Club Games
The 2024 Better Club Games takes place Friday 27th September and Wednesday 2nd October at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre and the Copper Box Arena on the Olympic Park in Stratford. Here’s everything you need to know about this fun-filled, fantastic event for our senior members and customers.
What's it all about?
Since its inception in 2006, the Better Club Games has become a major annual event across Better leisure centres. The two-day fun-filled, sociable but competitive event brings together our senior members and customers aged 60 and above, to represent their local Better leisure centres; battling it out against other boroughs across London, for the much-coveted Club Games trophy.
It’s a great opportunity to socialise and have fun, while being cheered on by our centre teams as well as the 2024 Club Games celebrity ambassador. 2023 saw Vicki Michelle of ‘Allo Allo’, EastEnders and Emmerdale fame, take on this prestigious position, which she fully embraced, cheering teams on and having a go at some of the activities herself. Other past ambassadors include Anthony Joshua, Beverley Callard, Duncan Goodhew, Fatima Whitbread and the late Lionel Blair, to mention a few. The events themselves can be quite competitive but still fun, friendly but it is the taking part that counts and everyone goes home with a medal!
Introducing the 2024 Club Games Ambassador
"I'm thrilled to be the Ambassador for this year's Better Club Games. It's a fantastic opportunity for older people to show that age is no barrier when it comes to gumption, team spirit and having fun. I can't wait to meet all the competitors and maybe even try my hand at a spot of ping pong!" - Christopher Biggins
The current Better Club Games champions
The 2023 event was the first we were able to run after covid so it was great to be back and we saw over 700 competitors taking part across a variety of activities. The Rainbow Leisure Centre team (Epsom & Ewell) succeeded in lifting the trophy, with Team Greenwich in second and Team Sutton in third. Could your team take their crown in 2024?
Here’s the full list of teams that took part in 2023 but this year we have welcomed a number of new locations into the Better family including Mole Valley, Newham, Bedford and Enfield so we look forward to welcoming them to their first Club Games.
| 1 | Epsom and Ewell | 11 | Barnet |
| 2 | Greenwich | 12 | Merton |
| 3 | Sutton | 13 | Hammersmith and Fulham |
| 4 | Reigate and Banstead | 14 | Hillingdon |
| 5 | Hackney | 15 | Waltham Forest |
| 6 | Tower Hamlets | 16 | Kensington & Chelsea |
| 7 | Islington | 17 | Gunnersbury |
| 8 | Camden | 18 | Lewisham |
| 9 | Croydon | 19 | North Kesteven |
| 10 | Rugby |
Club Games 2024 schedule
This year there is yet again another action-packed schedule for our members and customers to take part in:
Friday 27th September
Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre | 10am - 3pm
- Walking football
- Walking netball
- Pickleball taster sessions
Pickleball is a fairly recent addition to Better leisure centres and we want to give our customers the chance to experience the game themselves as part of the day, as next year it will be added as an event to the Club Games schedule.
Pickleball combines tennis, table tennis and badminton and is played with pickleball racquets, usually on a. badminton court within one of our sports halls. Find out more here.
Wednesday 2nd October
The Copper Box Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park | 10am - 4pm
- Darts
- Dominoes
- Timed cycle challenges
- Short mat bowls
- Badminton
- Short tennis
- Table tennis
This year timed swim challenges will take place at individual centres during the month of September, where points will be added to the participating teams overall scores on the 2nd October.
How did Club Games come about?
Our corporate mission is to improve health and wellbeing as a key community service through physical activity and sport.
Competitors are drawn from Active Ageing Clubs across the Better leisure centres.
Active ageing is a major public health priority as it promotes physical health, mental health and helping reduce social isolation in the UK’s older population. In addition, keeping active reduces the burden on the NHS. The ethos of the games is for older people to come together in a social and friendly environment, play competitive sport and encourage them to be active in later life.
The 2024 event will be the 17th Better Club Games.
Getting set up for your first Club Games
If you’re aged 60 or above and interested in getting involved for the first time, simply pop into your local Better leisure centre and speak to a member of our team who will put you in touch with the Club Games lead for your area. They will answer any questions you may have and discuss which activity you may like to take part in. They will also set up introductions so you can meet other participants in your team before the event.
Alternatively, you can drop an email to this address and we’ll get a member of the team to contact you. More information will be provided including the rules for the activity you choose to take part in and the programme for the day.
Your leisure centre needs you – sign up today
To get everyone signed up correctly before the event, whether its your first or fifth time attending, we would please ask you complete this short form. This is so we can pass your details to your local centre, who will be in touch to sign you up.
In addition, we would like to get you to where you need to be on the day as quick as possible and to speed up the admin process, this form allows you to ensure you are ready, before the day. As well as completing the Health & Fitness waiver (which is a prerequisite to taking part) we would ask your permission to take any photos / videos on the day, for use in our own future marketing about Club Games – similar to the images that appear on this page and news teams will be invited down, so you may well make it on to the TV!
Sign up here >>If you have any further questions, or would prefer to speak to someone directly first, on your next visit to your local leisure centre, please speak to the General Manager or Community Manager – just ask for them at reception and they will be happy to talk you through the process or alternatively email us and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Cheer on your team! Supporters welcome!
Even if you don’t want to take part in the events, we would still love you to come along and cheer on your local team. If you wish to spectate there will be an entry fee of £2.00 to each venue to watch a full day of activities.
It’s a brilliant event, but don’t just take our word for it, here’s what some of our 2023 participants had to say about it.
We’re looking forward to the 2024 Better Club Games and hope to see you there.