BPL Newsletter – Spring/Summer 2026

Welcome to your BPL newsletter of 2026!

We have had a fantastic first half of 2026 – read on to find out more!

Good for All

Your Space Communities Rally Together for a Week of Remarkable Fundraising Success

Outstanding fundraisers across Your Space sites, as teams, members, and local communities came together to deliver an inspiring programme of fundraising activities in support of Weston Park Cancer Charity.

Across multiple locations, participants demonstrated incredible commitment, energy, and generosity, resulting in an impressive collective contribution towards a vital cause.

At Royston, staff and members took to the pool with determination, completing an impressive 211 lengths and raising a commendable £248.70. Meanwhile, Worksop also saw strong community involvement, achieving a fantastic total of £214.17 through their efforts.

The standout achievement came from Dorothy Hyman Leisure Centre, where an exceptional fundraising drive led to a phenomenal total of £2,112.09, highlighting the power of community spirit when united behind a shared goal.

All funds raised will directly support Weston Park Cancer Charity, helping to provide care, research, and support services for individuals and families affected by cancer.

This success not only reflects the strong community values held by Your Space but also demonstrates the meaningful impact that can be achieved when people come together for a common cause.

With English Tourism Week having taken place this March, we were proud to support a campaign that champions the importance of tourism to local economies and communities. At Barnsley Premier Leisure, we remain committed to helping Barnsley stand out as a place to visit, enjoy and return to.

Congratulations to Carol and the Reception Team at Your Space Hoyland.

Hoyland Sports Centre has officially received a 5‑Star Food Hygiene Rating from BMBC, a fantastic achievement that reflects the team’s dedication to maintaining consistently high standards.

A huge well done to everyone at Your Space Bircotes!

Staff, members and the local community came together and raised an amazing £500.

A worthwhile cause close to the hearts of people in the local community.

All funds raised goes towards Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

A huge well done to the team at Your Space Pontefract

Over the weekend, they took on an incredible 10K

challenge to raise funds for The Prince of Wales Hospice,

a fantastic cause that supports so many in our community

A huge congratulations to Robert Blackburn and his daughter Isabelle Blackburn

The great duo did an amazing jobcompleting their sponsored swim to raise funds for Barnsley Hospice, a truly fantastic cause that makes such a difference in our community We’re incredibly proud of your dedication, Well done to you both! 

Awesome Bake Sale!

Well done to Jessica & the team at Your Space Worksop with their bake sale this morning, raising a total of £511.20 for the British Heart Foundation.

We had the pleasure of hosting the Aqua Fest as part of the School Games programme across two of our Barnsley sites.

We welcomed 13 schools, giving children the opportunity to compete, build confidence and most importantly have fun in the water!

A huge thank you to our incredible swim teachers and the organisers who worked so hard behind the scenes to make the event such a success. Your energy, enthusiasm and teamwork made the day truly special.

And of course, thank you to all the schools and pupils who took part, what a fantastic atmosphere!

Dorothy Hyman Sports Centre has officially unveiled its new 3G pitch, changing facilities and the Dug Out Café. Creating even more welcoming spaces for local players, families and grassroots clubs.

Find out more in our latest article 👇
https://lnkd.in/ee3kw5xH
Football Foundation Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA Barnsley Council

We had a fantastic day at the ukactive North West Member Network Event. We want to extend a huge thank you to Everybody Health & Leisure and the team at Wilmslow Leisure Centre for such a warm welcome.

We’re excited to continue working with ukactive and Future Fit Training Ltd as we grow our knowledge and understanding of what exercise looks like in a GLP‑1 world. There were so many great conversations, insights, and a wonderful energy in the room!

A Festival of Feel Good for NHS STAFF

BPL partnered with Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to deliver another successful Wellness Festival, welcoming over 400 staff for a day focused on health, wellbeing. With activities, health checks, and support from partners including Barnsley Bike Works, Weston Park C ancer Charity, Barnsley Samaritans, Suicide Sucks, ACE Lived Experience, Sleep Posture Experts, and Bright White Life Coaching, the event highlighted the importance of early intervention, inclusion, and healthy lifestyles. We’re proud to support initiatives that encourage people to prioritise their wellbeing and feel good.

Faith is a much‑loved former member of the Your Space Retford team, and her mum continues to be a vital part of our staff at Retford Leisure Centre. Right now, Faith is facing her toughest battle yet as she awaits her second stem cell transplant, and we wanted to show her just how much she is supported. They started on the 3rd of May at 3:00pm, past and present staff came together to swim non‑stop for 24 hours, honouring Faith’s incredible strength, courage, and determination.

Making a Difference in Our Community

Our Community Health Team has been delivering Better Health Walks, a free, supportive programme helping adults with disabilities or health conditions get active in a safe and welcoming environment.

It’s incredible to see the positive impact that a friendly chat, a supportive team, and a step outside can have on both physical and mental wellbeing. We’re proud of the difference our team is making within the community.

Huge congratulations to Kilton Forrest Golf Course on achieving their Best Bar None accreditation at the Best Bar None Awards 2026

this achievement is a real testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team. A special thank you to Zoe for accepting the award on the night and representing the team.

Partnership in action.

BPL is proud to be part of the Active Together team, joining colleagues from Barnsley Hospital as part of the “We Walk for Yorkshire” campaign.

This May, Yorkshire Cancer Research aimed to walk 35,000 milesone for every person diagnosed with cancer in Yorkshire each year, help fund life-saving research.
Pictured below is our Cancer Prehab and Rehab Lead, Mark Goodhead, alongside the BHNFT team as they set off on the first of their two walks

BPL Pledges Commitment to Dementia Awareness and Action.

Many thanks to Alzheimer’s Society’s Society for inviting us to join partners on Monday to kick off Dementia Action Week at BFC Community Trust. We explored in depth the relationship between dementia and physical activity, and proudly committed to the fantastic “Dementia Friends” initiative.

BPL Supporting Expansion of Pioneering Exercise Programme:
We’re proud to continue our partnership with Yorkshire Cancer Research as their Active Together programme expands this summer.
BPL is supporting the delivery of specialist exercise classes at Metrodome Leisure Complex, with the programme now growing into Dorothy Hyman Sports Centre. This innovative prehabilitation and rehabilitation service helps people living with and beyond cancer improve their health, fitness and overall wellbeing. A huge well done to Claire Rooke and Millie Powles, who recently featured in Barnsley Hospital News, and to all our specialist instructors dedicated to delivering this important work over the next 12 months.

 

Good For Employee’s

We’ve been shortlisted at the Employer Brand Management Awards 2026.

Best Employer Brand Management – Sports, Travel, Leisure & Tourism Sector
Best Ongoing Commitment to Employer Brand Management

Two short listings that reflect two things we’ve been working hard on. Thank you to every person at BPL who makes that true.

Feel Good Awards 2026

We celebrated our amazing staff at our annual Feel Good Awards, recognising the outstanding achievements, dedication, and commitment of colleagues across Barnsley Premier Leisure.
Award Winners:
🏅 UK Active Standard – Metrodome, Pontefract, Dearneside & Worksop
🌟 Leadership Award: Lead for All – Gavin Saville & Claire Lindley
🌟 Leadership Award: Inspire – Natalie Green & Nicola North
🌟 Leadership Award: Develop – Akshata Rathi & Tom Walker
💙 Living Our Values: Local – Michelle Howard & Ellie Trusty
💡 Living Our Values: Innovative – Healthy Mums & Emily Gamble
😊 Living Our Values: Fun & Friendly – Matty Johnson & Jake Ward
👏 Customer Choice Award – Jasmine Harris-Hart & Gary Milburn
🏆 Leader of the Year – Alex Platt
🏟️ Site of the Year – Metrodome

A huge congratulations to all our winners and nominees for their incredible contributions throughout the year. A special thank you to all the staff who worked so hard behind the scenes to make the awards evening such a success.

Cheers to the Years Awards

We would like to Congratulate the following employees who have achieved their milestone “Cheers to the Years Awards”:

Glen Williams:  10 Years, Luke Annette:   10 Years, Gemma Hilton: 10 Years, Liam Marshall:  10 Years, Glyn Turner: 15 years, Susan Williams: 20 Years, and Susan Alwash: 40 Years. Many congratulations to you all.

Over the past 12 months, Bailey Branagan, a team member at the Metrodome, has been on secondment to the local council, working as a Healthy Lifestyle Advisor within the community.

Working alongside BMBC’s How’s Thi Ticker team, Bailey has visited 72 businesses and helped identify high blood pressure in 36% of employees. He has also been upskilled to deliver cholesterol checks and achieved a 100% customer satisfaction survey result.

We are incredibly proud of Bailey and everything he has achieved – demonstrating commitment and care for our local community. 

Good For Customers

Barnsley Metrodome welcomed the Environmental Health Officer from BMBC for our first routine inspection since opening our food court cafe and Adventure Reef, and we’re delighted to share that we achieved a 5 food hygiene rating.

Since opening, demand has increased significantly across both the kitchen and our food service outlets, making it an incredibly busy operation. That makes this result even more rewarding. It’s reassuring to see that, despite the increase in volume, our team has maintained the highest standards of food safety, cleanliness and compliance.

A huge thank you to everyone involved. Achievements like this don’t happen by chance, they’re the result of hard work, consistency and a genuine commitment to doing things the right way every single day.

Great Delivery

Helping children stay safe around water!

BPL’s Swim Safe programme works with schools across Barnsley and Bassetlaw to deliver engaging water safety education to pupils of all ages. Through interactive assemblies and awareness sessions, children learn practical skills and gain a greater understanding of how to stay safe in, on and around water.

Read the full story here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/eE6uv2UQ