Edinburgh’s Gracemount Leisure Centre, recently named Scotland’s Centre of the Year at the prestigious ukactive awards, welcomed the Rt Hon Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge last week to recognise their outstanding achievement in community fitness and wellbeing.
The Edinburgh Leisure centre which has seen a remarkable 14% increase in visits between 2022 and 2023, received the distinguished visitor for a comprehensive tour led by Managers Craig Cassidy and Jen Murray. The visit highlighted the facility’s exceptional contribution to community health and inclusion.
“We’re so much more than just a gym or a swimming pool – it’s a friendly and bustling community hub at the heart of the local area,” said Craig Cassidy, Manager at Gracemount Leisure Centre.
“With staff who go out of their way to make customers feel at home, it’s somewhere people feel inspired and empowered to live happy, healthy and active lives.”
The centre’s recent success is attributed to several key initiatives:
- A major gym refurbishment featuring new Life Fitness equipment, leading to a dramatic increase in class participation from 226 to 706 customers monthly
- Development of an extensive Additional Support Needs (ASN) programme, including multi-sports activities, and specialised family swimming sessions which supports over 100 families, giving parents and children the opportunity to get active together in a supportive environment.
- Implementation of their Active Communities programme, providing access to hundreds of people affected by health conditions, disabilities, inequality, and poverty. Working alongside community partners, such as health professionals and social workers, projects such as Steady Steps for people at risk of a fall; Open All Hours, which gives local young people free access to fun diversionary activities on a Friday night; and Looked After & Active for care experienced children and young people make an active life more accessible for local people who face barriers to participation.
- Investment in staff development and wellbeing, resulting in exceptional customer service scores of 9.5/10
The ukactive awards, open to all UK fitness facilities from independent studios to national chains and leisure trusts, recognised Gracemount’s outstanding commitment to meeting community needs through a rigorous assessment process including written submissions, customer surveys, mystery shopping, and digital reviews.
Gracemount’s success is further evidenced by its above-industry-average member retention rate of 14.4 months, demonstrating its vital role in promoting sustained community health and wellness.
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