Following a recent assessment by Sport England’s trusted trade body, Right Directions, Pyramids in Southsea has been rated ‘Very Good’ for presentation, professionalism and dedication to making activities and facilities more inclusive for all.
The Quest scheme, which has assessed leisure and sports centres for more than 20 years, rates factors such as cleanliness, operations and people skills. The rigorous assessment process also includes centre visits, a mystery visit and online research to evaluate an authentic customer experience.
Pyramids is owned by Portsmouth City Council and has been operated by registered charity and social enterprise BH Live since 2013. The centre’s feedback included highlights such as the ‘great variety of activities and sessions for members with additional needs’ on offer and praise for the centre’s work towards tackling inequalities through its ‘range of equipment, activities, and initiatives provided’.
Additionally, BH Live Active’s exercise referral scheme, a programme which provides additional support to individuals recovering from long-term health conditions, also received positive feedback for the ‘strong support mechanisms in place via the health and wellbeing and sports development teams’.
The team at Pyramids received exceptional praise for their friendliness and professionalism towards colleagues and visitors. The assessor shared they were ‘very impressive’ with ‘many positive customer interactions observed’.
Pyramids was completely revamped by Portsmouth City Council in 2020/21, transforming dated event spaces and swimming facilities into more modern, sustainable and attractive facilities with wide appeal. BH Live helped to oversee the project by providing additional operational support.
The centre is now home to a spacious and accessible gym boasting the latest Technogym equipment, an exercise referral service to support customers with long-term health needs, and a variety of fitness studios where more than 70 group classes are delivered every week including HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) Les MillsTM classes, yoga and Pilates. The centre is also home to Exploria, an expansive themed play and bounce attraction which has welcomed more than 250,000 attendances since opening and celebrated its 3000th party.
On behalf of BH Live, Alan Higginson, General Manager at Pyramids shared:
“I am so proud of the team here at Pyramids for achieving such a great from this nationally trusted and well-respected industry body. To be recognised for all the hard work we do to make sure the centre is run efficiently and giving people a great experience is fantastic. We are passionate about ensuring our visitors have the best experience when stepping through our doors and play a huge role in inspiring the local community to stay active.
“By participating in Quest’s assessments, we are continuously improving and bettering the experience of both our customers and employees, making Pyramids a really great place to work and visit.”
Sarah Lobo, Head of External Accreditations at Right Directions shared:
“It’s fantastic to award Pyramids with ‘Very Good’ Quest certification. It is an incredible centre offering all kinds of activities and equipment to help visitors of all ages and backgrounds achieve their fitness goals. The team clearly work hard to make the facilities as welcome and presentable as possible and their efforts to support more individuals throughout the city stay active is truly commendable. Congratulations!”
Visit bhliveactive.org.uk/pyramids for further information.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
For more information about BH Live please contact:
Daisy Saunders, PR & Communications Executive
E: press.office@bhlive.org.uk
BH Live operates the following venues in partnership with Portsmouth City Council:
- Mountbatten Leisure Centre – Portsmouth’s flagship leisure and event venue with swimming pools, a 150 station gym,
squash, spin and dance studios, a cycle velodrome, athletics track, function suites with bars, a café and soft play facility.
Mountbatten is also home to an eight-court sports hall. The sports
hall remains temporarily closed for overhead repairs.
It is also home to a Clip ‘N Climb leisure attraction which opened in 2018.
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk.
Get social with us:
X and Facebook – @mountbattenlc
- Pyramids Centre – one of Portsmouth’s leading leisure venues overlooking Southsea beach and the Solent. It has state-of-the-art Technogym fitness equipment in a spacious gym with functional fitness, strength and cardio zones. There is a dedicated area for health assessments and people who are new to exercise, plus fitness tracking technology to help support people in reaching their activity goals.
Four activity studios provide a variety of daily exercise classes including Group Cycling, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), Yoga, Pilates and the Les Mills programme.
The centre is also home to Exploria, a themed play and bounce attraction which opened in 2021. A range of exciting experiences stimulate play and challenge children agreed from 6 months upwards. A bounce zone includes a diving tower with air bag, interactive games, themed slides agility parkour, battle beams and foam pits. The play zone includes ball pits, spider’s web and cargo climbing features, a rope bridge skywalk, bash bags, tunnels, rollers, beams and dodge ball shoot out. And the baby and toddler zone has all things Exploria, but downsized for little ones. There is also a range of interactive games, a dedicated sensory room, four themed party rooms and a café serving snacks, light bites and drinks.
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk and exploria.org.uk
Get social with us:
X – @PyramidsCentre
Facebook – @Pyramids.Centre
- Portsmouth Gymnastics Centre – gymnastics hall with physiotherapy and meeting room.
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk.
Get social with us:
Facebook – @PortsmouthGymnasticsCentre
- Portsmouth Tennis Centre – Situated in the north of Portsmouth consisting of four indoor courts and six floodlit outdoor courts. A comprehensive coaching programme caters for all ages and abilities. Sessions are available for tots, juniors, adults and also includes variations of the sport such as cardio tennis and touch tennis.
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk.
Get social with us:
X – @PortsTennis
Facebook – @PortsmouthTC
- Wimbledon Park Sports Centre – sports hall with badminton and basketball courts
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk.
Get social with us:
Facebook – @WimbledonParkSportsCentre
- Charter Community Sports Centre – 20m swimming pool, 20 station gym, sports hall and an outdoor multi-use games area.
For more visit bhliveactive.org.uk.
Get social with us:
Facebook – @CharterCommunitySC
About BH Live
BH Live is a leading operator of leisure and event venues; a registered charity and social enterprise that designs and builds engaging experiences to inspire people and enrich lives.
For more visit bhlive.org.uk.
Get social with us:
LinkedIn, X – @BHLIVE_UK
Facebook @SocialEnterpriseBHLive
BH Live is a leisure and cultural trust, established in 2010 as a ‘non profit distributing organisation’ (NPDO) for public benefit to promote participation in leisure and cultural events. BH Live is a Company Limited by Guarantee and Registered Charity. Charity No: 1138311. Company No: 07092112. VAT Reg No: 108 2248 37. BH Live (Enterprises) Ltd, is a Private Company Limited by Shares and a wholly owned subsidiary of BH Live. Company No: 07175626. VAT Reg No: 108 2248 37. Registered Office: Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Road, Bournemouth, BH2 5BH. Registered in England and Wales.