Last weekend’s ‘Team England National Sports Weekend’ held at ‘Better’ leisure centres across the capital was a ‘hit’, with customers of all ages arriving in their legions to try out a selection of free sports and activities.
More than 21,000 visitors across the UK enjoyed a huge range of activities including, badminton, swimming, table tennis, gym sessions, face painting, yoga, toddler splash, kayaking, Zumba, and fencing.
The weekend was staged by charitable social enterprise GLL which operates ‘Better’ leisure centres across the UK, in partnership with Team England ahead of the Commonwealth Games which open this week in Glasgow.
In London, Better leisure centres are located in the boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Richmond, Sutton, and Waltham Forest.
The event was open to both members and non-members, making it the perfect opportunity for families, friends and individuals to experience everything their local leisure centre has to offer.
There was an enormous selection of activities and events across all four corners of the city. In Hackney, for example, the weekend was combined with a celebration marking the twentieth anniversary of the reopening of London Fields Lido. The venue also hosted their annual Festival of Swimming while at Hackney’s Queensbridge Centre, arm wrestling demonstrations were delivered by Steel Strength Arm Wrestling Club.
Meanwhile, over in Hillingdon, customers tried sampled a ‘gong bath’ – a relaxing, meditative experience where participants lie on mats and listen to sound waves generated by the striking of gongs which is said to be healing and restorative. Other visitors were thrilled to meet a variety of exotic reptiles who’d been brought in for the occasion, including a snake and a multi-coloured chameleon.
Richard Gallagher, GLL’s Partnership Manager in Greenwich, comments, “We had a fantastic turnout on both Saturday and Sunday.
“It was a great opportunity to celebrate with Team England and recognise the power of sport to inspire communities to come together, get active and experience all the benefits of their local public leisure facilities and programmes.”
