Published: Wednesday 11th March 2020 | 2.29pm
Rugeley Leisure Centre has been placed first and Chase Leisure Centre in Cannock third in the Top Performing Facility Managed Centres 2019 section as part of the prestigious Quest UK Quality Scheme for Sport and Leisure awards.
Overall there were 663 Facility Managed Quest sites in 2019, making this achievement for Cannock Chase District all the more special.
Managed by Inspiring healthy lifestyles, on behalf of Cannock Chase District Council, both Chase and Rugeley Leisure Centres were awarded Quest Excellence in February and received the news they had been placed in the top five in the UK for performance at an event held at the Pride Park Stadium in Derby.
Councillor Christine Mitchell, Portfolio holder for Culture and Leisure at Cannock Chase Council said: “To have two top scoring leisure centres in the District is great news not only for the centres, but for the residents of Cannock Chase who benefit from having high-quality leisure facilities.
“Scoring not only ‘Excellent’ but first and third in the country is testament to the excellent leisure offer we have in the District. I would like to thank all of the staff that have worked so hard.”
Leader of the Council, Councillor George Adamson, added: “As I said at a recent Council meeting, Cannock Chase spends more on its leisure facilities than some more affluent areas do, so for our centres to be performing at this level nationally, let alone locally and regionally, shows that the money being invested is clearly producing a quality sports and leisure experience for our residents. In fact I urge residents not currently using these facilities to come and give them a try.”
Pete Burt, Managing Director of Inspiring heathy lifestyles said: “We are proud to be able to offer first-class facilities to the residents of Cannock Chase. The latest Quest assessments are evidence of the commitment from Cannock Chase Council and Inspiring healthy lifestyles to continue to offer excellent services which enable people to live happier, healthier lives.”
Before receiving the accreditation both centres underwent several days of assessment as judges assessed a series of criteria including maintenance, housekeeping and business planning.
Staff from both centres attended the annual Quest NBS conference and presentations in Derby on 27 February where they were awarded their respective first and third place awards.