Following a recent assessment by Sport England’s trusted trade body, Right Directions, Bournemouth’s flagship leisure centre, Littledown has been praised for customer service, its diverse programme of activities, and making a positive impact in the local community.
Littledown is operated by registered charity and social enterprise BH Live in partnership with BCP Council.
Benchmarking centres in the sport and leisure industry, Quest assessors look at factors such as cleanliness, how the centre is run and people skills. They recognise centres and teams for their commitment to making being physically active an inviting, rewarding, and safe pastime. The rigorous assessment process includes interviews, online research and a mystery visit, to get an authentic picture of a customer’s experience.
A 2023 report generated from DataHub’s Social Value Calculator shows that Littledown was the highest-performing centre in Bournemouth in terms of generating social value. Social value is a measure that evaluates the impact of sport and leisure facilities on the local community. BH Live and the team at Littledown was applauded for making this positive impact in the local community.
The Quest assessor stated that ‘it was refreshing to find such a diverse range of specialist health programmes taking place at the facility’ and that there was an offering ‘for all sectors of the community’. BH Live was also recognised for its community outreach work, with local partners such as Active Dorset, Dorset Mental Health Forum, James Fisher Medical Centre, and many others to attract visitors of all ages and abilities.
The team received excellent feedback for its environmental and sustainability practices too. Over the last year, BH Live invested more than £100K into energy-saving initiatives across its centres and venues to improve sustainability. The assessor noted several investments at Littledown such as pool covers to reduce heat loss, more efficient boiler replacements, bike racks to promote sustainable travel and destratification fans which redistribute heat and reduce overall energy consumption.
On behalf of BH Live, Sam Roberts, Manager at Littledown shared:
“I am incredibly proud of the team for achieving an exceptional assessment. By participating in Quest’s assessments, we are continuously improving the experience of our customers and employees. The team works so hard to make the centre a safe and fun environment for people to work, play, learn and visit. To be recognised for our commitment to delivering great customer service, improving sustainability and making a positive impact on the local community is absolutely fantastic.”
Sarah Lobo, Head of External Accreditations at Right Directions shared:
“We’re so pleased to award Littledown Centre with ‘Very Good’ Quest certification. The facility is extremely popular with the local community – there is a ‘buzz’ as soon as you step through the doors. There are activities on offer for all ages and abilities. The team is professional, presentable, and knowledgeable and their hard work to encourage more people across the BCP region to stay active is clear to see Congratulations!”
Councillor Richard Herrett, BCP Council Portfolio Holder for Destination, Leisure and Commercial Operations shared:
“It’s great to see the team at Littledown rewarded for their hard work with this certification; a clear reflection of the effort put in, and external confirmation of a positive impact in the local community with the range of programmes they have on offer.
“It’s also fantastic to see they’ve received strong feedback on their sustainability progress alongside this.”
Set in 47 acres of parkland Littledown is easily accessible by car, foot, and public transport. As the region’s largest leisure centre, it offers some of the best fitness classes, swimming, sport, and gym facilities in the local area. The centre’s sports hall and multiple outdoor pitches are popular with visitors and local clubs. Littledown is also home to BH Live’s local football league for children, Littledown Juniors.
Group exercise classes run seven days a week in the centre’s fitness studios and include group cycling, Les Mills™, yoga, and many more. The centre has a large well-equipped gym with dedicated fitness zones including cardio equipment, free weights, functional fitness spaces and more.
There is a 25-metre swimming pool with lane swimming, public swimming sessions and pool-based classes and lessons. There is also a smaller 17-metre teaching pool for little ones and lessons. A spa area is equipped with sauna and steam rooms.
Open to members and non-members is Littledown’s Terrace Café and Lookout at Littledown Bar (18+ only), each with free customer WiFi. Here you can buy all sorts of snacks, meals and drinks to enjoy indoors or outdoors for al fresco refuelling, eating, drinking and socialising. A soft play facility for the under 5s is also available within the café.
Visit bhliveactive.org.uk/littledown for further information.