Swimming Pool Scene ON LOCATION
to develop sporting stars of the future.” Places for People Leisure CEO, Sandra Dodd said: “Sparkhill Pool and Fitness Centre was built on time and on budget in partnership with Birmingham City Council. “As a social enterprise, our focus is on improving opportunities for all members of the local community to enjoy a happier and more active lifestyle. “We are confident that we have created an environment in which the members of the local community can come and positively engage in leisure activities. Over the last few months we’ve had over 97,000 visits and hope to welcome even more members of the local community in the near future.”
HEALTHIER LIFESTYLES Sandra adds: “As a social enterprise it is our mission to create
‘active places and healthy people’ by ensuring that we encourage all members of the communities we serve to adopt a love of physical activity and healthier lifestyles. “We will continue to work with our local community and wider partners at Sparkhill Pool and Fitness Centre to ensure we continue to shape the facilities according to local needs and offer a range of programmes suited to all abilities.” Each new build design that Places for People Leisure and its team of architects and construction partners is unique to ensure that the designs fit the needs of the local landscape and the community it serves. The Centre is unique in its design and is sympathetic to the history of the old baths which used to sit on the same site. Understanding the centres’ historical significance to the local community, the original plaque from the old baths was retained and incorporated into the new centre design to ensure that its legacy lived on.
Sparkhill Pool and Fitness Centre: Fact File
Location: Sparkhill, Birmingham Visitors (per year): 388,000 (est)
Pool Facilities: A 25m x six lane main pool, 12m x 8m x 0.8m learner pool, poolside sauna and steam room.
Activities: Family fun sessions, Learn to swim programme, School swimming, Competitive swimming, Ladies-only swimming, disability swimming sessions, older adults sessions, private hire, aqua classes, ladies-only aqua classes.
On-Site: 80-station fitness suite, dance studios, café and community room
Management: Places for People Leisure
ABOVE: Programming is designed to meet the needs of the high muslim population in the local community.
Swimming Pool Scene ON LOCATION 35
ABOVE: The centre was officially opened by gold medal winning Olympian Colin Jackson.
Raj Kahlawn is the General Manager, who heads a 91-strong staff team -- the majority of which are employed from the local community. The majority of customers are from the Sparkhill, Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath, Acocks Green and Erdington areas. Programming is very much influenced by the needs of the local community. The high muslim population explains why the women-only sessions, including aqua classes, are so popular, attracting 450 women every week.
ALTERNATIVE PROVIDERS The venue offers school swimming sessions with 21 schools and
four other alternative providers such as special education schools and home education groups. Competitive swimming centres on the venue’s home club, the Blythe Barracudas Swimming Club A Learn to Swim programme currently has over 700 children enrolled with sessions also aimed at less able users, older adults, lane swimmers and family fun sessions. The pool is also available for private hire.
The centre offers free Be Active sessions for Birmingham Be Active Leisure Card Holders each day for one hour. If there are any under 16 year-olds on the Be Active Leisure Card scheme then they are also able to swim for free in any general swim sessions. The venue also supports the option for Passport to Leisure card holders to gain discounted rates on certain pay as you go activities. This is to support users who are over 60, unemployed, full time students, asylum seekers, carers, registered disabled or on receipt of certain benefits.
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