The South Glos Post

Local sport and leisure centre operator South Gloucestershire Leisure Trust has rebranded itself  Circadian Trust as part of a strategy aimed at helping the organisation grow over the coming years.

The new brand was officially launched at a breakfast briefing event on Friday 8th July and comes five years after the organisation was appointed by South Gloucestershire Council to operate and manage the local authority’s leisure centres.

It marks a significant milestone in the development of the £8.9 million turnover Trust, which employs around 1,000 people in both full and part time roles. The Trust has committed to a programme of continuous development that has seen them expand their operations and take on three more sports centres in South Gloucestershire in the past 12 months.

Investment in the centres has also been significant, with more than £6 million spent on upgrading and improving the services and facilities that the Trust manages since its inception in 2005. On average, there are 1.9 million annual visits by people using the services.

The Trust says it will continue to work in partnership with South Gloucestershire Council and retain its social enterprise status, enabling it to pass on subsidised rates for activities such as public and schools swimming, concessionary groups and sports clubs.

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A programme of modernising facilities for people with disabilities has been completed at three leisure centres in South Gloucestershire.

Longwell Green, Yate and Bradley Stoke leisure centres have all had their disabled toilets improved and new equipment installed, including the introduction of hoists.

The council has been working closely with South Gloucestershire Leisure, and the investment from the council is part of the Changing Places national campaign.

Councillor Heather Goddard, executive member for community services, said: “These improvements will benefit people with disabilities and make visiting our leisure centres a better experience. They are part of the council’s rolling programme of investment in leisure facilities.”

Mark Crutchley, chief executive of South Gloucestershire Leisure, which runs the facilities on behalf of the council, said: “These changing rooms are now more modern and fit-for-purpose and feedback we’ve already had is demonstrating how successful the work has been.”

“By helping people maintain their health and wellbeing in surroundings of a high standard, it ensures we retain our position at the heart of the diverse community across South Gloucestershire.”

Source: South Gloucestershire Council

South Gloucestershire Leisure has announced that its Government-funded free swimming scheme for the over-60s is to end on 30th July.

The move follows an announcement by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, in which the scheme is described as a “luxury we can no longer afford”.

The scheme was originally introduced in 2008, when the then Labour Government said it aimed to make all of England’s swimming pools free to use by the time of the London 2012 Olympics.

Related link: Swimming in South Gloucestershire