Starting on 1st February 2019, the 10-year contract included the delivery of £1.8m capital development schemes within the first twelve months of the contract.

The works comprised a full refurbishment of Meadowside Leisure Centre and part refurbishment of Uttoxeter Leisure Centre and creating a brand new 35 station fitness at Shobnall Leisure Complex. The investment was targeted to significantly refurbish the existing life-expired facilities.

The scheme at Meadowside Leisure Centre consisted of a major internal redesign and refurbishment of major activity spaces finalised with both a brand new 120 station fitness suite and soft play and climbing centre, creating a fantastic activity hub in the centre of the town.

The recent investment into the facility has ensured that the Council met its objective of offering Value for money services, identified in their Corporate plan. These new and diverse activities on offer have created more opportunities for the residents of East Staffordshire to participate in sport and recreation and improve their health and well-being.

Post refurbishment and within the first three months of Playworld opening, we saw an increase in both participation (up to 10,500) and revenue within the centre.

Within twelve month all remaining phase of capital investment came to fruition and the Authority now has three modern leisure centres which support the local community in becoming more active. The increase in leisure provision, facilities and services, including a brand-new fitness Suite at Shobnall Leisure Complex has assisted in meeting the needs of a growing community.

With the completion of all projects in 2019/20, the remaining years of the operating Contract promise to be very successful with a key factor of this success being the capital development schemes delivered by Everyone Active.

Starting on 1st April 2018 this 10-year contract included the delivery of the £1.5 million Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre refurbishment to be completed within the first 12 months of the contract.

The investment was targeted to significantly upgrade and modernise the exiting fitness and changing facilities and significantly improve the Health and Well-being opportunities to the residents of Dacorum.

The scheme consisted of an internal redesign and refurbishment of a fitness suite which was separated into two different spaces. By building a mezzanine floor we were able to create one large fitness space and improve the environment significantly. Together with a state of the art 150 station fitness suite the works delivered fully refurbished aerobic studio, mind and body studio, a new group cycling studio, top of the range dry changing rooms, modernised café and social space, and refurbishment of reception and circulation areas. This creating a fantastic activity hub for all ages of the community.

The investment into the facility has ensured that Dacorum Borough Council and Everyone Active continue to deliver a service to all the residents at an affordable price, whilst increasing participation and reducing inactivity across the borough. The in-reach and outreach programmes have seen an increase in participation and an improvement of health and well-being.

Key Outcomes
Following the completion of the development programme by September 2018, Everyone Active – Hemel Hempstead has delivered the following key performance outcomes for the contract:

• Attendance increase of 32%
• Membership increase of over 600
• Quest Plus: Excellent
• Attrition average of only 4.3%
• An average internal Health and Safety audit score of 97%
• Successful Open Day with Olympian Max Whitlock, over 3,000 customers engaged and we received positive community support on the day.

A £1.2m facility investment programme across five regional facilities. Completed at the beginning of November 2019, with key achievements, including:

• Generated 11,000 Everyone Active Card holders - allowing us to effectively and efficiently communicate with users, and target market areas of low usage communities/areas
• Increased fitness memberships by more than 300 (total 3,806)
• Increased swimming lesson pupils by 150 per week (total 2,188)
• GP referral participation has increased to 447 participants, an increase of 20%.

The Toning Suite at Blackbrook formed a key part of the refurbishment work, focused on two of the Council’s target population groups – older adults and inactive people. The facility has 263 members, attendance has increased to over 840 visits per month, and attendance by males has increased by 400% since August 2019.

Specialised rehabilitation sessions including those for Parkinson’s, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Phase 4, Escape Pain (for those with long term knee or hip pain), circuits and gym-based circuits and a seated Pilates class. These sessions reduce social isolation which has enabled new friendships to form with the participants.

Partnership Working
We worked with a range of partners to support local community events and activities, including:

• The Autumn Walk Well programme in 2019 – encouraging older adults to keep active during colder months. 10 walks are now available weekly, regularly attracting between 90 and 110 people
• Musgrove Park Hospital – Beacon Centre, where we regularly attend their moving on days, for patients who have recently finished cancer treatment and provide information about our GP referral programme and other opportunities to participate in walks or centre based activities.
• ‘Community One Team’ – a wide range of organisations to support vulnerable communities by delivering activities such as the ‘Wacky Wednesday’ community holiday play day.
• Launched the EA Sporting Champions programme, which helps support 10 local athletes across the District.

Winchester Sport and Leisure Park has been recognised as one of the top leisure facilities in England after achieving the elite 'Outstanding' rating from Quest, the leading national quality scheme for the leisure industry.

The centre underwent a rigorous two-day evaluation covering everything from tackling inequalities to environmental management practices.

Winchester Sport and Leisure Park, managed by Everyone Active in partnership with Winchester City Council, is one of just three facilities in England to achieve this result.

Quest, Sport England’s continuous improvement tool for leisure facilities, was first established more than 20 years ago to measure how well a facility is operating and how effective organisations are across a range of topics.

The renowned award has evolved over the years to keep pace with the ever-changing sport and leisure industry, and is still the sector’s best-known improvement programme, with its rigorous assessments challenging even the very best leisure centres in the UK.

Winchester Sport and Leisure Park underwent the Quest Plus assessment, a two-day evaluation involving a number of compulsory modules on day one, including Tackling Inequalities and Environmental Management, as well as a variety of topics to help the facility make progress in specific areas of its business on day two.

The leisure centre also went through a mystery visit. By achieving an overall rating of excellent in both Quest Plus and its Mystery Visit, Winchester Sport and Leisure Park has been awarded the accolade of Quest Outstanding.

Standout areas for the centre included team management, swimming lessons, exercise referral scheme, health and safety standards and accessibility.

Alison Lewis, Everyone Active’s area contract manager, said: “We are tremendously proud of this achievement which reflects our team's unwavering commitment to excellent service and positive community impact.

"Quest's Outstanding rating is the gold standard, attained by only the most exceptional leisure centres nationally. Quest is much more than a tick-box exercise; it is an ongoing programme to improve our facility for both staff and customers, and a great way to demonstrate our achievements.”

Quest’s managing director, Caroline Constantine, said: “Quest Plus is such a demanding process. By meeting Quest’s high standards for ‘excellent’ centres and achieving an overall accolade of ‘outstanding’, Winchester Sport and Leisure Park has shown its commitment to providing quality facilities and service to its customers.

“In these tough economic times it is more important than ever that local leisure facilities can demonstrate their value, and the Quest process helps them do just that; enabling facilities and their teams to have the quality of their work both recognised and nationally accredited, as well as showing how they measure up against national standards.”

Winchester Sport and Leisure Park offers an exceptional array of amenities, including a 50-metre, 8-lane competition pool complemented by a 20x10 metre teaching pool. Additionally, it also offers a unique hydrotherapy pool specially designed for rehabilitative therapies.

The amenities extend well beyond aquatics with a large indoor climbing facility, an eight-court sports hall suitable for a variety of activities, and four glass-backed squash courts. The centre’s impressive 200-station fitness suite provides state-of-the-art strength and cardio equipment for all levels.

Members can also enjoy a full-service café and beauty treatment rooms on site.

An award-winning sports and leisure operator, Everyone Active, has surpassed its £100,000 fundraising goal for dementia specialist nurse charity, Dementia UK. The partnership has helped raise awareness of dementia and delivered more than £125,000 to support families living with the condition.

Everyone Active raised money for the charity to help cover essential operations, including the basic costs equivalent to 17,500 people contacting its national Helpline so that they can benefit from life-changing advice and support. The funds were raised through a wide range of creative challenges and endurance events undertaken by Everyone Active’s workforce. Additional, hundreds of fundraising events were held across Everyone Active’s more than 230 leisure centres.

This partnership has helped raise awareness of the positive impact that being active can have on individuals and families affected by dementia, with research showing that physical activity may improve cognition and mental health, and could also help to reduce the risk of developing the condition.

The fundraising target was reached within the two-year charity partnership of Dementia UK - the only charity that provides specialist dementia nurse support through its Admiral Nurses. Admiral Nurses provide life-changing support and guidance for families affected by all forms of dementia in communities, hospitals and hospices, on its free national Helpline, and in clinics.

Everyone Active’s Managing Director, David Bibby, said: “We are delighted to have made a significant difference for our charity partner, Dementia UK. We’ve delivered more than £120,000 in fundraising, with two months still to go in the partnership, and we’ve also helped to drive awareness of the condition and also educate people on the role that physical activity can play to help people living with dementia.

“With over 200 leisure and cultural facilities across the UK, we are proud to have seen our 14,000-strong workforce drive the partnership through fundraising events and by engaging our customers. We hope the funds will help families and carers who dedicate a phenomenal amount to support those close to them.”

Dementia is a huge and growing health crisis. Every three minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed and currently, over 900,000 people live with the diagnosis in the UK, with this number expected to rise to one million by 2025.

Dr Hilda Hayo, Chief Admiral Nurse and CEO of Dementia UK, said: “We are hugely grateful to Everyone Active for the support and enthusiasm they have shown over the course of our successful partnership, which has helped raise vital funds and awareness for specialist dementia care.

“In addition to exceeding its financial target, we’ve been impressed by the way Everyone Active staff have rallied to arrange fundraising events and challenges across the country. The partnership has helped support dementia specialist Admiral Nurses on our Helpline and in clinics around the UK, and has also helped people living with dementia access tailored groups and services designed to support physical and mental wellbeing through Everyone Active’s facilities and network.

“The number of people living with the condition in the UK is set to exceed one million in the next year, but thanks to partners like Everyone Active we have been able to deliver specialist support and advice to more people and families than ever.”

To find out more information on the partnership, visit the Everyone Active website.

Amazing Jane, a pioneering UK-based activewear brand, is thrilled to announce its strategic partnership with Everyone Active, a leading operator of community leisure facilities in the UK. This collaboration marks a significant milestone as Amazing Jane will launch bespoke concessions within select Everyone Active facilities, bringing its innovative, confidence-boosting activewear directly to women across the country.

Through this partnership, Amazing Jane aims to amplify its mission of empowering women by leveraging the science of enclothed cognition. By making its high-waisted leggings and other activewear essentials more accessible, Amazing Jane is dedicated to enhancing the confidence and wellbeing of women at all stages of life, including post-pregnancy and during peri and post-menopause.

Everyone Active initially launched the Amazing Jane range across three of its leisure centres, Flitwick Leisure Centre, Enderby Leisure Centre and Parklands Leisure Centre, from 1 April 2024. This collaboration aligns with Everyone Active’s commitment to promoting health and fitness for all, providing an ideal platform for Amazing Jane to reach a diverse audience of women seeking to enrich their fitness journey.

Claire Goodliff, Director at Amazing Jane Activewear, said: “We are delighted to partner with Everyone Active, a company that shares our vision of fostering confidence and wellbeing through physical activity. This partnership represents a wonderful opportunity to bring Amazing Jane closer to women who are looking to find activewear that not only looks great but also empowers them to feel their best.”

Ben Beevers, Group Development Director at Everyone Active, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Amazing Jane, a brand that aligns with our company values and drives inclusivity through physical activity and wellbeing.

“We are proud to celebrate the thousands of women that participate in activities across our centres each day, and we believe that this Amazing Jane partnership will benefit these customers and also open the door to more women getting active.”

The Amazing Jane concessions will feature a curated selection of activewear, including their signature high-waisted leggings, designed to meet the needs of active women everywhere. From yoga classes to high-intensity training sessions, Amazing Jane’s offerings are crafted to support, inspire and uplift.

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to enhancing women’s lives through fitness and fashion, creating a community where every woman can discover her strength and confidence. Stay tuned for the official launch date and details on participating Everyone Active facilities.

For more information about Amazing Jane and Everyone Active, visit www.amazingjane.com and www.everyoneactive.com

Up-and-coming athletes across the UK are being given the chance to take their careers to the next level – in an Olympic and Paralympic year – with Everyone Active's Sporting Champions scheme.

Relaunching this month, the renowned programme empowers aspiring athletes to unlock their full potential by offering access to state-of-the-art training facilities and mentoring support from Olympians and Paralympians.

Since its inception in 2016, the scheme has been responsible for more than £2 million worth of support to over 5,000 athletes, providing them with free access to Everyone Active's 230-plus leisure centres nationwide, helping them press forward in their journey to sporting stardom.

Applications open on Monday, February 12, 2024 and run until Monday, March 11, 2024 via the Everyone Active Sporting Champions website, easportingchampions.com

The past year has seen the scheme support the next generation of stars, including 14-year-old, swimmer Jaden Leo, gold medalist in his age category at Swim England Championships, gymnast Ondine Achampong, part of Team Great Britian’s first team gold medal at a European Championships, swimmer Hollie Widdows, winner of three gold, three silver and one bronze medal at British Summer Swimming Championships 2023 and Paralympic triathlete, Claire Cashmore, who placed 2nd in the women’s PTS5 category at the 2023 World Triathlon Championship Finals.

For 2024, the legendary Colin Jackson, Olympic 110m hurdles silver medallist and former world record holder, returns as the scheme's Ambassador.

He will be working alongside a line-up of inspiring Elite athletes who have starred on the Olympic and Paralympic stage – Lauren Steadman, Lutalo Muhammad, Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova, Kadeena Cox, Richard Kilty Maisie Summers-Newton – in group mentoring sessions throughout the year. These sporting heroes will share their wisdom and expertise, guiding up and coming athletes every step of the way.

Colin said: "I'm passionate about nurturing young talent and the Sporting Champions scheme goes above and beyond in this mission. With the Olympics and Paralympics taking place in Paris this summer, the programme takes on even greater significance in 2024. Seeing these future champions flourish fuels my excitement for what's to come."

At Tokyo 2020, no fewer than 30 Sporting Champions competed, taking home five gold, two silver and three bronze medals.

David Bibby, Everyone Active’s Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to support up and coming athletes from across the country, as they continue their journey to success.

“As a leisure provider working in partnership with more than 65 local authority partners, we feel it is important to cater for all sections of the community and break down the barriers that may impact young people from taking the next step in their sporting career.

“The Sporting Champions scheme has supported thousands of athletes over the years and we are proud to be continuing this again in 2024.

“We hope to continue making a real difference to all our athletes’ successes and are excited to see what this Olympic and Paralympic year will bring.”

In the lead up to the successful Sporting Champions being announced, Everyone Active will be hosting the British Swimming Championships at London Aquatics Centre, from 2nd to 7th April 2024. Several athletes from the scheme, including Para-Swimmer of the Year and Athlete of Year at the British Swimming Awards 2023, Maisie Summers-Newton, will be competing at the iconic venue, managed by Everyone Active from March 2024.

Follow the Sporting Champions Instagram (@easportingchamps) for more information on how to apply.

Everyone Active, a leading operator in the leisure industry, has partnered with ReferAll to manage all its health and wellbeing referral schemes. Everyone Active, which operates more than 200 leisure facilities across the UK, is now using ReferAll’s data management platform to collate real-time information for its community health and wellbeing programmes.

Everyone Active currently supports more than 13,000 people affected by health conditions, disabilities, inequalities and multiple deprivation to get active and stay active every year, with projects such as its Exercise Referral scheme – supporting people with health conditions to increase physical activity levels and improve health – and Falls Prevention, supporting adults who have had or may be at risk of a fall.

ReferAll’s easy-to-view dashboard offers Everyone Active an up-to-date overview of all its health and wellbeing projects and their status, including details such as number of referrals received, uptake and completion rates. The Reporting Solution provides Everyone Active colleagues with the tools to analyse service performance and participant patient outcomes.

These national and regional reporting outcomes will include physical activity levels, wellbeing, behaviour modification and the individual's goals, helping Everyone Active to provide clear evidence of its positive impact on participants’ physical and mental health.

The system is currently operating across Everyone Active facilities in partnership with London Borough of Havering, Stevenage Borough Council, East Suffolk Council, North Norfolk District Council, Winchester City Council, West Berkshire Council and Waverley Borough Council. In early 2024, Everyone Active will introduce the system across all its centres nationwide.

Jacqui Tillman, Everyone Active’s Aquatics & Wellbeing Director and Chief Executive, said: “The team at Everyone Active are delighted to be working with ReferAll, aiding the delivery of our health and wellbeing programmes.

“ReferAll’s task-based management system will help colleagues and partners in the Integrated Care Systems deliver seamless programmes by receiving referrals from healthcare professionals. It will also include short, medium and long-term developments, which will further demonstrate the impact leisure can make to support the NHS by encouraging people to move more.”

Stuart Stokes, managing director at ReferAll, adds: “We’re thrilled to be helping Everyone Active’s forward-thinking team save time in managing their referral-based health and wellbeing schemes.

“Our data management platform was designed and built by industry experts to simplify and standardise service delivery, and reduce workloads for service managers and their teams. Our software will support Everyone Active in keeping track of referrals across systems and allow them to report on specific Key Performance Indicators and outcomes. This real-time visibility of programme performance can be shared with commissioners and stakeholders and assist in bids for further funding.”

More than ten years on since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) has appointed Everyone Active, the longest-established leisure contractor in the UK, as the new operator for the London Aquatics Centre at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The 8 year contract (with the option to extend) will cover the operation of the award-winning Dame Zaha Hadid’s designed building. The world-class facilities include two 50-metre pools, a dive pool with distinctive diving platforms, as well as a 100-station gym, café and ancillary facilities.

The London Aquatics Centre hosts local, London-wide and national galas and since London 2012 has been host to major championships including the European Aquatics Championships (2016), the World Para Swimming Championships (2019) and multi-year dates for the FINA Diving World Series. The London Aquatics Centre attracts more than one million visits a year for community use and learn to swim programmes as well as club and elite performance training.

Edward Fane, Head of Venues at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, said: “The Zaha Hadid designed London Aquatics Centre is one of the world’s best aquatics venues where elite athletes train alongside community users and talent pathways that can link the two, with thousands coming to learn, swim and dive here each week.

“This prestigious and high value contract is critically important to the long-term legacy of the Games of London 2012 and we thank GLL for their great service since operating the venue since 2014. We look forward to working in partnership with Everyone Active for the next eight years, to deliver continuous improvement and build on the remarkable aquatics legacy to date, whilst driving best value for the taxpayer and local communities.”

Everyone Active’s Regional Director, Duncan Jefford, said: “We’re delighted to be awarded the contract to operate the world-class London Aquatics Centre, renowned for hosting major sporting events including the Olympics and Paralympics. The facility champions elite sport alongside swimming, diving and sports activities for the local community.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for Everyone Active, and this new partnership with London Legacy Development Corporation marks a monumental step for our business at an iconic sports venue. We look forward to continuing the legacy of this state-of-the-art facility and inspiring the next generation of sportspeople.

“As a company that started out 36 years ago running a single site, it is fantastic to continue our growth across the country, now reaching more than 230 leisure and cultural facilities.

“We remain unwavering in our commitment to providing leisure services and facilities tailored to the unique needs of local communities. We take huge pride in offering opportunities for people of all ages, abilities and interests to engage in physical activity."

Everyone Active is the longest-established leisure contractor in the UK, having been founded in 1987. Today, Everyone Active manages in excess of 230 leisure facilities and cultural services in partnership with more than 60 local authorities.

Everyone Active aims to get communities active, engaged and entertained through a wide range of activities and services that include, sports, coaching, culture, events and health services.

They currently manage a vast range of indoor and outdoor facilities including theatres, swimming pools, spas, sports halls, squash courts, studios, fitness suites, climbing walls, cafes, golf courses, athletics stadia and sports pitches.

The LLDC was seeking to award a new operating contract for this world-class facility for first time since the original tender in 2011. Feedback from suppliers through a Market Sounding Questionnaire in the summer of 2021 has helped to shape the format and content of the new contract. GLL continue to operate the venue before handing over to Everyone Active on 1 March 2024.

The memberships of all current direct debit customers will automatically transfer to Everyone Active on March 1, 2024, and these customers will receive full details on this process from Everyone Active in due course. To ensure a smooth transition process, Everyone Active will not change the current programme initially and all clubs and user groups will be consulted on an individual basis

The award is being made in another year of evolution for the Park, with the opening of the new East Bank cultural development adjoining the Centre, starting in 2023, and more and more people choosing to work, live and study on the Park.