Memberships
Healthy Communities
The Sands Centre is home to sessions that are aimed at seniors aged 65. This fantastic initiative is designed to keep our beloved seniors active, foster new friendships, and improve their social, mental, and physical well-being. We encourage everyone to join in and give it a go!
Our dance fitness class is on a Monday morning at 10am. Providing guaranteed 45 mins of laughter and easy-to-follow choreography. It's a group exercise class that focuses on cardiovascular fitness, balance, flexibility, and muscular conditioning.
Pickleball is a sport for all abilities. It is easy to learn and hard to master. Pickleball is a fun game that can be played at different levels. Have fun and socialise over a friendly game.
Pickleball is available to play on a Monday and Wednesday mornig and Friday Afternoon within the senior sessions
Multi sports activitys will take place every Monday morning in the Sports Hall from 9am to 1pm. Providing a vibrant and engaging environment for seniors to participate in a range of enjoyable activities including pickleball, table tennis, badminton and carpet bowls. The session offers the diverse array of activities to cater to various interests and fitness levels. These activities are not only fun but also help maintain good physical fitness and promote a healthy lifestyle whilst having fun and meeting new people.
It doesn't matter if you've never played before or you're a pro come along and give it a go.
Chair Yoga is available for seniors on a Monday at 11am in one of our studios.
Chair yoga is done whilst seated or using a chair for balance and is a more gentle form of yoga. It can have many benefits helping with pain, inflammation and feelings of well being and many more.
Chair Yoga is bookable in centre and is very popular.
Our senior circuits class is part of our Wednesday walking session. Providing a range of stations which can help with improving muscular strength, bone density and endurance. It also helps to boost metabolism and help with balance and co ordination. All whilst having a good laugh and meeting new people! It is a friendly session with a qualified fitness instructor.
Come and join us on a Wednesday morning at 8:45am where we enjoy the lovely flat walks surrounding The Sands Centre whilst meeting new friends and socialising. We even have some of our four legged furry friends tagging along too! After our walk we return back to The Sands Centre were we enjoy hot refreshments and biscuits. ble for all abilities and any exercise is modified if required.
For more information speak to a member of staff in centre today. Come along and see what fun is to be had!
Senior water polo is the ultimate test of endurance, strategy, and teamwork. It’s not just a sport—it’s a fun battlefield in the water
Water polo demands total body conditioning. You’ll get stronger, faster, and more agile—without even realizing you’re working out. But most importantly you will come out of the pool smiling and laughing
Looking to become more active or get back in to swimming our exclusive lane-swimming sessions where we run no lanes for more social swimming, book yourself in to one of these sessions to have that refreshing swim whilst connecting with like minded individuals. Making new friends and keeping active at the same time.
Come along and enjoy the gym facilities during a time where one of our fitness instructors will be on hand to give advice. Helping to explain the benefits of the different equipment and exercises to help you get the most out of your gym session. This is the perfect session for you to try the gym for the first time or get back in to exercise.
These sessions run on a Monday 9am-12pm, Wednesday 10am-1pm and Friday 12.30pm-3pm
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Friday |
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Badminton, Pickleball, Carpet Bowls and Curling 9-11:30am |
Health Walk
08:45-09:45am |
Pickleball,Badminton, Carpet Bowls and Curling
9-10:50am |
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Dance Fitness with Chloe 10-10:45am |
Pickleball 09:00-12:00pm |
Dance Fitness with Chloe 9:40am-10:25am |
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Chair Strength with Dawid 11-11:40pm |
Senior Circuits with James 10:15-11:00am |
Board Games 10:50-11:30am |
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Boccia, Curling, Carpet Bowls 12pm-13pm |
Chair Yoga with Simon 11-11:40am |
Walking Netball 10:50-11:30am |
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Seated Gymnastics with Chloe 12:00pm-13:00pm |
Senior Circuits with Dawid 13:00-13:45pm
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Senior Water Polo 11:45-12:15pm |
Senior Water Polo 11:45-12:15pm
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| Tea and coffee
Social |
Aqua Aerobics with Chloe
12:15-12:45pm |
The Sands Senior Activites sessions are proud finalists in the Cumbria Sports Awards 2025 for the Community Project Award, sponsored by Active Cumbria.
This award recognises a project that has used sport and physical activity as an engagement tool to improve the lives of the community. The winner will be able to demonstrate the impact the project is having on the lives of participants, who may come from specific groups such as those with a disability, long term health condition, older adults, ethnic diverse communities, or those from other less active groups, to create inclusive and accessible opportunities to be active.
The wait is over - the Better Club Games return this autumn for another fun-filled, competitive, and social celebration of sport. Taking place on Wednesday 21st October at Penrith Leisure Centre, this is an unmissable highlight for our senior members and customers.
What are the Better Club Games?
Launched in 2006, the Better Club Games has grown into one of the biggest annual events in the Better calendar. This festival of fun brings together members aged 60 and over from across The North including, Cumberland, Westmorland, Preston, Newcastle, Gateshead and York to represent their local Better leisure centres.
Expect friendly rivalry, plenty of laughter, and lots of cheering as teams go head-to-head for the prestigious Club Games shield. The event is designed to be both social and competitive, showing that age is no barrier to staying active, having fun and trying something new.
And don’t worry - it’s not just about winning. Everyone who takes part goes home with a medal to mark their achievement.
A Celebrity Touch
Each year, the Better Club Games welcome a sporting ambassador to support and cheer on the teams. Past ambassadors have included Lauren Smith, Olympic Badminton player for GB.
Reigning Champions - Can You Take Their Crown?
Last year, The Sand Centre (Carlisle) lifted the Club Games shield!
Could your team be the one to dethrone them in 2026? With even more teams expected to join the line-up this year, the competition is shaping up to be the biggest yet.
What’s on?
Walking netball
Pickleball
Dominoes
Timed cycle challenges
Short mat bowls
Badminton
Table tennis
Quiz
New Age Kurling
Times Swimming Challenges
Boccia and much more
Why It Matters
The Better Club Games are about so much more than sport. They’re a chance to:
Stay active and boost physical and mental wellbeing
Connect socially and reduce feelings of isolation
Celebrate ageing actively in a supportive and fun environment
The Games also form part of Better’s wider Active Ageing programme, which encourages older adults to stay healthy, engaged, and socially connected through regular physical activity.
How to Get Involved
If you’re aged 60 or over and fancy giving the Better Club Games a go, it’s simple to get started:
Visit your local Better leisure centre and speak to a member of the team. They’ll put you in touch with your area’s Club Games lead.
You’ll get advice on activities, rules, and have a chance to meet fellow teammates before the big day.
Or, you can email us directly and we’ll connect you with your local organiser.
Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or trying a new activity for the first time, the Games are all about having fun, staying active, and being part of something special.
Join us for the Better Club Games - it’s going to be bigger, better, and even more fun than ever before!
We are named finalists in The Cumbria Sports Awards 2026 for our Cumbrian Senior Club Games in the Community Project of the Year Award 2026 sponsored by New Balance
Across the two days, participants enjoyed 17 activities ranging from pickleball, table tennis, badminton, carpet bowls, scavenger hunts, boccia, new age kurling, scrabble, water polo, swimming, quiz, scrabble, dominoes, and fitness challenges, finishing with a medal and shield presentation. Overall winners this year were Carlisle.
The Games were more than just competition – they embodied community, connection, and inclusion. Social bonds were strengthened as seniors mixed across teams, with some joining together to make up numbers – fostering a spirit of friendship and collaboration. Many participants reported that the event was “the best thing they had attended in years”, underlining the powerful social and wellbeing impact of group activities.
