Better Scores Nine Nominations at ukactive Awards 2024
Better-operated leisure centres and staff are again among the most nominated names in the ukactive Awards, securing nine nominations in four categories.
The ukactive Awards 2024 are the UK Leisure Industry’s most prestigious awards for excellence and best practice across the sector.
The shortlist https://www.ukactive.com/ukactive-awards-winners-finalists/ includes leisure facilities run by the UK's largest leisure charitable social enterprise GLL under the 'Better' brand - that are playing an important role in tackling health inequalities in some of the UK’s most challenged communities. As well as inspirational individuals who are successfully activating local populations.
Appearing among a roll call of high street name fitness and leisure operators, local councils, sports bodies and charities, Better’s multiple nominations reflect its important role at the heart of community health and wellbeing across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Shortlisted centres undergo a rigorous independent assessment of their facilities - including mystery shopping.
Two of the categories – Outstanding Leadership Award and Physical Activity Hero Award - are decided by public vote on the ukactive website, 5 – 30 August.
Previous years have seen Better-operated centres and personnel win multiple awards – including Waltham Forest’s Feel Good Centre (London Regional Club of the Year 2023), The Sands Centre (New Build or Design of the Year 2023), Rainbow Leisure Centre (South Regional Club of the Year 2022), Olympia Leisure Centre (Wales & Northern Ireland Club of the Year 2022), Britannia Leisure Centre (New Build or Design of the Year 2022) and Haider Ali (Physical Activity Hero 2022).
Better is an Accredited Living Wage Employer with a positive Gender Pay Gap and a highly skilled and trained workforce of 11,000 – the ‘face’ of which is People Director Lorraine Patrinos. She is shortlisted in the Outstanding Leadership Award, acknowledged for designing, driving and implementing organisational change projects as part of GLL’s ambitious Corporate Plan and enabling a motivated and highly trained workforce to support 275m customer visits over the next 5 years, raising £2bn in social value.
Her leadership ensures a diverse workforce aligned with GLL’s purpose and values as a charitable social enterprise with an aspiration to be 'The best social enterprise employer in the UK'.
Joe Rham, Better’s Customer & Communities Director, said: “The ukactive Awards recognise those leisure organisations and individuals who are outstanding in improving health equality and wellbeing through physical activity.
“Demonstrably getting more people active in our clubs and centres up and down the country is a huge endorsement of the great health partnership work with our local authority clients across the UK.
“We are delighted that we have achieved nine finalists across four categories this year and could not be more proud of the impact Better’s programmes and people are having in strengthening the wider UK leisure sector.
“Congratulations to all those whose entries have gone through to the final.”
The winners will be announced during the ukactive Awards Ceremony on Thursday 3 October 2024 in Birmingham.
This year’s Better finalists are:
Regional Club of the Year
York Stadium Leisure Complex, York
Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex, London
Kentish Town Sports Centre, London
Waltham Forest Feel Good Centre, London
Donyngs Leisure Centre, Surrey
Girdwood Community Hub, Belfast
Newbuild or Design of the Year
Templemore Baths, Belfast
Physical Activity Hero Award
Danii Vipond Houghton, Cumbria
Outstanding Individual Leadership Award
Lorraine Patrinos, People Director, Better
See full list of finalists here: https://www.ukactive.com/news/finalists-announced-for-the-ukactive-awards-2024-find-out-whos-made-it/