Sevenoaks Leisure Centre is celebrating after welcoming one million visits while also being awarded an ‘Excellent’ rating in an independent industry assessment.
The one million visits have been recorded since Everyone Active began managing the facility in May 2023.
The centre, which welcomes around 36,000 visits a month, now has more than 3,000 fitness members, while 630 children, young people and adults are learning to swim there.
The centre is managed by Everyone Active on behalf of Sevenoaks District Council and recently underwent a rigorous Quest assessment, achieving the highest possible rating.
Quest is the leisure industry’s leading quality assessment, with centres assessed across areas including customer experience, operations, leadership, staff development and the range of activities on offer.
The assessment recognised Sevenoaks Leisure Centre’s strong operational standards, customer service and continued growth in participation. It also highlighted a broad activity programme designed to cater for different ages and abilities, from children and older people to beginners and those taking part in specialist health and wellbeing activities.
The team’s approach to continuous improvement was also praised, with the assessment recognising recent investment and improvements at the centre.
These include new gym equipment, a three-storey soft play facility for children, improved pool access and the introduction of You+, Everyone Active’s gym and wellbeing membership, which provides personalised coaching across six pillars including movement, sleep, nutrition, recovery, brain and social wellness.
The centre has also made improvements to energy efficiency and recycling, while continuing to focus on staff training and development.
Among those helping the centre reach the one million visit milestone was Julie Benns, who has been using Sevenoaks Leisure Centre for more than 20 years. Julie was the one millionth visitor since Everyone Active took over the contract and has been presented with a hamper and a one-year annual membership to mark the occasion.
Hasan Romel, Area Contract Manager at Everyone Active, said: “We’re really pleased to be celebrating two fantastic milestones at Sevenoaks Leisure Centre. Achieving an Excellent Quest rating is a great reflection of the hard work of the team and the standards they set themselves every day, particularly when it comes to looking after our customers.
“Reaching one million visits is another fantastic achievement and shows just how important the centre is to the local community. It was especially fitting that Julie was our millionth visitor after using the centre for more than 20 years.
“We’ve continued to invest in the centre over recent years, with new gym equipment, the three-storey soft play facility, improvements to pool access and the introduction of YOU+. It’s great to see those improvements alongside continued growth in participation, and we’re looking forward to building on that work.”
Sevenoaks District Council’s Cabinet Member for People and Places, Cllr Lesley Dyball, adds: “Achieving Excellent is a brilliant result for staff and customers of Sevenoaks Leisure Centre. It reflects the hard work of Everyone Active and all those who work at the centre.
“One million visitors is also a huge milestone that everyone should be proud of.”