Active Ennis Awarded for Excellence
Active Ennis Leisure Complex has secured three Excellence Awards in Ireland’s foremost quality programme for leisure facilities.
The White Flag awards scheme is coordinated by Ireland Active, formerly known as the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management (ILAM). The awards recognise standards of excellence in health and leisure facilities and are aimed at sports halls, fitness studios, health suites, spas, gyms and swimming pools.
Amongst the awards presented this week to Active Ennis Leisure Complex is a White Flag Award for Disability Provision (Gold Standard) in recognition of efforts made to deliver quality disability access.
The Complex has also picked up a White Flag Excellence Award (Silver Standard) and a Customer Charter Award (Silver Standard) for what the judges deemed “exceptional excellence in customer care and service”.
Mayor of Ennis Cllr. Mary Coote Ryan said: “The public look upon these awards as a sign of the high quality service being provided at leisure facilities. This is particularly the case at Active Ennis Leisure Complex where management of the facility have adopted a considered approach to ensuring that services and facilities are accessible to every member of the local community.”
Commenting on the award success, Mayor of Clare Cllr. Joe Arkins stated: “The White Flag scheme has established itself as the quality mark that all leisure facilities must strive to achieve, and it is endorsed by Fáilte Ireland, the HSE, the Irish Hotels Federation, Consumer Association, Swim Ireland and Irish Water Safety. By achieving the benchmark for highest standards within the health and leisure industry, the securing of three White Flags is a vote of confidence in the due consideration given to all visitors to and users of facilities at the complex.”
Tim Forde, General Manager, Active Ennis Sports & Leisure Facilities expressed his delight at winning a record three White Flag awards. He explained: “The White Flag Awards are judged by an independent jury made up of experts from a number of nationally recognised organisations. Judging is thorough ensuring that fitness, gym instructors and lifeguards are fully qualified, facilities are safe, clean and hygienic; and that equipment is maintained correctly. Such a rigorous scheme highlights the significance of what the staff of Active Ennis Leisure Complex have achieved.”
Mr. Forde said he was particularly delighted to have received the quality mark for disability access
The provisions introduced at the Leisure Complex for people with disabilities include designated lockers at wheelchair level, the provision of a wheelchair for disabled users, signage at disabled parking spaces encouraging users to contact reception for assistance on arrival, and wheelchair accessibility to all resistance gym equipment. The Complex is also the only leisure facility in Clare with Motomed exercise bike for rehabilitation and disabled use, as well as being the only facility of its kind in the County to provide a hoist in the changing area.
All facilities managed by Active Ennis are owned and developed by Ennis Town Council and Clare County Council.
The Active Ennis team consists of management, fitness and lifeguard instructors and caretaker personnel including Tim Forde (General Manager), Abaigeal Healy (Administrator), Jackie Coote (Duty Pool Manager), John Carey (Duty Gym Manager) and Richie Murphy (Facilities Manager). The team is responsible for the operation of the recently renamed Active Ennis Sports and Amenity Park (Lees Road), Active Ennis Leisure Complex, Active Ennis Tim Smythe Park, Active Ennis Pitch (Coote Park), Active Ennis Pitch (Glenina), and Active Ennis All Weather Pitch (Cloughleigh).
For more visit www.activeennis.ie or contact 065 6821604 / info@activeennis.ie.