Dynamite Portsmouth, a coproduction group for young people aged 14–25 with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities), has praised the Mountbatten Leisure Centre for its commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

Mountbatten Leisure Centre is owned by Portsmouth City Council and operated by BH Live a registered charity and social enterprise .

Dynamite Group carries out Young Inspection reviews to look at an organisation’s facilities and services from a young person’s perspective and provide feedback on how accessible, inclusive, and welcoming the facilities are for local communities.

The group carried out an in‑depth assessment of the leisure centre, examining every stage of the customer experience. This included reviewing the usability of BH Live Active’s website, the centre’s accessibility features, the professionalism and friendliness of its team, on-site safety and cleanliness, and the breadth and quality of activities offered for visitors with SEND.

The centre was praised for its accessible features, including a pool hoist, and presence of lifeguards, as well as a brand-new wellbeing sensory box with ear defenders, fidget toys, and stickers for visitors who may be feeling anxious or overwhelmed during their visit. The centre was also commended for allowing visitors to choose whether they want to sign in for booked activities independently, or with staff at reception, “which gives people choice and independence.”

The group found that BH Live’s team were “very friendly and accommodating throughout our visit”, stating they were “welcoming, supportive, and helped us to feel included.” The team in centre also worked hard to make inclusive accommodations so that the group “could participate fully in the activities.”

Furthermore, Mountbatten Leisure Centre was applauded for its broad activity programme, with participants of the Dynamite Group encouraged to enjoy activities such as badminton, pickleball, archery, table tennis, and the cardio, strength, and free weights equipment in the centre’s gym. Accessible provisions such as wheelchairs and carers were also fully supported.

Carla Earle, BH Live’s Community Sports Manager, has worked closely with the Dynamite Group over the last 12 months to evaluate where the centre can implement more inclusive measures to create more accessible facilities, developing relationships with the group’s volunteers and participants. Carla said;

“As a registered charity, building strong relationships with groups like Dynamite Portsmouth is essential to helping us make meaningful, positive changes across our leisure centres in alignment with our charitable mission: to encourage more people to get active.

“By listening directly to young people with SEND and working alongside them, we can better understand their needs and ensure our facilities truly work for everyone. We’re proud to work collaboratively with the Dynamite Group and are committed to continuing this partnership.”

Following the success of the group’s visit to the Mountbatten Leisure Centre, a Young Inspection will also be completed at Charter Community Sports Centre.

On behalf of BH Live, Matt Low,  Portsmouth Area Manager, shared;

“We’re delighted to receive such positive feedback from Dynamite Portsmouth following their Young Inspection. Creating an accessible, inclusive, and welcoming environment is a core priority for us, and the group’s insights are incredibly valuable in helping us continue to improve. It’s wonderful to see our team’s hard work recognised, and we remain committed to removing barriers so more young people with SEND can enjoy being active.”

On behalf of the Dynamite Group, Michelle Cowley, Dynamite Co-ordinator, added;

“We had a very positive experience with our Young Inspectors' visit to the Mountbatten Leisure Centre, with welcoming staff and strong examples of inclusive practice, particularly in the swimming pool and gym.

“The group also shared suggestions to improve accessibility further, including clearer signage, automatic door buttons, paper towels in toilets, improvements to the learner pool pathways and table tennis, and clearer information about discount schemes.

“We’ve really enjoyed working with Carla and the team and look forward to continuing our partnership to help make Portsmouth more inclusive for everyone.”

BH Live is committed to inspiring more people to improve their health and wellbeing by moving more regularly and reducing barriers to physical activity through health and wellbeing initiatives, concessions, and more.

Health and wellbeing initiatives in Portsmouth include group exercise classes for specialist conditions such as COPD, Parkinson’s, stroke rehab, as well as sessions such as walking football, walking netball, SEND swimming, and much more. For more information about BH Live’s health and wellbeing programmes, visit bhliveactive.org.uk/health-and-wellbeing-activities.

For more information about Dynamite Portsmouth, visit portsmouthlocaloffer.org/information/dynamite.

For more information about BH Live, visit bhlive.org.uk.