Alliance Leisure supports the #SaveLeisure campaign
Alliance Leisure and TA6 fully support the #SaveLeisure campaign, recognising the devastating impact that the Covid-19 pandemic could wreak upon the sports and leisure facilities across the country.
#SaveLeisure is a digital campaign urging the UK Government to commit circa £800 million relief funding to enable the full reopening and recovery of the public leisure sector accounting for the catastrophic impact of Covid-19.
We have spent over 20 years supporting leisure operators, including our provision of freely available support and guidance during and after the UK’s lockdown period. We therefore see it as our duty as a business to back this essential campaign, for the good of both our industry and the health of our nation as a whole.
Alliance Delivers £4.5 Million Redevelopment at Two Leisure Venues in Hertsmere
More people in Hertsmere are experiencing the benefits of health and fitness facilities thanks to the £4.5 million refurbishment of Bushey Grove and Furzefield Leisure Centres delivered by Alliance Leisure.
Working in partnership with charitable Trust, InspireAll (formerly Hertsmere Leisure), who manage the sites on behalf of Hertsmere Borough Council, Alliance kept the doors of both centres open, ensuring business as usual throughout the nine-month project. Alliance engaged with Createability to deliver the build works as part of the package.
“Our brief was to design and carry out works that would improve the sustainability of the centres through the provision of services and facilities which match the evolving needs of the whole community and the creation of new revenue generating opportunities,” explains Tom Fairey, Senior Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure. “I am pleased to say that the finished works tick both boxes at both sites.”
At Bushey Grove Leisure Centre, a mezzanine floor above the reception has added an impressive 7,800 sq ft to the gym and enabled the incorporation of a large, functional training space. A dedicated group cycle studio, hosting the latest Stages Flight cycles and a giant virtual experience screen, has also been added to enable the facility to offer round-the-clock classes.
Bushey Grove’s tired health suite has been remodeled to create a day-spa with its own reception and four treatment rooms. Visitors can enjoy an ice fountain, heated benches and bucket showers or can simply chill out in the new relaxation area, herbal sauna or aroma steam rooms. Changing areas have been renovated to ensure a luxury experience from start to finish.
Elsewhere, dry side changing rooms and the old creche have been converted into a cafe, new bathrooms, a staff room and a new creche. The old staff room is now a large party room with a folding acoustic wall that can open up to provide further cafe seating when necessary.
To complete the works, Bushey Grove’s swimming pool changing village has been lightly refurbished and features InspireAll’s branding and colours in keeping with the rest of the upgraded centre.
Furzefield Leisure Centre has also undergone major refurbishment. The centre’s tiny 6,900 sq ft soft play area has been transformed into party rooms and two of the existing sevencourt sports hall have been converted into a massive Soft Play and ‘XHeight’ Adventure Climbing facility suitable for all ages, with dedicated lobby, cafe and toilets.
As with Bushey Grove, the existing spa area has been remodeled to create a day spa with its own reception and four treatment rooms, reconfigured from a current studio. The spa includes: a relaxation area, salt inhalation room, ice fountain, feature shower, herbal sauna and aroma steam, as well as a bespoke, dedicated spa-specific changing area.
Like sister site Bushy Grove, Furzefield’s gym now offers a fully equipped functional training area as well as new equipment, including the Technogym SKILL range, including SKILLROW™, the SKILLMILL™ and the new SKILLRUN™ plus the latest connected equipment from Matrix. New vibrant wall graphics have also been added to help motivate customers to achieve new goals.
It also features an impressive immersive cycle studio hosting a full complement of Stages Flight cycles and a giant virtual experience screen.
The reception, back office and sales department have all received a cosmetic upgrade to ensure all areas reflect the InspireAll brand, along with new Paddy & Scott’s branded café’s.
Fairey adds: “Furzefield is a busy site but it had grown tired and was struggling to cater keep up with the leisure needs of the community. The recent works will help to retain existing users and also attract new segments of the market, creating a destination for all the family to enjoy some leisure time.”
Speaking about the developments, David Brame, Chief Executive of InspireAll, says: “This was a challenging project with significant crossover with the public, which was handled well. The finished facilities have been well received by our customers and will certainly help to strengthen user experience.
“Both leisure centres are an essential part of the community, already more individuals and groups are enjoying the quality of service and leisure experience these two centres now have to offer.”
Pembrey Country Park Celebrates Summer Success
Following a £1.4 million investment in a new visitor centre, function room and café, Carmarthenshire County Council is celebrating a bumper summer at Pembrey Country Park.
“Pembrey Country Park has always been one of Wales’ top visitor attractions but this summer has been extraordinary in terms of the number of visitors and income generated,” explains Neil Thomas Senior Outdoor Recreation Manager. “Over the summer holidays we have experienced a 10 per cent increase in footfall and a 15 per cent uplift in revenue on last year. There is little doubt that our success is due to the improvements we have made to our facilities.
“The natural beauty of the park, with its 500 acres of woodland and eight miles of golden sands has always attracted visitors but we felt we were not supporting the natural beauty with fit for purpose amenities. For example, we offered limited on site catering provision, in particular for the large numbers of guests staying on our caravan site. We were missing a trick from a customer experience and revenue generation point of venue.”
In 2017, Carmarthenshire County Council tasked Alliance Leisure, via the UK Leisure Framework, to design and build a 400 square foot visitor centre, function room and café. Works got underway in February and were completed in 21 weeks, ready for the summer season.
Neil Thomas, adds: “We took the decision to manage the café in house rather than rent the space to a third party. This has been a great decision. During July and August we served more than 50,000 customers.
“The function room has also been popular. So far, we have hosted children’s parties, corporate events and even have our first wedding booked for 2020. The space occupies 60 square feet and is extremely versatile, offering direct access to outside, the café and the restrooms.
Gillian Dunster, Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure, says: “Our brief was to design and build facilities which would enhance the member experience and provide opportunities to generate new incomes, creating a sustainable future for the Park.
“The first two months of operation suggest that working in close partnership with the council, we have delivered on both counts. Pembrey County Park is an area of natural beauty and now provides visitors with the infra structure they need to fully enjoy all the activities on offer from dry slope skiing and crazy golf to adventure play, horse riding, camping and nature trails.”
Denbighshire works with Alliance Leisure to secure the future of local play provision
Denbighshire Housing is bucking the national trend for playground closures by investing in play areas across the county.
Working with leisure development specialists Alliance Leisure Services and equipment providers HAGS, Denbighshire has invested almost £900,000 over the last three years in upgrading and improving playgrounds across its housing estates.
Denbighshire Housing has spent more than £420,000 this year alone in renovating play areas in Ruthin, Cynwyd, Rhyl and Henllan with a variety of modern and challenging play equipment. The playgrounds include dedicated areas for children aged two to four years and for those aged four and above.
Specialist equipment has also been installed to make the playgrounds accessible for children with disabilities, along with accessible footpaths, replacement fencing and wet pour surfacing to ensure they can be used all year round.
In addition to the upgrades, a new play park has been built in Rhuallt following consultations with local people. Located in an old school field, the new development will bring play facilities to the community for the first time.
“We want to encourage children to learn through play, which is why our play areas and landscaping improvement programme has started taking shape. We have a planned programme for refurbishments as it is really important to invest in outdoor play and activities for children in safe environments. We also want well maintained and attractive places to live for our communities,” says Tony Thomas, Denbighshire’s lead member for Housing, Regulation and the Environment.
Importantly, Denbighshire Housing will inspect, monitor and repair the play areas to ensure they remain safe, clean and inviting for the future.
“Denbighshire understands the value of play and the important role it plays in the lives of children. Hundreds of playgrounds are being closed across the UK at a time of rising levels of childhood obesity. Denbighshire Housing is one of the few organisations that remains committed to safeguarding the future of its play provision and thereby the health and wellbeing of local children,” says Will Gardner, Business Development Manager, Alliance Leisure.
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