Wigan’s reputation for sporting excellence has been further enhanced with the news that the borough’s facilities are ranked amongst the best in the country.
Four Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust (WLCT) managed facilities, Robin Park Arena, Ashton Leisure Centre, Tyldesley Pool and Hindley Pool, have all achieved ‘Quest’ status, following an independent assessment.
Quest is the quality standard award for the UK’s Sport and Leisure industry. The accreditation defines industry standards and good practice and encourages continuous improvement through strong management plans focused on good customer service.
Martin Eden, WLCT’s Executive Director, said,
“Wigan Borough has a reputation for having excellent sports facilities. The Quest accreditation will help to build on that reputation and means these facilities are independently recognised as being among the best in the country. A lot of information has been gained by going through the assessment process which will help us to improve upon the excellent quality of service that we are already delivering”
Each centre faced a two-day external assessment by an independent assessor who scrutinised 20 different areas of the business to confirm that the centres were operating efficiently and effectively. The assessor also interviewed partner organisations, members of staff and customers.
Each centre had to achieve at least 60% in order to achieve the standard. The final scores were excellent for first time assessments:
- Robin Park Arena – 72%
- Ashton Leisure Centre – 73%
- Tyldesley Pool – 68%
- Hindley Pool – 68%
Kevin Lane, Quest’s Scheme Manager, said:
“All of Wigan’s facilities showed a very high standard of management. There was a strong sense of togetherness amongst the team who manage the sports centres we assessed. Quest is about continuous improvement and it is clear that Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust are determined not to rest on their laurels and will be looking to build on this success.”
In achieving these successes, WLCT also helped Wigan Council to score highly on their recent Corporate Performance Assessment, ranking it amongst the top scoring councils in the country for service provision.
