Harrogate pool facilities win health and wellbeing award from national swimming body

Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre, Knaresborough Swimming Pool, Nidderdale Pool and Leisure Centre and Starbeck Baths have all received Swim England’s Water Wellbeing accreditation.

Water Wellbeing was developed in 2018 by Swim England – the national governing body for swimming – with an aim to transform existing community swimming pool into places for health, wellbeing and rehabilitation.

The Water Wellbeing model can be implemented by any public pool in England to help improve outcomes for people with long-term health conditions.

To achieve the Water Wellbeing accreditation, Brimhams Active, which was launched by Harrogate Borough Council in August 2021 when it took over control of leisure centres and swimming pools, has carried out changes where needed to ensure all pools are accessible, inclusive and inviting to the local community.

Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active, said: "I’m delighted that through the hard work and dedication of the Brimhams Active team, with the support of Swim England, we have achieved Swim England’s Water Wellbeing accreditation.

"Inactivity and the determinants of poor health adversely impact on thousands of people in our communities.

"Our mission is to help address this by supporting people to move more, live well and feel great."

Swimming teachers have been upskilled to deliver adult swimming lessons for people with health conditions, and all customer facing members of the team have had additional customer experience training, with a focus on inclusivity.

Coun Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council's cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, said: "Not only has Brimhams Active achieved this highly important accreditation, but it is also the first public swimming pool operator in England to do so for all swimming pools that it manages, which is an incredible achievement.”

Once the current multi-million pound investment by Harrogate council at the Hydro in Harrogate and the forthcoming new leisure and wellness centre in Knaresborough have been completed, Brimhams Active will seek to gain Swim England’s Water Wellbeing accreditation at these facilities, too.