BH Live Active’s team at the Mountbatten Leisure Centre in Hilsea, and Pyramids in Southsea have been applauded for their dedication and commitment to improving health and wellbeing for residents.

Each centre has been awarded a ‘Very Good’ status following an industry assessment by Sport England’s trusted trade body, Right Directions. The teams at each leisure centre were commended for their customer service, facility presentation, and the diverse range of activities for all.

The assessment, known as ‘Quest’, evaluates a centre on several areas, including cleanliness, how the centre is managed and the team’s performance against other operators in the sport and leisure industry. The rigorous process consists of a mystery visit, interviews and online research to get an authentic customer experience.

What the assessors said…

The assessors noted that Mountbatten has “built a strong network of partnerships to deliver inclusive services and tackle inequalities, including a highly successful Exercise Referral programme”, with the centre offering “an impressive and vast range of activities… with something on offer for all ages and abilities.” The centre generates a social value of more than £2 million a year, helping to ease strain on services such as the NHS while promoting healthier, more active lifestyles.

Furthermore, the centre was applauded for its accessible facilities, “which has good features for members with additional needs”, and for its commitment to encouraging more people to be active through its health and wellbeing programmes and collaboration with local partners and charities. The assessor noted that “this partnership could provide valuable insight into the lived experience of users and help identify practical improvements.”

At Pyramids, the assessor “found the group exercise offer to be particularly strong”, and applauded its diverse programme, which includes specialist classes such as Trigger Point Pilates and Nordic Fitness alongside more traditional fitness classes. The centre was praised for growing its exercise referral programme membership base, an initiative that encourages more people to be active through GP referral. More than 2,600 appointments have been delivered at the centre for the past year.

Pyramids Centre was also celebrated for its health and wellbeing programme, which is delivered through BH Live’s specialist instructors and in collaboration with local partners such as Portsmouth City Council, Portsmouth Interaction; Energise Me; Urbon; Motiv8, and more. The centre also prioritises outreach to encourage more children, families, and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to stay active.

As a registered charity, getting more people active is one of BH Live’s main aims. BH Live operates Portsmouth City Council’s leisure centres and sports facilities in partnership with the council.

On behalf of BH Live, Rob Cunningham, Director of Leisure and Business Development shared:

“We’re so proud of these brilliant results from Quest – they’re all down to the energy, dedication, and care our teams at Mountbatten Leisure Centre and Pyramids Centre put in every single day. Whether it’s a quick swim, a visit to the gym, an energising exercise class, or taking part in a team sport, we remain committed to creating welcoming, safe, and inspiring spaces where everyone, no matter their age or ability, can get active, feel good, and connect with others.

“The feedback we’ve received shows that what we do makes a real difference – helping people live healthier, happier lives and bringing real social value to the heart of our community.”

Cllr Lee Hunt, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Leisure & Sport said:

“We have a strong partnership with BH Live and we are thrilled to see the results from Quest. As a council we work hard to support and encourage healthy lifestyles for our residents, and it means a lot for them to be able to see their local leisure centres are safe, inclusive and welcoming.

 “Congratulations to BH Live, the recognition for the work you do is very well deserved.”

As well as pay-as-you-go activities, BH Live offers a selection of great value memberships.

BH Live Active membership includes multisite access to BH Live Active leisure centres across Portsmouth, offering use of the gyms, group exercise classes and swimming.

To provide access and support people on low income, concessions are also available, including free swimming for under 12s at Mountbatten Leisure Centre and Charter Community Sports Centre when accompanied by a fully paying adult (or BH Live Active adult member).

For more information, visit bhliveactive.org.uk