BPL achieves The Active Standard, providing customers with confidence and trust in the safety and inclusiveness of its facilities

COMMUNITY leisure trust BPL has officially achieved The Active Standard, a certification that allows fitness and leisure operators to demonstrate the safety and quality of their facilities.

By becoming certified to The Active Standard, BPL is demonstrating its commitment to providing a safe, inclusive and high-quality service to its customers.

The standard was designed by ukactive, the UK’s trade body for the physical activity sector, with support from leading standards professionals and organisations across the UK and Europe.

It aims to support all gyms, leisure centres, swimming pools and other sport and fitness facilities to raise standards and welcome more people to be active.

It means BPL has been assessed on its health and safety practices, professional standards, safeguarding procedures, and data protection processes, helping to give visitors and customers greater confidence when using its facilities.

The assessment was conducted by Right Directions, an independent third-party assessment body, against strict criteria. If an operator is running multiple sites, then a sample of these is assessed. For BPL, this was its Barnsley Metrodome, Dearneside, Pontefract and Worksop leisure centre sites.

The certification will last for three years before re-assessment is required.

The Active Standard has been carefully aligned with the industry’s other major schemes, FITcert and Quest, to ensure the sector continues to improve and grow.

SHEQ Manager at BPL Mick Daley said: “We’re really proud to have achieved The Active Standard.

“This accreditation reinforces our commitment to delivering a safe, inclusive and high quality service to our customers.

“The process was also a great opportunity for operations managers and team leaders to learn and collaborate with each other at their respective sites and with colleagues across other sites to achieve the standard.”

CEO of ukactive Huw Edwards added: “Demand for our nation’s fitness and leisure facilities is growing rapidly as more and more people across the UK prioritise physical activity for their health and wellbeing.

“The Active Standard will help more people to feel confident that they can enjoy all the benefits of being active in a safe and inclusive environment.”