Horizon Leisure Centres

💫Team Member in the Spotlight: Kirsty, Swim Teacher💫 Kirsty, 51 has truly earned her Long Service Award at Horizon Leisure’s first ever staff awards, having worked in aquatics for the charitable leisure trust for more than 30 years! Kirsty, who joined Horizon Leisure in the 1990s, has spent decades helping both children and adults learn to swim. “Being a swimming teacher has provided me with a rewarding and flexible career. I started at Horizon Leisure as lifeguard and upskilled to become a swimming teacher when I was just 20. “The best thing about being a swimming teacher is it’s not a boring nine to five desk job. No two days are ever the same, just as no two learners are the same. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of teaching countless families in the area how to swim, and now I’m even teaching the children of my former students! Whenever I pop into the supermarket I’m greeted with cheerful hellos from families I’ve supported in learning this essential skill. It’s a wonderful feeling to be part of this community and to know I’ve helped equip local people with a vital, life-saving ability. "I’m passionate about swimming, particularly open water swimming in the sea. I love sharing this passion and helping others discover their joy in the water. I teach 24 classes a week, both group and one-on-one sessions, and especially enjoy working with older students. I’ve led classes on stroke techniques, lifesaving skills and synchronised swimming. "I’m proud to have inspired some of my learners to become lifeguards, swimming teachers and even duty managers at Horizon Leisure. Working in the health and fitness sector is incredibly rewarding. “I have no plans to retire anytime soon; swimming keeps me young and fit. Plus, teaching swimming offers great flexibility. As my personal circumstances change, so can the hours I teach."

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An exciting month of awards nights and a team game of Pickleball!🏆🎾 Awards This week, the Horizon team travelled to Manchester for the Community Leisure UK Seriously Social Awards, hosted by the incredible Sally Gunnell. We were honoured to be shortlisted in the Health & Wellbeing category for the work of our Wellbeing Hub, which continues to empower our community to prioritise their health through innovative programmes and initiatives. While we didn’t take home the award, being recognised alongside such inspiring nominees and winners was a fantastic experience. We also had the exciting news that Horizon has received a Highly Commended Award for inspiring a Lifelong Learning Culture thanks to our impactful Learning at Work Week campaign in May. Next up, we're heading to the National Fitness Awards on the 29th of November as nominees for Leisure Trust Gym of the Year! Pickleball Recently, the Horizon team geared up for a Pickleball training session 🏓. With racquet sports now included in our memberships, this session was a fun way to deepen our knowledge and bring even more value to our members. Plus, it gave us the chance to enjoy some healthy competition and try something new!

Last night, Horizon attended the Seriously Social Awards at The Lowry in Manchester, hosted by the amazing Sally Gunnell! 🎉 We were thrilled to be nominated in the Health & Wellbeing category for our Wellbeing Hub, thanks to the dedication of our Community Health and Wellbeing team. Huge congratulations to all the winners and nominees👏 #SeriouslySocial

I’m excited to share that, for the second year in a row, Horizon Leisure Centres has received a Highly Commended Award for Inspiring a Lifelong Learning Culture! Our #LearningAtWorkWeek campaign has been recognised for its contribution to building a strong, ongoing culture of learning and development across our organisation. At Horizon, we’re passionate about supporting our team’s growth and development. Through our Horizon Academy, we provide opportunities for additional qualifications, skills, and experiences that enhance careers and strengthen individuals and teams. To continue growing our learning culture, this November, we’re encouraging open conversations around training and career aspirations, empowering our people to shape their futures and as part of this we’ll be sharing stories from across our teams to highlight these journeys and inspire others, demonstrating the real impact of our learning culture. Together, we’re making Horizon a stronger, more skilled, vibrant and inspiring place to work.

We are excited to share that Horizon has received a Highly Commended Award for inspiring a Lifelong Learning Culture, for the second year in a row! Our Learning at Work Week campaign in May was recognised for its contribution to a culture of Learning and Development. This was organised by Sophie Muirhead, Horizon's Learning and Development Manager, who's ongoing commitment to building a strong learning environment also earned her the Cultural Ambassador Award at our Staff Awards. Beyond Learning at Work Week, the Horizon team are always actively empowered to learn new skills and develop, especially this November where there is an internal focus on opening conversations about training and career aspirations. We our thrilled to be a skilled and inspiring place to work and to continue providing opportunities for additional qualifications and skills through our Horizon Academy. #LearningAtWorkWeek

Weekly Round Up Elevating Our Fitness Experience at Horizon!💪✨ Class Zone As part of our new member welcome, we have introduced the Class Zone, situated on all of Horizon’s gym floors, supporting our commitment to making exercise accessible and welcoming for everyone. Designed for those who may feel overwhelmed by the idea of joining a group exercise class, this dedicated space provides all the essential equipment and guidance needed to learn setups, key movements, and techniques at a comfortable pace. Aiming to build confidence in a supportive environment and empower our members to try something new. Personal Trainers We’re also excited to share that our Personal Trainers are now integrated into the Horizon team! Working in partnership with Horizon, our in-house PTs bring their expertise directly to our members, representing both Horizon and their own PT brands💪. New members now have a variety of options: a guided programme with a Gym Instructor, an introduction to group exercise in our Class Zone, a Personal Training introduction, or going it alone. This flexible approach ensures every member feels supported, with a clear path tailored to their personal fitness goals🏋️.

Last Friday, we held our first ever Staff Awards Night🎉. The evening was all about celebrating and recognising the hard work of the entire Horizon team. Hosted in the beautifully decorated Horizon Hangout at our Havant site, everyone arrived dressed to impress✨. We also had a very special award which was voted by our members themselves. Here are our winners: - Cultural Ambassador: Sophie - Customer Service Champion: Allie - Driving Change: Michael - Leadership Excellence: Sam - Long Service Award: Kirsty - Member Nominated Award: Kerry - Rising Star: Abbie - Team of the Year: Team Guildford - Trustee Choice: Team Marketing Congratulations to all our winners and nominees! 🌟

We’re thrilled to share that our trading company has donated £3,800 back to the Trust, which will be used to fund brand new easy access pool steps at Waterlooville Leisure Centre!✨ This is all thanks to our members. Every coffee and snack purchased from our cafes, along with every retail item, has helped make this contribution possible.☕️ These new steps will make our pool more accessible and enjoyable for everyone. #CommunityImpact #EveryCoffeeCounts

I’m thrilled to have won the Cultural Ambassador Award at Horizon Leisure Centres inaugural staff awards night last Friday! I’m truly passionate about our PRIDE company values and believe a great culture is built by recognising the contributions of every individual. It's inspiring to see what we achieve together, and I'm proud to be part of a team so committed to making our workplace great. This award reflects a collective effort in inspiring those around us and maintaining a positive attitude and energy and I’m grateful to work alongside such a fantastic team led by Sam Ryan, MICPD who are all dedicated to making Horizon a fantastic place to work. The hard work and talent of the whole of the Horizon team across all our departments and centres is essential in helping us deliver the service we do to our customers and the community. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees on the night and here’s to continuing to uplift each other and create an inspiring workplace together!