Families Flock to 'Better' Leisure Centres for Weekend of Free Fun
Last weekend’s ‘Team England National Sports Weekend’ (18 and 19 July) held at ‘Better’ leisure centres across the UK was a ‘hit’, with customers of all ages arriving in their legions to try out a selection of free sports and activities.
More than 121,000 visitors across the UK enjoyed a huge range of activities including, badminton, swimming, table tennis, pickleball, swim safety, gym sessions, face painting, yoga, toddler splash, group cycle and fencing.
In York, local Team England cyclist Abi Miller, a professional track and road cyclist who is set to make her debut for Team England at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, visited the Energise Leisure Centre to launch the weekend.
The talented rider, who is the youngest member of Team England's women's endurance cycling squad, kicked off the celebrations by taking part in a fun 'Beat the Cyclist' challenge. Visitors had the chance to take on Abi in a timed spin bike challenge to see if they could beat her time.
Meanwhile at Abbey Leisure Complex in Cambridge, Commonwealth Games hurdler and European medallist, Josh Faulds, offered masterclasses with local children, teaching movement skills, speed drills, and hurdling basics.
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.
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.
Joe Rham, GLL’s Customer & Communities Director said: “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 Better public leisure facilities and programmes.”