A state-of-the-art new climbing facility is at the centre of an £850,000 makeover of Portsmouth’s Mountbatten Leisure Centre.
It’s hoped the improvements will attract even more people to what is one of the region’s leading sport and event venues.
The new clip and climb activity centre offers several different climbing experiences and will add a new dimension to the venue’s activity offer with extra appeal to children and young adults.
The project will also see significant improvements made to the venue’s main reception, Terrace Café and events spaces as well as the creation of a new soft play area.
The reception will be renovated to create a more accessible and open welcome. Improved self-service features include kiosks and a mobile app to enable customers to manage their activity bookings more easily.
The Terrace Café will be enhanced with improved layout and new seating will create more social spaces. A brand new soft play activity area for the under-fives will be another new attraction to encourage more families with young children to visit.
Refurbishing the event spaces will create lighter, brighter, more flexible and appealing spaces for special events, parties, group exercise classes, exhibitions, meetings and activities.
Venue operator BH Live is carrying out the improvements in partnership with Portsmouth City Council as part of a 10-year investment plan into the city’s sport and event venues.
“Mountbatten Leisure Centre, with its world class sporting facilities and 50m Olympic size pool, is already a leading sport, leisure and event destination – but we think it has the potential to be even better, says Peter Gunn, BH Live’s Chief Executive.
“By enhancing its public areas the venue will become even more accessible and attractive for customers, visitors and event organisers. In broadening the activity programme through new attractions, we hope more local residents, including families and young people, will be encouraged to visit and get more active. Finally we will be able to deliver a better experience overall and we believe this is key to continued customer use and satisfaction.
Cllr Linda Symes, Portsmouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure & Sport, said: “I’m delighted with the plans to expand the facilities at Mountbatten Leisure Centre. The clip and climb and soft play area will attract more families and that can be their first step to becoming more active and enjoying all the benefits of a healthier lifestyle. The changes will also mean a better experience for existing members with new ways they can manage their bookings and newly refurbished facilities.”
Plans will be displayed in the venue and customers informed of the improvements schedule which will be carried out in phases to minimise disruption.
The venue will remain open throughout.
To find out more about Mountbatten Leisure Centre visit bhliveactive.org.uk or telephone 02393 200401.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
Partnership investment at Mountbatten is circa £850K
Photo-caption:
Artist impressions of Mountbatten Leisure Centre improvements
For more information about BH Live please contact:
Elizabeth Symmons
E: elizabeth.symmons@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
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In Portsmouth BH Live 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, spin and dance studios, a cycle velodrome, athletics track, function suites, and an onsite café
- Pyramids – 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.