Manager, Daniel Walker, says: “There’s a completely different feel about the centre and it’s great to see so many customers re-energised and excited with the results. We are confident that visitors to the Arena are exercising in first class facilities and receiving excellent value for money.”

Swimathon 2009 is set to make a splash as it launches at Frome Leisure Centre, Strode Swimming Pool and Wells Leisure Centre managed by Avalon Leisure. As the world’s largest fundraising swim, thousands of swimmers will take part in over 500 pools nationwide between 16 -19 April 2009.

 Swimathon entrants will be able to make a difference by taking part at Frome Leisure Centre and helping the lives of thousands of terminally ill patients through the donations to Marie Curie Cancer Care. 

Over the past two years, 30,000 swimmers have taken part in Swimathon and have raised more than £3 million for Marie Curie Cancer Care and The Swimathon Foundation. This year, Swimathon is looking to raise more money for charity by encouraging everyone in the UK to get in the pool for the world’s biggest swim and make 2009 a huge success.

 The face of Swimathon 2009, Eleanor Simmonds MBE, who at Beijing 2008 became Britain's youngest ever individual gold medallist at an Olympic or Paralympic Games adds, ‘Swimming is something I really enjoy and I think anybody would if they set themselves a challenge. It is a great way to keep fit and have fun with your friends – taking part in Swimathon means you can do both. I can’t wait to take part.’

 Duncan Goodhew MBE, Olympic gold medallist and Swimathon President, comments, ‘Swimathon is a great way of raising money to help thousands of people across the UK. It’s also a fantastic way to get and keep fit for all the family. Regular swimming builds endurance, muscle strength and cardio-vascular fitness and it can serve as a cross-training element to your regular workout. 30 minutes of steady paced lane swimming burns over 200 calories – well over 400 calories in an hour. So not only will Swimathon help other people but it will also help keep you fit too.’

 Swimathon 2009 is open to everyone, encouraging people to set their own personal challenge by accomplishing a distance of their choice. Swimmers can challenge themselves to the ultimate 5K challenge, 2.5K for the intermediate swimmer or 1.5K for those who swim occasionally. For those interested in joining forces with friends, colleagues or family, the 5K challenge can also be completed as part of a team of up to five people.

 To find out more about Swimathon or enter for the 2009 challenge go to: www.swimathon.org

 Staff at Shipston’s Everyone Active Leisure Centre are celebrating after the venue was named as being among the top 10 per cent in the country.  It has been highly commended by Quest, the leisure industry’s independent quality assessment scheme that is supported by Britain’s four sports councils.

 Shipston Leisure Centre, based on Darlingscote Road in Shipston-on-Stour, is managed on behalf of Stratford on Avon District Council by specialist leisure management company SLM.  A delighted Pete Williams, SLM’s area contract manager, said the centre had shown a commitment to customer service and delivery.

 “Very few leisure Centres in the UK are highly commended by Quest and so this being awarded to the leisure centre is testimony to the hard work of all the staff.”

 Mr Williams also paid tribute to the staff at other SLM-run Everyone Active centres in Stratford On Avon district.  “Stratford Leisure and Visitor Centre, Southam Leisure Centre and Studley Leisure Centre are all excellent facilities in the area offering first class activity opportunities for the local communities.” 

  Mr Williams revealed that Stratford On Avon District Council will be offering free swimming to anyone aged 60 and over as part of the Government initiative from 1st April this year.

 He said: “We are committed to helping people get more active as part of a way of life and the free swimming initiative will have a fantastic input into this during the next two years. All people have to do to be entitled to swim free at one of our centres is register for a free Everyone Active card with proof of age and then enjoy swimming free in public swimming sessions from 1st April.”

 In a bid to entice more people into Sport, Frome Leisure Centre, managed by Avalon Leisure has stepped further into the realm of adventure activities with a 9 week introductory course in canoeing, climbing and archery.

 The 9 week course was designed to be a stepping stone into these adventure sports and as they were run by the local clubs, created a pathway for further progression.

 The course was funded by Somerset Activity & Sport Partnership through Sport Unlimited and was organised in partnership by Avalon Leisure and Mendip District Council. The funding subsidised the cost to students which in turn allowed access to less privileged children.

 Research showed that the students on the course thoroughly enjoyed it and therefore Frome Leisure Centre are hoping to run similar 12 week courses, anyone interested should contact the centres Sports Development Manager – Kyle Withers on 01373 465446.

• A 250ml glass of wine or a pint of beer can contain about the same number of calories as a sausage roll
• A 250ml glass of wine (ABV 12%) and a strong pint of lager (ABV 5.2%) each contain 3 units of alcohol
• The government recommends that men should not regularly exceed 3-4 units of alcohol a day and women should not regularly exceed 2-3 units
• If you have too much alcohol in the 24 hours before exercising you are more likely to develop muscle cramps
• Regularly drinking more than the recommended guidelines increases your risk of developing illnesses such as mouth, liver and breast cancer, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease

The partnership was facilitated by the Fitness Industry Association which represents the interests of some 2,500 private and public members involved in the health and fitness industry.

Utility Reduction continues at Serco Leisure

Utility reduction work continues to remain high on the agenda at

Serco Leisure. Carbon / Energy Action Plans have been written for each Serco Leisure managed site to give a managed framework for reducing energy consumption. These plans cover a number of different initiatives including insulation, lighting strategies and ventilation strategies. With regards to reducing water consumption, initiatives include flow rate monitoring and installing water saving devices in toilet cisterns.

A key factor within all plans is the involvement of staff, and staff education – without the involvement and smart-thinking of Serco employees, utility reduction initiatives would have a significantly lower impact than is currently being demonstrated.

In addition to working on reducing their own utility consumption, many Serco Leisure sites have displays on what members of the public can do to be ‘greener’ and how they can reduce their carbon footprint. Within these displays, centres are also demonstrating what they are doing on site – adding some extra ‘behind the scenes’ interest for members of the public.

SLM WIN FIRST EVER ASA FACILITY OPERATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Sports and Leisure Management Ltd (SLM) is celebrating after winning the first ever ASA award for Facility Operator of the Year at the recent Swimtastic Awards 2008, which were held at the Everyone Active Stratford Visitor and Leisure Centre and Holiday Inn Hotel.

The judges at the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) recognized SLM for its proactive approach and quality delivery. The comments from the judges stated that, “SLM were the first to work with the ASA through an IOS SLA, to ensure their staff are attending CPD updates and are trained to the highest standards, proving that their staff are valued highly.”

Mandy Mason, the ASA’s business team manager, said: “SLM have proved they are a pro-active organisation, keen to ensure their quality ethos is at the forefront of all that they do.

“They work with the ASA to ensure staff are trained to the highest standards and help the ASA to develop products and services.

“They have shown a 44% increase in the Kelloggs/ASA awards over the last year which is evidence in itself that more children are achieving through their swim scheme.”

Jacqui Tilman, Group Swim Development Manager at SLM comments, “We now use the Kellogs ASA awards exclusively and we have implemented the National Plan for Teaching of Swimming ‘07 across all our sites. We are committed to ensuring the delivery of quality swimming lessons and the development of our young swimmers which is even more important following on from the success of our Olympic swimming team in Beijing earlier this year.”

DC LEISURE SITES OFFER FREE SWIMS FOR HUNDREDS OF YOUNGSTERS

Prince Regent and St Luke's swimming pools in Brighton and Hove offered several hundred youngsters the opportunity to enjoy free summer swims during the summer thanks to £19,000 'Communities for Health' funding.

Both swimming pools, managed by DC Leisure offered free swim vouchers to youngsters in years 8 and 9 at Falmer High School and Portslade Community College following a successful bid for 'Communities for Health' funding by Brighton and Hove City Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT).

The PCT teamed up with the two schools and DC Leisure for a five-week pilot. The youngsters - aged 12, 13, and 14, were allowed to use the vouchers as many times as they like from 28 July to 30 August after which they will do an online NHS Teen Life Check.

"Swimming is a great all-round activity and a fun way to get fit and healthy. And living by the sea, it is important children in Brighton and Hove can swim for their own safety. I hope these youngsters benefitted from this great opportunity and enjoyed the free swimming over the summer holidays," says PCT health promotion specialist David Brindley.

Mike Tait, principal of Portslade Community College, adds: "We were delighted to be involved in the pilot and I'm sure our students made the most of the opportunity to swim for free this summer. Swimming is not only fun but in a seaside community can be a life saver. Anything that encourages students to keep fit and healthy is always welcome."

Neil Roberts, contracts manager for DC Leisure, also welcomed the opportunity to take part in the pilot. "We at DC Leisure were delighted to be a partner in this project over the summer holidays. Swimming is still one of the best all-round forms of exercise and to be able to offer 700 youngsters the opportunity to come and experience the council's facilities for free is fantastic.

CHILDREN IN NEED - NOVEMBER 2008

Avalon Leisure at Wells Leisure Centre and Frome Leisure Centre plus Avalon Lifestyle Centre at Farrington Golf & Country Club - a UK Fitness Club of the Year, raised over £2000 for Children in Need in November with a sponsored 24 hour continuous cycle with Avalon Team Members and Avalon Members taking part in yellow fancy dress. Attached is a photo from the day of the event at Avalon Lifestyle at Farrington. In the picture from left to right: Alice Starr - Centre Manager, Gary Devonald - Assistant Manager, Becky Crosby - Exercise Consultant

"The whole club has got behind this fantastic fund raiser and its been a great success. We are very pleased with a great Club effort and would like to thank all who took part."

Serco Leisure Establishes the John Adams Trust Fund

The John Adams Trust Fund has been established as a registered charity by Serco Leisure as a tribute to the work and legacy of a former Chairman and as a mechanism to raise funds for the promotion of participation, coaching, officiating and the development of sport and active recreation within the Serco family.

By raising funds in a variety of ways Serco will be able to support their Local Authority clients and Trust partners in innovative and pro-active projects to the benefit of individuals or local communities. There will be 3 methods of raising monies for the trust fund; a financial contibution will be made from each of Serco Leisure’s key suppliers, Serco Leisure events and conferences and Employee sponsorship. The application criteria centres around Sporting excellence, Community development, Added value and Social inclusion.

BREAST CANCER CARE - OCTOBER 2008

Avalon Lifestyle Centre at Farrington Golf & Country Club - a UK Fitness Club of the Year, raised over £1000 for Breast Cancer Care during the month of October with great efforts from Key Press Trophies of Midsomer Norton to produce Pink T-Shirts for us to sell to our members. The Avalon Team and members also took part in the Lifecycle challenge to complete 160km in October. Other activities included dressing up for 'In the Pink' week 20th - 24th October, selling pin badges and guess the pink games. Attached is a photo of the Avalon Team and Avalon Lifestyle Members who took part in 'In the Pink' week we held Monday 20th - Friday 24th October.

"The whole club has got behind this cause and its been a great success. I am very pleased with a great team effort" Alice Starr - Centre Manager

UK’S LARGEST LEISURE PFI CONTRACT OPENS AT ASTON-CUM-AUGHTON LEISURE CENTRE

The first and second phase openings of the UK’s largest leisure PFI contract at Rotherham took place on Monday 15th at the Maltby Service Centre and Wednesday September 17 at Aston-cum-Aughton Leisure Centre. The events mark the launch of the first new buildings to open in the programme of four new leisure facilities within the £35m Rotherham Leisure PFI Project, completion of which is due in November 2009

Representatives from Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC), DC Leisure, and its construction partner; Willmott Dixon were in attendance to celebrate the opening of the new leisure centre.

Commenting on the launch, Phil Rogers, Director of Leisure and Culture Services at RMBC, says: “'Aston-cum-Aughton Leisure Centre is a massive boost for not only Aston Comprehensive School with its 1800 pupils but everyone in the surrounding area. I am very proud that we've been able to build a facility of this standard and I am delighted to be working in partnership with DC Leisure. I am confident this new leisure centre will improve the quality of life of the residents in the south of the borough for many years to come.”

Peter Kirkham, Development & PFI Director at DC Leisure, added: “The opening at Aston is an important milestone in the Rotherham PFI project and helps us move significantly closer towards our goal of delivering quality leisure programming in partnership with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. I’d like to pay a special tribute to the council members and officers who’ve had the foresight to provide state-of-the-art facilities to support inclusive participation across the whole community.”

Aston-cum-Aughton Leisure Centre, which has been built both on time, and budget, boasts a 25m swimming pool as well as a 12m leisure/teaching pool, a four-court sports hall and a fitness and health suite incorporating a 30-station gym.

The Rotherham PFI project also involves the construction of the multi-million pound development at Maltby, which will include the council’s Joint Service Centre and a new leisure complex. The Joint Service Centre opened its doors on Monday September 15th, providing a one-stop shop for public services including housing, social services, education and health services. The leisure complex at Maltby is due to open in November 2009.

Funding for the Rotherham PFI project came from Barclays, DC Leisure, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and the Department for Communities and Local Government through two linked PFI schemes, after the Government allocated Rotherham £25m of PFI Credits for redevelopment and regeneration. Additional funding was secured from the Lottery via the New Opportunities Fund, Rotherham Primary Care Trust and from the council’s existing budgets.

The next phase of the development will be the opening of the £12m Rotherham Leisure Complex in October 2008 and the £5m Wath-upon-Dearne Leisure Centre in December 2008.

HALLOWEEN FUN AT TOWCESTER

“Staff at Serco’s Towcester Centre for Leisure joined in the fun this Halloween by dressing up for the day. Customers were greeted by life-size black cats, witches, zombies and The Grim Reeper. Children attending the centre’s school holiday programmes joined in the fun and the site also hosted a Haloween themed ‘wave rave’ in the pool with music and prizes for the public. Contract Commercial Manager Nikki Killengray said, ‘…It was great…as a team we decided to have a bit of fun with our customers…it looked like a scene out of Thriller but we had a great atmosphere and the pool was jam packed all day…”. The team enjoyed the day so much that they have decided to have a ‘St Trinians’ themed day on Fri 14th Nov for Children in Need when staff and customers will be hosting a Row-a-Thon in reception…”

DC LEISURE NAMED FIA OPERATOR OF THE YEAR

DC Leisure has been voted the Fitness Industry Association (FIA) Operator of the Year 2008/2009 in recognition of its continuous commitment to raising standards within the leisure industry and engaging with the local community.

The company received the award – the first of its kind to be given by the FIA – at this year’s FLAME (Fitness Leadership and Management Excellence Awards) ceremony, which was sponsored by MATRIX and held at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.

“DC Leisure stood out among other professional operators for its constant focus on high standards,” says David Stalker, Operations Director of the FIA. “It was the first multi-site operator to pass the FIA’s Code of Practice demonstrating outstanding health and safety, customer service and staff training standards. I would like to congratulate everyone at DC Leisure for their impressive performance.”

DC Leisure manages 112 leisure facilities on behalf of 32 local authorities. The company has also been involved in 33 FIA programmes over the last 12 months and is the largest operator in the country of community schemes such as MEND (the Lottery funded Child Obesity Programme) and IFI (Inclusive Fitness Initiative).

Steve Philpott, Chief Executive at DC Leisure, says: “Winning this award is recognition of the commitment of all our staff to improving health and wellbeing in the communities in which we operate. We pride ourselves on providing a quality service to all our customers. We achieve this by investing in staff training and encouraging everyone in the company to look for improvements which will better serve our customers and local communities. ”

Teachers Smash Round Island Race Record

Swimming Teachers at Serco Leisure smashed a round Island relay swim record – despite the fact that four of the six ladies had never swam a relay before. Swimming Teachers Dilly Percival, Tracey Huish, Jenny Fitzgerald, Wendy Prunty, Dee Richards and Sally Minty-Gravett from the Aquasplash in Jersey took 24 minutes off the fastest time to set the new Jersey relay record in 10 hours and 59 seconds. The team raised almost £3,000 for the Jersey branch of CLIC Sargent, which is a children’s cancer support charity. Sally Minty-Gravett said “We think we might make it an annual event now. The aim was never to break the record – it was all about raising money for charity – but the ladies have got the bug now so I expect we’ll try again next year!”

Serco Leisure Secures Facilities Management Contract at Wythenshawe

Serco Leisure has been awarded their first Facilities Management contract. Following detailed negotiations with their client the Wythenshawe Community Leisure Trust, they have been awarded an initial one year contract which hopefully will roll on to be coterminous with our other Manchester Contracts and finish in March 2014.

Serco Leisure were awarded the contract on the basis of their professional, efficient and cost effective approach to delivering a similar service to other leisure facilities within Manchester.

THE OLYMPIAD IMPROVES QUEST RESULT THANKS TO DC LEISURE

The Olympiad Leisure Centre, which is managed by DC Leisure on behalf of North Wiltshire District Council, is delighted to announce that it has increased its Quest score to 75 per cent. This achievement shows a 15 per cent increase since its last assessment in 2006.

Councillor Viv Vines, Lead Member for Leisure at North Wiltshire District Council, says: “The partnership with DC Leisure has produced a superb result: Leisure and recreation facilities are a key service for the community and the council is committed to providing good quality services. We are delighted to hear that the Olympiad Leisure Centre increased its Quest score and congratulate all the staff for their hard work in improving the service to customers.”

North Wiltshire District Council views investment in their facilities as key to their success. Recent improvement works at the Olympiad in Chippenham included a newly refurbished gym, poolside changing rooms, reception area and flooring, with further improvements scheduled for later in the year. The recent Quest assessment carried out covered all aspects of operation at the centre, including standards and systems, customer relations, cleanliness, maintenance, health and safety, range of activities and environmental management.

Nick Moran, Contract Manager for DC Leisure in North Wiltshire felt that the significant increase in the score had been achieved through a combination commitment by the staff and the ongoing investment from the North Wiltshire District Council. “The 15 per cent increase provides us with tangible evidence of the improvements in standards and systems that we have been able to implement since we formed our partnership with North Wiltshire District Council in February 2007. The fundamental principle of Quest is for continuous improvement, so we will be striving to carry on with this progress to provide the users of the Olympiad Leisure Centre with a better leisure experience.” Prior to DC Leisure’s management, the facilities had been run by a local Trust which experienced financial problems.

North Wiltshire District Council is also beginning further improvements to two other sites managed by DC Leisure, Springfield Leisure Centre in Corsham and Lime Kiln Leisure Centre in Wootton Bassett.

TOP TEACHER WINS GOLD

A WOMAN from a village near Frome has been named one of the top swimming teachers in the country.

Simone Benhayon, of Tytherington, has won gold in the Top Teacher category at the National Swimtastic Awards for her “quality lessons” at Frome Leisure Centre which is managed by Avalon Leisure.

The Swimtastic Awards, which is run by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), has been running since the early 1990s and recognise the achievements of hundreds of swimmers, of all ages and abilities.

Miss Benhayon collected her gold award at a special awards ceremony in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, where she met more than 20 swimmers and divers from Team GB’s Olympic and Paralympic squads. She works six days a week and sees 200 people, ranging from small children to adults in their 70s.

Miss Benhayon said: “It truly was a great surprise to win the award, It’s a fantastic opportunity for Frome and Avalon Leisure and I am delighted to have won – it was a fantastic day.”

She delivers lessons to a wide range of people, some travelling from as far as London. She also works with the Swimming Instructors at the Frome Leisure Centre, managed by Avalon Leisure to develop their skills and knowledge.

Sarah Cruwys, Leisure Centre Manager, said: “Simone is the most dedicated person I know to be providing people such a service. She is one person making a huge difference to swimming every single day.”

The Swimtastic awards are broken into 10 categories, acknowledging swimmers and those who teach them.

MALDEN CENTRE INTRODUCES WOMEN ONLY EXERCISE CLUB

The Malden Centre, managed by DC Leisure, will be adding a ladies-only exercise club to complement their existing product offering. Local female residents are set to benefit from an innovative and tailored exercise experience, which focuses on the specific needs and objectives of women.

Ladies-only fitness has been in existence for many years, however modifications to traditional gyms in order to cater for this specific group, have been lacking. The past two to three years has seen the emergence of a number of companies presenting a very different and customised experience for women and DC Leisure believes they now have an excellent model. The Malden Centre’s investment, including a refurbishment of an existing underutilised room and new specialist equipment, is predicted to be a big success, which may lead to more Women’s Only Exercise Clubs opening across the group.

“We are delighted that we will have a new Women only exercise club at the Malden Centre. One of the key priorities of our Kingston Community Sports and Physical Activity Network (CSPAN) plan is to get more girls and women into sport and physical activity. This was highlighted as an issue for us by the Active Sports data in 2006. Having a female-only facility will attract a new client group and will help us to achieve our targets,” says Scott Herbertson
Head of Cultural Services and Lifelong Learning at the Royal Borough of Kingston.

The innovative Technogym “Easy Line” equipment will be available to these women which is easy to use and can get results for both beginners and those who have exercised before. The women-only exercise club will focus on helping women with weight loss, improving their general health and will be ideal for those intimidated or put off by traditional gyms. Individual instruction using mats and core balls will also be on offer along with a number of specialist group exercise classes every week.

The staff and management team are strong, committed to new ideas and are passionate about launching this new concept at the Malden Centre. “We hope this new exercise club will give ladies who want to exercise regularly the opportunity to do so in a relaxed, friendly, discrete and un-intimidating environment under the supervision of expert staff who for years have been working with ladies who wish to increase their level of physical activity and understand their lifestyle, health and fitness needs. We're going to limit the number of joiners to this exercise club to approximately 300 to 400, to ensure that we deliver the level of individual care needed," says Lisa Taylor, Group Fitness Manager at DC Leisure,

A full-time manager and assistant manager who specialise in working with women will head up the new gym and will be on hand to establish targets and goals, continually reviewing progress of the ladies in the group.

Work on the Women’s Only Exercise Club has begun at the Malden Centre and is due to open to the public by mid-September 2008. All other facilities will remain open to the public during this period.

DC LEISURE LEADS THE WAY WITH THE ‘CULTURE AND SPORT IMPROVEMENT TOOLKIT’

DC Leisure has become the first leisure management company to apply the new ‘Culture and Sport Improvement Toolkit’ to its operation. The company has conducted self-assessment against a version of this benchmark, adapted for a commercial leisure management organisation.

The Culture and Sport Improvement Toolkit is supported by a wide range of culture and sport agencies and amalgamates TAES, Arts at the Strategic Centre and the Library Peer Review. The Toolkit provides a basis for self-assessment, enabling culture and sport services to achieve continuous improvement. DC Leisure assessed its services against eight themes: leadership, policy and strategy, community engagement, partnership working, resource management, people management, customer service and performance measurement and learning.

Steve Wood, Corporate Coach working with DC Leisure and Validator for the Audit Commission scheme, says: “Self-assessment is generally more challenging than external assessment, forcing organisations to think incisively about the way in which they operate, discuss this with staff, partners and customers, plan improvement activity and make the changes.”

Summary feedback from the assessment highlighted particular areas for improvement in measuring sports participation at the company’s sites and the management and training of their staff. The areas identified have now been implemented into the business planning cycle and will be constantly measured over the coming year.

Richard Millard, Client Relations and Sports Development Director at DC Leisure, comments: “It is important for us to assess our services, identifying areas of improvement and allowing us to measure our progress over time. The self assessment has also given us the knowledge of what is involved in the Culture and Sport Improvement Toolkit, which will benefit our local authority clients in the future.

ARENA LEISURE CENTRE TO UNDERGO £1.7 MILLION REFURBISHMENT

The Arena Leisure Centre is to undergo a £1.7million refurbishment as part of a commitment from Surrey Heath Borough Council and its leisure partner DC Leisure to improve facilities for the local community.

The council is investing £1.4million in the project with a further £300,000 coming from DC Leisure who operates the centre. The money will fund the refurbishment of the centre’s changing facilities, health and fitness suite and provide a new dedicated spinning area.

The work is part of Surrey Heath Borough Council’s ongoing commitment to enhance customer satisfaction among the centre’s 800,000 annual visitors says Councillor Wynne Price, Portfolio Holder for Leisure: “The Arena Leisure Centre registers very high levels of satisfaction with customers and we want to ensure it continues to play its important role in our service provision. I’m certain this work will allow DC Leisure to continue to offer a competitive product that will enhance the health and wellbeing of all users.”

The 22-week project gets underway this summer, with external and internal maintenance works to the building followed by the revamp of the fitness suite.

Contract Manager for The Arena Leisure Centre, Dan Walker says: “DC Leisure is delighted to assist the council with this much needed investment, which will enable The Arena Leisure Centre to continue providing the highest standard of leisure provision and ensure it remains one of the most successful leisure facilities in the country.” DC Leisure will manage the investment programme on behalf of the council and have been commissioned to design and build the project due to its proven track record in this field.

Surrey Heath Borough Council runs a comprehensive sports development programme for the community in partnership with DC Leisure at The Arena Leisure Centre and other sports clubs. These include club and coach development initiatives, sports specific development plans, inter-school tournaments, GP Referral schemes and Cardiac Rehabilitation both in partnership with the Primary Care Trust and the highly successful family based ‘MEND’ scheme for overweight and obese children aged 7-13.

Surrey Heath Borough Council is one of 32 Contracts that DC Leisure manages in partnership with local authorities with The Arena Leisure Centre being one of the most successful leisure centres in the country.

CHRISTIE MILLER LEISURE CENTRE LEAD THE WAY WITH LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOL AND THE ‘OUTWARD BOUNDS’ PROGRAMME

The Christie Miller Leisure Centre in West Wiltshire has launched a new initiative called The Outward Bounds Programme. The scheme involves the leisure centre partnering with local primary schools in a bid to help young children learn through sport and stay active.

Outward Bounds was developed by Rich Ayling, Fitness Manager from the Christie Miller Sports Centre and was launched in April this year. Schools involved in the scheme include: Seend CE Primary School; TheManor CE Primary School; and Staverton CE Primary School. The scheme focuses on using exercise to help teach lessons such as Ancient Greece – The Olympic Movement, Space and Gravity and The Human Body.

Rich Ayling is passionate about the programme: “The focus of the project is to work alongside schools and teachers to help educate in a fun and active format. Outward Bounds aims to improve fitness levels as well as improve learning opportunities by offering different educational experiences. We are confident that the programme can help encourage children in the community to lead healthier lifestyles.”

The programme is fully structured with four weeks of varied exercise and education sessions; a fifth week involving a visit to the Christie Miller Sports Centre; and the sixth week concludes the programme, with a mini-tournament and presentation with certificates and vouchers for the centre. Parents are also invited along to this final session.

Elaine Blowers, Marketing Manager for West Wiltshire DC Leisure believes the programme is a great idea: “The scheme promotes physical activity and a healthy lifestyle and is a new fun and enthusiastic way for young children to learn.”

In addition to working with local primary schools, Christie Miller is also working in partnership with The George Ward School, a technology college. Over 100 pupils from Year Nine will be going to the school to take part in ‘Mechanics and Movements,’ which will again encompass learning and sport. Students will get the chance to participate in a variety of sessions related to their technology option subjects, which they will be starting the following year.

“The project is providing positive experiences in leisure, which is helping to create future projects. By working alongside teachers and P.E. coordinators it is improving community sport, which in turn gives children the ability to learn through a different focus and experience activities they would not usually participate in,” says Rich Ayling.

Harpers first to benefit from Kinesis One

Harpers in Wyboston is one of the first clubs in the UK to benefit from thousands of pounds worth of new Kinesis One equipment from Technogym.

The Kinesis system is the new dynamic, stand-alone equipment that promises to deliver a whole body workout. With over 400 separate movements possible and over 250 exercises to choose from, Kinesis provides users with a range of circuit exercises that will always be fresh and challenging for a broad range of customer profiles. As a Tri-dimensional movement, Kinesis makes movement free and enjoyable, easy and natural and without restrictions.

Steve Bambury, Business Manager for the Harpers Private Clubs said: “The kit looks fantastic. Our club at Wyboston is benefitting from new equipment as part of the Harpers re-branding programme. Our members were all very intrigued by the new equipment and some nervous to try it out but once our PTs demonstrated its versatility and benefits we couldn’t tear our members away from it.”

The kit will be trialled in the Harpers Club at Wyboston and if successful, Leisure Connection will look to roll Kinesis One out across the estate.

The organisation made the appeal in a paper released earlier this week called Activating the Market – The Contribution of Leisure PFI and PPP [Public-Private Partnerships] to Driving and Sustaining an Increase in Participation.

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of BISL, said: “For far too long we have allowed our sports facilities, particularly those owned by local authorities where the majority of leisure time is spent, to go downhill through lack of capital and revenue investment.

“It is widely accepted that some £10bn is now needed to create the modern, attractive facilities that can grow participation.”

BISL wants the government to undertake an audit of the national leisure stock, as a prelude to developing a national facilities strategy, which can be presented to local authorities with “the carrot of increased funding”.

The organisation also recommends an increase in the PFI credits available to the DCMS.

Simmonds continued: “Over the past 10 years, PPP and PFI schemes in partnership with the private sector have proved that they can increase participation, reduce revenue costs and create investment over a period of up to 25 years.

“This is due to an intimate melding of the design and management elements of such leisure facilities and longer contracts, which offer financial certainty and service guarantees for local authorities, through provision of mechanisms for financial penalties and inclusion of life-cycle and maintenance costs.”

BISL’s chief executive, Brigid Simmonds, was a member of the High Level Stakeholder Group that helped contribute to the Foresight Study on Obesity, which was released today (17 Oct) and found that 60 per cent of men, 50 per cent of women and 25 per cent of children will be obese by 2050.

“We can only tackle this by cross-departmental support to increase levels of physical activity in our population,” said Simmonds.

“BISL has already responded to the white paper or planning by proposing that we have a national strategy on physical activity and the built environment, which would mean that every new building and every refurbishment would have to include features to encourage activity and every local authority plan would have to include policies to encourage physical activity in their neighbourhoods or regions.”

“Unless the government makes physical activity a key priority across departments, in the same way they have done for sustainability and the environment, little will change and the cost to the NHS will be £45.5bn a year.”

The company that runs most of Mendip’s leisure centres has just overseen £100,000 of investment in two of its fitness centres.

Avalon Leisure, which works in partnership with Mendip District Council, has just completed major refurbishments of two of its Avalon Lifestyle Centres at Wells Leisure Centre and Farrington Golf and Country Club.

At Wells Leisure Centre, which the company manages on behalf of Western Community Leisure, a leisure Trust, the fitness suite has been completely refurbished as well as seeing 22 new pieces of fitness equipment installed. The new state of the art equipment includes a complete replacement of all resistance machines with the new Technogym Selection line, additional new cardio-vascular machines and the installation of audio-visual screens.

Amongst the new cardio equipment are the innovative Technogym Wave and Nautilus Treadclimber machines. These are recent award-winning additions to UK fitness gyms and will be the first installed in the Mendip area. Wells Leisure Centre has been runner-up in the UK Leisure Centre of Year awards in recent years and continues to score amongst the highest in the UK.

At the Avalon Lifestyle Centre at Farrington Golf and Country Club, Farrington Gurney, the Nautilus Treadclimber will also be a very popular addition to the already comprehensive range of equipment, and members will also be enjoying refurbished changing rooms. The club is now on the crest of a wave having recently been voted UK CLUB OF THE YEAR 2007 (under 1,000 members) by the FIA – the UK Fitness Industry Association.

Peter Gilpin, managing director of Avalon Leisure, which manages the centres, said: “This is part of our ongoing commitment to improving the quality of facilities across the Mendip area, in partnership with Western Community Leisure, Mendip District Council and Farrington Golf Club. Our centres in Wells and Farrington have been voted amongst the best in the UK and this is something that they and the company should be very proud of and something we are keen to maintain.”

Alton Sports Centre, which is managed by DC Leisure on behalf of East Hampshire District Council, has been awarded the MEND Programme Best Practice Award for Multi-Agency Working 2007. The award was presented to Richard Neale, DC Leisure’s General Manager, at the MEND Best Practice Conference at Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield on November 22.

Harry MacMillan, Partnership Director for the MEND Programme, said: “Our aim is for every suitable overweight and obese child in the UK to have access to a local MEND Programme to receive the support and knowledge required to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. The development of effective working partnerships is pivotal to the successful achievement of this objective and Alton Sports Centre has clearly demonstrated impressive practices in this regard.”

MEND was launched at Alton Sports Centre in April 2007 and right from the start there was a strong focus placed on building relationships. Richard comments: “We created a MEND steering group, comprising key representatives who each bring their own area of expertise, to meet regularly and monitor the ongoing success of the programme.”

In addition to MEND Programme Manager, Richard, and his DC Leisure team at Alton - this panel includes the Leisure Management and Active Lifestyle Co-ordinators at the council, who advise on links with local services like GPs and schools; the health improvement partnership manager and practitioner from the primary care trust, who advise on public health information and linking with GP funding; and the local partnership development manager, as well as school nurses, who are able to directly target the recruitment of children that will benefit from the scheme.

Other key partners include the local Sainsbury’s and various media. Richard explains: “We work with Sainsbury’s to provide opportunities for children on the programme to benefit from special MEND shopping sessions and MEND friendly buffets. And our local press, radio and television have all supported us with adverts and editorial coverage including interviews and case studies.”

Councillor Jennifer Gray, Active Lifestyles Portfolio Holder at East Hampshire District Council, comments: “We’re committed to projects, like MEND, which improve the health of our community. The delivery of the programme is a real team effort between the council, DC Leisure, the PCT and the MEND Programme professionals and we’re very proud that the hard work has been recognised by MEND with the presentation of this award.”

There are now plans to extend the Alton Sports Centre MEND steering group to cover the whole of Hampshire and DC Leisure will continue to share best practice across the group.

As a leading local partner, DC Leisure has rolled out the MEND Programme across 14 sites and is running more MEND Programmes than any other leisure centre operator.

One Tonne Carbon Challenge

Maidstone Leisure Centre recently entered the Kent County Council ‘One Tonne Carbon Challenge’.
The aim of the competition was to reduce carbon emissions by travelling more sustainably.

Maidstone Leisure Centre were the eventual winners and lead by example. Their commitment to emission savings included the following initiatives:

• Car sharing
• Walking to work
• Turning off lights and electrical appliances that are not being used
• Using the public transport system
• Getting off the bus two stops early and walking to work
  

Serco Leisure manage the Manchester Aquatic Centre, the official training venue for 9th FINA World Swimming Championships 2008 to be held in Manchester from 9-13 April next year.

Serco currently manage over 60 leisure facilities, including 13 facilities in Manchester,on behalf of Local Councils and Trusts. As part of the sponsorship, Serco Leisure is providing every ticket holder, for the championships the opportunity to a free swim at any of the leisure centres and swimming pools they manage across the country. Serco will also promote the event at over 35 leisure facilities across the North West.

In association with the FINA World Swimming Championships Serco Leisure will be working closely with local swimming clubs to support the development of the sport and encourage participation in swimming across all age groups prior to and as a legacy of the event..

Keith Thomas Managing Director for Serco Leisure said “We are pleased to be supporting the FINA World Swimming Championships. By offering 60,000 free swims we will be helping to encourage people to participate in swimming right across the UK and raise the profile of swimming and its related health benefits”.

The eyes of the world will be on Manchester as 650 athletes from 120 different countries will take part in this 5 day event which will be the first World Swimming Championship to ever be staged in the UK. Manchester always does things differently and it promises to be like no other swim meet with two huge temporary pools being built in one of Countries most popular concert venue – The Manchester Evening News Arena.

Marc Hope Director of Rights Marketing said. “I'm thrilled to welcome Serco Leisure to the growing sponsor family. They will play a very special role in ensuring the Championships leave a lasting legacy. We are in advanced conversations with other potential partners - there is still time to become involved in the UK’s biggest swimming event since the 1948 Olympics and make the most of their company’s involvement in the build up to Beijing 2008 and London 2012” For sponsorship enquiries please e-mail sponsors@m2008.org or call Marc on +44 (0) 7799662187

Head of PR is the 5 Times World Swimming Champion and Mancunian James Hickman says “It’s fantastic news that Serco are an official partner, some of the planet’s best swimmers will use the Championships to hone their skills for the Olympic Games in Beijing just a few months later.
Offering the free swims to every ticket holder is brilliant, as we hope to inspire a lot of people to take up swimming.

Serco Leisure and IQL – managers of the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) – have teamed up to deliver a bespoke pool safety training seminar to staff nationwide.

Jan Francis, quality, health and safety manager at Serco, said: “We have always taken the safety of our customers and employees very seriously, so have employed the IQL to present to all our staff from top level management to the junior ground staff.

“We’re keen to identify any gaps in our knowledge and implement changes to ensure that the HSE’s Management of Health and Safety in Swimming Pools guidelines are followed.

“This refresher is pertinent due to the recently enacted Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act which comes into force next April.”
Two seminar sessions presented by IQL at the recent Leisure Industry Week identified a shortfall of knowledge among employees and employers on how to prevent and manage crises at their centres.

Executive director of IQL, Tara Dillon, said: “The guidelines are effective but often misinterpreted, which is where the IQL can help.”

North Wiltshire District Council is rolling out an extensive refurbishment programme across all four of its leisure centres. An investment of £750,000 is being made by the council through a rolling capital improvement fund. The sites to benefit from the upgrade are The Olympiad, Lime Kiln and Springfield Leisure Centres, as well as The Activity Zone, all of which are managed by DC Leisure in partnership with the council.

Viv Vines, the Councillor responsible for Leisure at North Wiltshire District Council, comments: “We are committed to providing an improved leisure service to our customers and are working in close partnership with DC Leisure to ensure this happens. Our customers will be able to see for themselves the benefits of the considerable investment that we are making in facilities and the surroundings in each of the four centres.”

The Olympiad Leisure Centre in Chippenham has undergone a comprehensive gym refurbishment including the installation of a wireless entertainment system from Cardio Theater® and a large range of cardiovascular equipment from Precor. In addition, the Spinning area has been upgraded with 21 bikes from Keiser and new air conditioning.

Work has also been completed on a new wet-side changing village complete with new showers, toilets, lockers and cubicles, many of which will offer family-friendly changing options. New ceilings and lighting will complete the changing room transformation. The reception area now also benefits from new flooring as well as the introduction of an inviting relaxation area over looking the swimming pool.

Springfield Leisure Centre in Corsham and Lime Kiln Leisure Centre in Wootton Bassett are also set for general redecoration throughout. A gym extension, complete with new equipment, is due to be completed early in 2008 at Springfield and work at Lime Kiln will commence in the New Year.

The gym facility at The Activity Zone in Malmesbury, like those at Lime Kiln and The Olympiad, has been fitted with new Spinning bikes from Keiser. Its reception and studio flooring have also been upgraded. Finally, there are further plans to upgrade the air conditioning in the studio and gym in the coming months.

As part of the refurbishment programme, all four gym facilities are being re-branded ‘Kinetika’ – DC Leisure’s national chain of gyms which offer a friendly and convenient fitness environment for real people. And as part of the re-branding exercise, ‘Kinetika Journey’ - DC Leisure’s highly successful one to one gym programming and instruction sessions, will be rolled out across each centre over the coming months.

Nick Moran, DC Leisure’s Contract Manager at North Wiltshire, comments: “The council’s investment in these leisure facilities is great news for the local community and represents another significant step forward in our bid to deliver exceptional sports and leisure services for the residents of North Wiltshire in partnership with the council.”

DC Leisure took over the management of four of North Wiltshire’s leisure centres in February this year following the announcement by incumbent operator, North Wiltshire Leisure Limited (NWLL), that it was to go into administration. The council’s fifth facility, The Cricklade Leisure Centre, is now operated by The Cricklade and District Community Association as a completely independent organisation.

As DC Leisure Gets the UK’s Largest PFI Project Physically Underway

The Ground Breaking Ceremony to mark the start of the UK’s largest leisure PFI contract to date took place on Thursday October 11 at St Ann’s Leisure Centre. The event marked the start of construction work on the £35m Rotherham Leisure PFI Project.

Representatives from Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC), DC Leisure, and its consortium team of Barclays Bank, builders - Willmott Dixon, construction and property consultant - Cyril Sweett Ltd, law firm - Nabarro, and Hooper Architects, were all in attendance to celebrate the visible beginning of this important project. The initiative forms part of the design, build, finance and operation of four leisure facilities in Rotherham.

Speaking at the ceremony, Culture and Leisure Services Director at RMBC, Phil Rogers, said: “This is a fantastic day for Rotherham and I have no doubt that, when complete, these centres will put us firmly on the leisure map. We’ve enjoyed working with such a professional team as DC Leisure and I’m very proud of what we have achieved together so far.”

Peter Kirkham, Development & PFI Director at DC Leisure, added: “After reaching financial close in June, this event marks another important milestone in the development of the project and helps us move significantly closer towards our ultimate goal of delivering quality leisure programming in partnership with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. I’d like to pay a special tribute to the members and officers of the council who’ve had the foresight to provide state-of-the-art facilities to support inclusive participation across the whole community.”

The PFI project will involve the construction of St Ann’s – Central Rotherham Swimming and Fitness Centre, as well as providing two additional dual-use leisure facilities at Wath and Aston, which are both situated on or adjacent to secondary school campuses. There will also be a multi-million pound development at Maltby, which will include the council’s Joint Service Centre and a new leisure complex.

St Ann’s will incorporate a 25m, six-lane swimming pool with a moveable floor, as well as a 12m leisure/teaching pool complete with a 70m flume. There will also be a six-court sports hall, squash courts, fitness and health suites and the area’s highest and largest climbing wall.

Children from two local schools - St Ann’s Junior and Infant School and Clifton Community Arts School - attended the ceremony and were delighted to be invited to be the first children to swim in the new pool at St Ann’s when it opens next autumn.

The facilities at Aston and Wath will both include a main pool and learner pool, fitness suite and sports hall. And the Maltby site will comprise a 25m, six-lane pool with a moveable floor, diving pool, sports hall and a fitness suite. The complex will also incorporate Maltby Joint Service Centre, which will provide a one-stop shop function for public services including housing, social services, education and health services. It is anticipated that, upon completion, these leisure facilities will accommodate one million visits per year.

Funding for the project has come from Barclays, DC Leisure, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and the Department for Communities and Local Government through two linked PFI schemes, after the Government allocated Rotherham £25m of PFI Credits for redevelopment and regeneration. Additional funding has been gained from the Lottery via the New Opportunities Fund, Rotherham Primary Care Trust and from the council's existing budgets.

It is anticipated that the majority of building work will be completed by the end of 2008. The contract will run for 32 years from this time.

With nine PPP/ PFI leisure centres currently underway or completed, DC Leisure, together with its funding partner, Barclays, has more experience and expertise in this field than any other leisure operator.

In recognition of its outstanding commitment to teaching swimming, DC Leisure has been named as the Amateur Swimming Association’s (ASA) ‘Facility Operator of the Year’ for the fourth year running. DC Leisure’s Swimming Group Manager, Mark Haslam, was delighted to accept the Swimtastic Award on behalf of the company.

David Sparkes, Chief Executive of the ASA, said: “DC Leisure thoroughly deserves this award – they are committed to placing sports development, in particular swimming, at the centre of business thinking and this has resulted in a highly successful teaching programme which continues to go from strength to strength.”

He adds: “As well as focussing on the development of elite athletes in search of gold medals, our aim at the ASA is to drive increased participation at grass roots level. To achieve this requires a culture change within the leisure industry - we need better facilities, quality management and a better workforce.

“These are all goals that DC Leisure is continually striving for. And whilst there’s still a long way to go in driving up standards across the board, DC Leisure sets the bar high and continues to raise it, as it challenges itself on an ongoing basis.”

DC Leisure has over 43,000 children enrolled in its Swim Academy, and over the last year, has presented more than 130,000 Kellogg’s ASA Awards scheme badges and certificates to its pupils, demonstrating its effectiveness in promoting the ongoing improvement of each child’s swimming ability.

Mark Haslam comments: “We’re very proud to receive this award again and I would like to thank all the swimming instructors and co-ordinators across the group who invest so much energy and enthusiasm, week after week, to make our Swimming Academy such a success.

“The ASA has been a great support to DC Leisure over the last few years – recently running a group wide training course focusing on the introduction of the new national plan and the development of our teachers in light of the new UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) qualifications. And with swimming representing the highest participation activity we offer, the ongoing development of this partnership is extremely important to us.”
The DC Leisure Swimming Academy, which runs in 65 sites across the country, follows the ASA National Plan for Teaching Swimming (NPTS). This provides a comprehensive, progressive teaching programme, from complete beginner to pre-competition development, based upon sound technical and educational principles.

Soar Valley Leisure Centre provided by Charnwood Borough Council and managed by Serco Ltd were awarded the 'Spirit of Flame' trophy at the recent Fitness Leadership and Management Excellence Awards annual ceremony held in Birmingham.

This prestigious award was chosen by assessors and awarded to Soar Valley Leisure Centre for its outstanding achievement and performance during the FLAME assessment process.

Comments from this year's assessors "The Spirit of Flame Award winner, Soar Valley Leisure Centre, has a team which shows total dedication to improvement. There was an energy and commitment to developing clever and innovative ways of raising the profile of the centre while engaging the community. Many people have benefited from the hard work and energy of this Centre's team and will continue to do so."

"Soar Valley Leisure Centre proved that it is an organisation which lives up to its customer mission statement - "To provide a safe, warm, clean, friendly, fun environment for the local community at an affordable cost to help get 'More People, More Active, More Often." Said Shelly Hillier Commercial Manager for Soar Valley Leisure Centre "We put our success down to having passion and enthusiasm by being caring and supportive, teamwork, and by believing what we do counts. This award will only spur us on to want to grow and improve even more."

DC LEISURE ROLLS OUT CUSTOMER INSIGHT PROGRAMME

Reflecting its commitment to the ongoing improvement of service delivery, DC Leisure has entered into a 12-month contract with Leisure-net Solutions Ltd (LNS), who it has commissioned to carry out a series of customer and staff surveys on its behalf. Part of a comprehensive Customer Insight Programme, the initial surveys have already yielded encouraging results.

Mike Hill, Managing Director of LNS, says: “Our Customer Insight Programme combines a number of tools - including mystery telephone enquiries and visits, as well as telephone and online surveys of customers, members, past members and staff – enabling us to provide DC Leisure with a detailed picture of its current performance and to highlight any areas requiring attention.

“Always keen to stay in tune with its members and customers, and to provide the highest quality of service, DC Leisure has embraced the opportunity to roll out the Customer Insight Programme, and I’m sure will continue to see ongoing improvements as a result.”

The first two rounds of the programme included mystery telephone calls, conducted at different times of the day, to 50 of DC Leisure’s sites, and a series of telephone interviews with members from each of those sites who had visited the centre in the past three or four days.

Among the most pleasing results were that over 90% of members felt that they had made progress towards their health and fitness goals in the last three months (93% - fitness; 98% swimming). And when asked if, based on their experience of their visits in the last month, they would be happy to recommend their centre to a friend or relative, 98% and 94%, fitness and swimming respectively, said that they would.

Finally, when answering the phone, over 80% of the DC Leisure staff surveyed were judged to be efficient, polite and enthusiastic.

Richard Millard, Client Relations and Sports Development Director at DC Leisure, comments: “These results are extremely encouraging – it’s always great to hear positive feedback from our customers. But perhaps more importantly, the surveys have also been invaluable in highlighting certain areas where we’re not currently performing as well as we’d like. In these cases, we look forward to working in partnership with Leisure-net to monitor our improvements at each individual site over the duration of the programme.”

DC LEISURE LOOKS AFTER CHILDREN IN AMBER VALLEY

Amber Valley Borough Council is trialling a new initiative called ‘Looked After Children’ in partnership with DC Leisure and Derbyshire County Council. The scheme will see foster carers, the children they look after and their immediate families benefit from complimentary admission to the council’s leisure facilities.

Councillor John Nelson, Cabinet Member for Leisure Development at Amber Valley Borough Council, says: “We’re extremely pleased to be offering children and young people in the care of Derbyshire County Council free access to the borough’s leisure facilities. The promotion of active lifestyles for all members of the local community is a council priority and this initiative will help us to meet this objective.”

Under the scheme, swimming, fitness classes and all court bookings will be available free of charge at Alfreton and Ripley Leisure Centres and William Gregg VC Leisure Centre in Heanor, which are all managed by DC Leisure on behalf of Amber Valley Borough Council. The council’s additional Trust run facility, Belper Leisure Centre, is also included within the programme.

It is anticipated that Looked After Children will help many youngsters in care who often tend to have a disproportionate rate of obesity and lower participation levels in sporting and recreational activities than their peer group. In addition, it is hoped that free leisure centre access will also help promote the recruitment and retention of foster carers and will encourage them to use leisure and recreational facilities alongside the children they are placed with.

Jayne Bacon, Project Officer for Derbyshire County Council, says: “Amber Valley is the first district to go live with this scheme and we’re anticipating that a total of 350 foster families will be invited to join. The programme encourages family bonding, broadens experiences and hopefully helps to engage young people in sporting activities leading to them meeting new people, understanding the importance of exercise and healthy living. Ultimately we hope this scheme will be the start of a package of incentives which will help to recruit and retain Derbyshire foster carers.”

The initiative, which is an extension of the Amber Card – Amber Valley Borough Council’s successful discount card / loyalty scheme, is currently being run as a pilot and if successful will be rolled out across all Derbyshire County Council’s leisure facilities next year.

The company that runs most of Mendip’s leisure centres has won a prestigious national award.

Avalon Leisure, which works in partnership with Mendip District Council, has scooped Club of the Year for its Avalon Lifestyle Centre at Farrington Golf and Country Club in Farrington Gurney.

The prize was presented by Olympic gold medal winner Linford Christie on behalf of the Fitness Industry Association (FIA) as part of the 13th FLAME (Fitness Leadership and Management Excellence) awards.

Speaking about the Avalon Lifestyle Centre at Farrington Golf and Country Club, the judges said: “This centre benefits from a dedicated general manager supported by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff that delivers results. Members enjoy a highly personalised fitness experience and unprecedented levels of contact and as a result their memberships well outlast the industry average.”

Peter Gilpin, managing director of Avalon Leisure, which manages the Avalon Lifestyle Centre, said: “This is the result of outstanding work from Alice Starr and the team at Farrington, who deserve all the credit. To be voted the best in the UK is something that they and the company should be very proud of.”

Every year more than 6,000 health clubs and leisure centres across the country are invited to compete for recognition as the industry's best. The 2007 awards attracted a broad cross section of organisations - from large chains to smaller independent operators and leisure centres.

This year's winners, chosen by a panel of independent experts from CYQ (Central YMCA Qualifications), are:

Club of the year (under 1,000 members): Avalon Lifestyle Centre (at Farrington Golf and Country Club, Farrington Gurney).
Club of the year (1,000 to 2,500 members): Spirit Health Club (Belfast).
Club of the year (2,500 to 4,000 members): Branston Golf and Country Club (Burton on Trent).
Club of the year (more than 4,000 members): Vale Health and Racquets Club (Pontyclun, South Wales).
The Spirit of FLAME (for demonstrating outstanding achievement or performance): Soar Valley Leisure Centre (Loughborough)

Andrée Deane, chief executive of the FIA said: "The fitness industry has a reputation for being vibrant and dynamic. These awards pay tribute to those centres and clubs who have shown exceptional innovation in their business approach and customer service and pave the way for the future of the industry."

At 7am on Sunday 8th July, Team Serco got on their bikes along with 5000 other cyclists to take part in the annual Manchester to Blackpool bike ride. The 6 Serco Leisure staff raised over £500 for Christies Hospital in Manchester by cycling the 61 mile journey.

Mike Barber from the Manchester support office was the first member of Team Serco to arrive in Blackpool’s Stanley Park in a time of only 3 hours 45. Kate McGill, the only female team-member said “I was really pleased to complete the ride in 5 hours 20, despite the weather. It was great fun, I made lots of friends en route and it was all for a very worthwhile cause”.

Mark Snaylam Contracts Manager said “As usual the team took up the challenge to raise money for a good cause and fly the flag for health and fitness, I have to admit though, after 61 miles the finish line was a welcome relief”.

DC Leisure has launched a company-wide Service Improvement Plan which it is rolling out to each of its 120 sites. This initiative is a follow up to the company’s client survey, which was conducted earlier this year, and further demonstrates DC Leisure’s commitment to the ongoing improvement of its service delivery and partnership approach.

Each site will have its own annual Service Improvement Plan – a comprehensive manual which is split into three main sections covering group, contract and client objectives. The process meets the improvement agendas of the company’s local authority partners and more importantly, provides evidence of this improvement.

Richard Millard, Client Liaison and Sports Development Director at DC Leisure, says: “The Plan design has involved input from a number of longstanding DC Leisure clients and has been invaluable in providing a framework of best practice which occurs amongst DC Leisure’s 30 different contracts.”

He continues: “The most important part of the plan, which has been signed off by each client, is that it enables both partners to really focus on what is important to improve services for their specific community needs.”

Within the manual are improvement plans for partnership working, client relations, marketing, staff consultation and feedback, increasing participation, local strategic partnerships, facility development, community investment programmes, customer feedback and reaching target groups. The document also outlines objectives and goals for national initiatives including Quest Sports Development and Facilities Management, Investors in People (IIP), ILAM Active, Quality Management System (QMS) audits, National Benchmarking Service, CPA Report, Best Value Performance, County Sports Partnerships (CSP), Community Sports Networks (CSN) and Towards an Excellent Service (TAES).

Julia Birt, Sport and Recreation Manager at Eastleigh Borough Council, comments: “Service delivery is ultimately how our communities judge our leisure centres. DC Leisure and Eastleigh Borough Council have a joint aspiration to continue to improve in this area. Working on the Plan together has enabled us to dovetail our priorities and to further cement our very strong partnership."

CHILDREN’S CYQ TRAINING AVAILABLE TO DC LEISURE STAFF

DC Leisure is providing its staff with Children’s Central YMCA Qualification (CYQ) training with the opportunity of obtaining the full CYQ Certificate. This training will allow DC Leisure’s staff to accomplish a level of knowledge which is highly respected within the health and fitness industry.

The CYQ training is offered as a two day course, the first day covers the syllabus for ‘Instructing Children,’ specifically teaching 12 to 16 year olds in a gym environment. The candidates, once receiving a REPS endorsed Certificate of Achievement, then have the option to complete a second day of training on ‘Instructing Health Related Exercise for Children’ which relates to five to 11 year olds.

Mojo Training provided the tailor-made course for DC Leisure’s staff ensuring that all candidates studied the full spectrum of health related fitness for children. Dawn Fairley, Company Director for Mojo, says: “Tailoring the course allowed DC’s employees to get the most up-to-date training for teaching and designing gym programmes for adolescents as well as the knowledge of how to plan and teach younger children as and when it is required in their job roles.”

Steve Little, Regional Fitness Manger for DC Leisure, says: “Training has been very popular with over 250 people completing the first day of training and 80 people going on to gain the full CYQ Certificate. With over 19 sites offering the one day course, we had fantastic attendance especially at the Putney, Bramston, Farnborough and Fleming Park sites.”