Winchester Sport and Leisure Park achieves elite ‘outstanding’ rating
Winchester Sport and Leisure Park has been recognised as one of the top leisure facilities in England after achieving an Outstanding rating in a national Quest assessment.
The leisure park, which is managed by Everyone Active in partnership with Winchester City Council, is one of only three facilities in England to have achieved this official Quest rating. Quest is the leading national quality scheme for the leisure industry.
Winchester Sport and Leisure Park, which was funded by the city council with contributions from Hampshire County Council, the Pinder Trust, the University of Winchester and Everyone Active, has been open to the public since May 2021 and now regularly surpasses 100,000 visits each month.
Its array of amenities includes an eight-lane 50m competition pool, a teaching pool and a unique hydrotherapy pool specially designed for rehabilitation in addition to an indoor climbing facility, an eight-court sports hall, squash courts and a 200-station fitness suite.
The building also has a specialist infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions and improve water efficiency through the use of thermally-efficient solar control glazing, extensive rainwater drainage and biodiversity enhancements.
Quest, which has been Sport England’s continuous improvement tool for leisure facilities for over two decades, assessed the centre over two days. Areas which were noted as being of a particularly high standard included team management, swimming lessons and the exercise referral scheme.
Winchester City Council’s Cabinet Member for Community and Engagement Cllr Kathleen Becker said: “This fantastic achievement is wonderful news for Winchester; we’re very proud that one of the three current Quest Outstanding facilities is right in the heart of our district.
“We send our congratulations to the whole team at Winchester Sport and Leisure Park and we would like to acknowledge Everyone Active’s commitment providing an outstanding service to the local community. We look forward to many more years of working together to support the district’s residents and helping them to lead happy, healthy lives.”
Alison Lewis, Everyone Active’s area contract manager, said: “We are tremendously proud of this achievement which reflects our team's unwavering commitment to excellent service and positive community impact.
"Quest's Outstanding rating is the gold standard, attained by only the most exceptional leisure centres nationally. Quest is much more than a tick-box exercise; it is an ongoing programme to improve our facility for both staff and customers, and a great way to demonstrate our achievements.”