Places Leisure named 'Outstanding'

Places Leisure have been awarded Quest Stretch Active Communities ‘Outstanding’ rating for the third consecutive time as they continue to deliver their mission of ‘creating active places and healthy people’.

Quest, the Sport England funded improvement tool, challenges even the very best leisure centres within the UK, with the Quest Stretch assessment being the highest level of award that organisations can achieve. The award process consisted of an initial assessment where Places Leisure were scored within several core modules written by Sport England and the Quest Industry Board, including Insight and Marketing, Increasing Participation and reducing inactivity, Active Community Outcomes, Continuous Improvement, People and Skills Development, Quality Assurance and Partnerships and Collaborations.

Feedback from the Quest Assessor on the day evidenced a strong commitment to engaging and developing colleagues with a culture that was open, not hierarchical, fun and keen to learn. Dr Steve Mann, Director of Physical Activity at Places Leisure comments, “At Places Leisure we are keen to develop a culture which encourages innovation, nurtures talent and results in a customer centric service that is bespoke to the local communities we serve. It is our 8,700 spirited colleagues that make a difference and are the catalyst for change; moving the inactive to active and enabling people to smile and sweat their way to a healthier and more active lifestyle. They are placemakers! Creating vibrant and inspirational places that burst with activity and offer something for everyone, whatever place they are into.”

Places Leisure were then validated against Getting the Inactive Active and Leadership modules, with partners and customers supporting on the day and helping to build the picture of what the social enterprise was doing to create active communities.

Anita Cacchioli, Quest Validator reported, “Places Leisure is proactive in seeking to understand local priorities, understand barriers to participation, engage and work collaboratively on planning and delivery, with a multi provider approach being taken to extend reach and offer.”