Braunstone Leisure Centre

Walking into Braunstone’s open-plan foyer, the sense of community and inclusion is as evident as the familiar scent of chlorine and polished wood. The modern design is pleasing on the eye but also practical, providing local residents with fantastic facilities.

The £10m development was built six years ago, but the facilities still look and feel brand new. Braunstone Leisure Centre was built for the people of the Braunstone Estate, but also attracts users from further afield.

Facility Manager, Jayne Henderson, took Soar Magazine on a walk around the leisure centre, stopping to chat with staff and customers, sharing stories of their progress.

Key Facilities

Swimming Pool
Arguably the jewel in the Leisure Centre’s crown, the main swimming pool is up there with some of the very best in the county. Regularly hosting galas for local clubs and schools, the pool has a retractable moving floor to control depth and panels to block off certain sections. This helps to ensure swimmer safety for different ages and abilities. The pool is also used for synchronised swimming and aqua-aerobics.

The Gym
Well kitted out with a free weights area, but whilst many users develop their strength and muscle mass, it isn’t a haven for body builders as only certain weights are available. This helps contribute to a welcoming and inclusive environment. The cardio vascular equipment, including treadmills and exercise bikes, used for the popular spinning classes, are in a separate room.

Main Sports Hall
The huge sports hall is used for a variety of different activities for all ages. It has a special sprung floor which makes it popular for basketball and Leicester Warriors play their home games here, making the most of the 400 retractable seats available for spectators.

Cafeteria and Social Area
The cafeteria has a good range of food and drink, including fresh fruit, vegetables and smoothies. Alcohol is also sold as well as snacks and meals. Anyone can use the cafeteria for meetings and chat with friends over a coffee. ‘The Street’, as it is known, has comfortable seating areas with a great view of the pool.

Providing Careers

Health and Fitness Instructor, Ben Tebbutt, is one of the centre’s success stories. Ben provided his views on Braunstone’s facilities and the impact it has on his life…

“I was one of the first employees through the door when it opened. I’m originally from Braunstone and it’s been good for my career. I started off as a lifeguard and worked my way up to be a health and fitness instructor. Working here has been great for me.”

Ben encouraged local residents who haven’t used the facilities to get involved.

“It’s great to see the change in people’s lives. We never had anything like this when I was growing up and it’s made a huge impact. It’s on your doorstep so make the most of it. Get fit, get active and improve your lifestyle.”

Facility Manager, Jayne Henderson, explained how the Leisure Centre tries to meet users’ requirements and how they aim to be as inclusive as possible.

“We listen and consult with our users all the time and if there’s something they want, we get our staff trained up to offer it. It’s about the members going on a journey and using the leisure centre to facilitate that.

“People don’t have to wear the right sportswear. If lads want to come in for a swim in shorts and without a t-shirt, then we don’t mind. We try to create a family environment so people feel comfortable.”

When asked what her message would be to local residents keen on visiting the facility, Jayne encouraged them to give it a try.

“This is your leisure centre and we want you to use it at every feasible opportunity. It’s never too late to make a lifestyle change to a healthier and happier life. Centre staff are always close by to encourage every new user.”

Leicester Leys Leisure Centre

A slightly older building, with just as much to offer, Leicester Leys has two popular selling points. The Leisure Centre hosts the finest climbing wall facility in the county and the leisure pool continues to prove popular.

Pool Duty Manager, Rachel Standley, and Ian Wells, a local student on a work placement, provided an informative tour of the facilities, starting off in the pool and finishing at the foot of the climbing wall.

Key Facilities

Swimming Pools
Four different sized pools and water areas make the swimming area very family friendly. The toys, water slides and the very popular wave machine provide great fun and health benefits for kids and adults of all ages.

Sports Hall
The sports hall is as large as it is diverse and can be used for badminton, basketball, trampolining, gymnastics and circuit training. Roller discos also take place on Friday and Saturday nights.

Gym
The gym is well designed and absolutely crammed with equipment. A separate cardio room with treadmills and bikes is divided from the weight machines and free weight rooms.

Climbing
There are three alternative walls for climbers of different abilities, ranging from a beginner, popular with children and first-time climbers, to the much taller leading tower, which is approximately 40ft high.

Climbing is a sport growing in popularity and the walls at Leicester Leys are popular with climbing groups, couples and families and are accessible to anybody who fancies a go. Certain suitability tests and safety checks need to be carried out before people can climb and courses are provided for complete beginners to learn the basic skills.

Rachel explained how the Leisure Centre tries to be as inclusive as possible and believes that the climbing wall is one of the facility’s best kept secrets.

“We do our best to be affordable for everyone. The gym provides free tours for people wanting to see what the facilities are like. If we can do it there and then, without an appointment, then we will.

“A lot of people in the climbing industry already knew about the climbing wall because it’s one of only a few in the midlands, but absolute beginners don’t tend to know it’s here. When they find out they get themselves on a course and it’s very popular.”

Ian Wells talked about the pride that the staff take in maintaining high standards.

“When people come in they expect good service, the place to be clean and the staff to be friendly and helpful. We all strive to make sure that is the case and provide the best and most affordable service that we can.”

Facts and Stats

• The ten City Sports and Leisure Centres have 102,000 members. 80,000 are City residents and 22,000 are County residents.
• On average 8000 people visit Braunstone Leisure Centre a week with an average of 420,000 per year.
• Last year, nearly 390,000 users came through the doors at Leicester Leys Leisure Centre, almost 7,500 people each week.
• You don’t have to be a member to use the facilities, but you can join for just £29 a month, which entitles you to use all of the facilities at all of the city leisure centres.
• The changing rooms for the swimming pool at Braunstone have been designed in a village style, allowing women and men to change in the same area, separated by cubicles. Parents can change in the same room as their children in safety and privacy and school visits are divided in to their own sections.
• The Leicester Leys climbing walls were built at the leisure centre around 12 years ago, becoming the first of their type in Leicester. It remains the highest climbing wall in the Midlands.
• Free swimming at Leicester Leys takes place between 4pm and 7.30pm at the beginning of the week and 4pm and 8pm on Thursdays and Fridays. At the weekends free swimming is provided between 2pm and 5pm on Saturday afternoons and 2pm and 6pm on a Sunday afternoon.

For more information on any of the city’s leisure centres visit www.leicester.gov.uk/sports. To join Braunstone Leisure Centre call 0116 229 3229 or for Leicester Leys Leisure Centre call 0116 233 3070.