BH Live is flinging open the doors of its sport and leisure venues, swimming pools and gyms across Dorset and Hampshire to provide free activities for all as part of National Fitness Day 2017 – the most active day of the year.
National Fitness Day, on Wednesday 27 September 2017, will see more than 20,000 free events and taster sessions events taking place up and down the country. Over one million people are expected to lace up their trainers and embrace being active in gyms, leisure centres, parks, high streets, schools, universities and workplaces.
“One of our ambitions is to get more people more active, says Mike Lyons, BH Live’s Director for Sport and Leisure.
“National Fitness Day is a fantastic opportunity to shout about what’s available for people to do in the local area.
“To mark this day, free activities across our venues in Bournemouth, Poole and Portsmouth include health walks, personal training sessions and group exercise classes. People will also be able to register for a free five-day guest pass to try out different types of classes such as BodyPump, Insanity, Circuits and Pilates, swimming and gym sessions.”
BH Live’s children’s activity team will be visiting local schools throughout the day to run ‘fun and fast fitness’ 15 minute activity sessions too. This is to demonstrate that exercise can be easily incorporated into the day.
“National Fitness Day is a fantastic chance to spotlight physical activity and the role it plays in creating a healthier nation, says Steven Ward, CEO of National Fitness Day organiser ukactive.
“These free events across the country provide a chance for everyone to experience the fun of fitness and carry forward healthy habits.
“The day also offers a fantastic opportunity for the physical activity sector to unlock new markets and attract new members by promoting the broad benefits of movement to the length and breadth of the British nation.”
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Chair of National Fitness Day organiser ukactive adds,“National Fitness Day is a powerful tool to raise the profile of physical activity and the role it plays in increasing the health of our nation. By engaging people across the country we can help provide a pathway into continued involvement in physical activity.
For the full listing of National Fitness Day events in the local area visit nationalfitnessday.com/
ENDS
Notes to editors
For more information about BH Live, to attend events, take pictures or for additional information about National Fitness Day please contact:
Elizabeth Symmons, PR & Corporate Communications Executive
E: press.office@bhlive.org.uk
T: (01202) 055562
About BH Live
BH Live is the south coast’s leading operator of leisure and event venues; a social enterprise that designs and builds engaging experiences to inspire people and enrich lives.
With 3.4 million visits a year and over £39 million turnover, the organisation is changing lives – placing it at the heart of the UK’s growing social economy.
In 2016/17 BH Live hosted more than 500 events, sold over half a million cultural, sporting and entertainment tickets. They had 2.9 million activity attendances in its leisure centres and welcomed 100,000 conference and exhibition delegates into its venues. This contributed an estimated £44 million to the local economy through business and cultural tourism. For more visit bhlive.org.uk
Get social with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter @BHLIVE_UK
About National Fitness Day
National Fitness Day is the biggest and most visible annual celebration of physical activity of the year. It is the day to celebrate the role that physical activity plays across the UK, facilitated by ukactive and previously, the énergie Group, who are the largest and fastest growing fitness franchise company in the UK, and who founded National Fitness Day back in 2011.
Realising that this is an event that would benefit with participation from the whole sector, énergie graciously ‘gifted’ National Fitness Day to ukactive in 2014. We would like to publicly thank énergie for this and are proud to now be growing the event year on year.
Our aim is always to ensure that National Fitness Day is the most active day of the year. We work with thousands of clubs, parks, leisure centres, gyms and ukactive members who open their doors to offer free exercise sessions to their local communities.
We know the benefits that regular exercise delivers include a healthier heart, increased wellbeing and a better quality of life. However, many of us find getting fit troubling, it becomes a challenge and it shouldn’t be – that is why National Fitness Day was started.
Alongside the myriad of activities being provided in fitness facilities across the UK, partners AXA PPP healthcare and Argos will be taking National Fitness Day into workplaces and high streets respectively.
Get involved online by joining in with the social media campaign #Fitness2Me across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For the latest updates on National Fitness Day follow @FitnessDayUK on Twitter and tweet using #FitnessDay.
About Littledown
Littledown is managed and operated by BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council. Set in 47 acres of parkland, Littledown has some of the finest leisure, swimming, football and gym facilities in the country.
It is ranked among the top performing leisure centres in the UK – crowned Local Authority/Leisure Trust Gym of the Year at the 2016 National Fitness Awards and accredited by quality scheme QUEST.
The centre attracts more than 1.1 million visits each year and is home to clubs including Bournemouth Swimming Academy, Swim Bournemouth, Littledown Juniors Football Club and Play Football.
It runs nearly 300 weekly fitness classes, has one of the largest gyms in the UK with personal training, an exercise referral and children’s activity programme. The BH Live Active team also works with local health authorities, trusts, education providers and organisations to encourage greater participation in physical activity.
Indoor facilities include a 25-metre swimming pool, 17-metre teaching pool, waterslides, splash pool, steam rooms, a sauna and sanarium. There is a large sports hall for events and multi-sports including trampolining, badminton, table tennis, football and gymnastics.
The centre also has on-site catering and an Ofsted registered crèche.
Outdoor facilities include leisure attraction, ALTITUDE High Ropes Adventure at Littledown Park (2017 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence), six floodlit 3G rubber crumb training pitches, grass football pitches, parkland for recreation and events, a cricket pitch and pavilion, lake, paddling pool, children’s playground, outdoor catering outlets, leisure orienteering course and parking.
About Stokewood
Stokewood is managed and operated by BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council. This community leisure facility, in the Winton/Charminster area of Bournemouth, started out as a public baths in 1930.
It has a 22.8-metre swimming pool, sauna, an aerobics studio running more than 70 weekly fitness classes, a spin studio and gym with personal training. The centre is home to local sports clubs for triathlon, water polo, lifeguard training, karate and other activities.
Popular for pool parties, swimming lessons with Bournemouth Swimming Academy and local schools, the centre attracts over 5,000 visits a week.
Stokewood is Quest-accredited and enjoys excellent relationships with local community groups, Bournemouth University, colleges and local schools.
About Pelhams
Pelhams is managed and operated by BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council. Located north of Bournemouth, it has two swimming pools, a sanarium, large gym, aerobics studios, spin studio, FeelGood Factory and a Terrace Café.
Over 900 people learn to swim at the centre with the Bournemouth Swimming Academy and there are more than 100 weekly fitness classes for all abilities. It has three tennis courts plus eight floodlit 3G rubber crumb artificial training pitches used regularly by Play Football leagues and community groups.
The team works closely with the local community and health groups to provide fitness and social activities for vulnerable people, individuals with health concerns and people on low income.
About Sir David English
Sir David English is managed and operated by BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth School Charitable Trust
It is a community sports centre with a multi-purpose sports hall, gym with Life Fitness equipment and a multi-functional studio for more than 40 weekly fitness classes and sports clubs. There is a sauna and steam room for relaxation.
Outdoors, Pelhams has three six-a-side, 3G rubber crumb training pitches, eight netball courts and four tennis courts where teams regularly train and compete. The centre promotes grassroots sports development and works closely with local sports clubs and neighbouring schools to encourage students to take part in physical activity.
About BH Live Active, Queen’s Park
Based in the Queen’s Park area of Bournemouth, the centre is popular with the local community and features a gym, aerobic studio, spin studio, swimming pool, sauna, steam room, Terrace Café and crèche. There are more than 90 weekly exercise classes to cater for all abilities.
About BH Live Active, Corfe Mullen
BH Live Active, Corfe Mullen is located in East Dorset. It is a vibrant community hub with a pool, gym, group exercise studios, a Terrace Café with soft play and tennis courts.
It also runs a learn-to-swim programme for adults and children, together with an 813 Club and Kids’ Zone, to enable families to take part in physical activity together.
BH Live also operates, the following venues in partnership with Portsmouth City Council:
- Mountbatten Leisure Centre – Portsmouth’s flagship leisure and event venue with a national-class 50m swimming pool, 150 station gym, 8 court sports hall, squash courts, spin and dance studios, a cycle velodrome, athletics track, and function suites.
- Pyramids Centre – one of Portsmouth’s leading entertainment and leisure complexes with views of Southsea beach and the Solent. It has fun pools, flumes, waves and a three-level soft play adventure world. There is also a multipurpose gym, more than 60 weekly fitness classes and a spa. Regular live music performances, conferences, exhibitions and private events are hosted in the venue.
- Portsmouth Gymnastics Centre – consists of a state-of-the-art gymnastics hall, physiotherapy room and meeting room.
- Portsmouth Tennis Centre – A 10 court tennis facility in the north of Portsmouth (just off the M275) consisting of 4 indoor courts and 6 floodlit outdoor courts. A comprehensive tennis coaching programme caters for all ages and abilities and is the hub of disability tennis in the area. The programme runs sessions for tots, juniors, adults and also includes variations of the sport such as cardio tennis and touch tennis.
- Eastney Swimming Pool – 20m swimming pool and a spectators’ area.
- Wimbledon Park Sports Centre – 20 station gym, 5 badminton courts, basketball court and sports hall.
- Charter Community Sports Centre – 20m swimming pool, 20 station gym, sports hall and an outdoor multi-use games area.