Pivotal progress made at Mountbatten

A brand new state-of-the-art climbing facility, children’s soft play attraction and improved public and event spaces are one step closer to opening at Portsmouth’s Mountbatten Leisure Centre.

The venue makeover, which began just over two months ago, has already seen a number of key milestones achieved.

A software upgrade, to improve customer experiences when booking classes and activities, has already completed and a new look Terrace café, with improved seating, layout and menus, will be opening soon.

Offices have been relocated to make way for the new soft play attraction, a reception rebuild is well underway and the event space makeover is almost complete.

Furthermore, BH Live has expanded its health and wellbeing programme across Portsmouth to enable more people with health conditions, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), to get more active and realise the health benefits. Sports development across the City is also getting a boost to nurture participation by targeting underrepresented groups including people on low income, young people and females.

Mike Lyons, BH Live’s Director of Sport and Leisure said, “It’s great to see our planned improvements begin to take shape and we can’t wait to open the new attractions at Mountbatten later this year.

“Since we began operating the centre in 2017, overall activity participation has increased by 28%. We expect this to grow further when the new attractions open. Our one membership, seven centres campaign has also been incredibly well received in the local community with more than 5,000 local residents snapping up the deal and now being active on a regular basis.”

Venue operator BH Live is carrying out the improvements in partnership with Portsmouth City Council as part of a 10-year investment plan into the city’s sport and event venues.

Cllr Linda Symes, Portsmouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure & Sport, said, “I am delighted work on the Mountbatten Centre is progressing so well. BH Live has already done a fantastic job in attracting new members and the new facilities should encourage even more people to get active. We want as many people in Portsmouth as possible to be living healthy active lifestyles so that the whole city can enjoy the benefits.”

The new attractions at Mountbatten are expected to open later this year.

Find out more about the venue at bhliveactive.org.uk

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

Partnership investment at Mountbatten is circa £850K

Photo-caption:

Artist impressions of Mountbatten Leisure Centre improvements

For more information about BH Live please contact:
Elizabeth Symmons
E: elizabeth.symmons@bhlive.org.uk
T: (01202) 055562

About BH Live

BH Live is the south coast’s leading operator of leisure and event venues; a social enterprise that designs and builds engaging experiences to inspire people and enrich lives.

With 3.4 million visits a year and over £39 million turnover, the organisation is changing lives – placing it at the heart of the UK’s growing social economy.

In 2016/17 BH Live hosted more than 500 events, sold over half a million cultural, sporting and entertainment tickets. They had 2.9 million activity attendances in its leisure centres and welcomed 100,000 conference and exhibition delegates into its venues. This contributed an estimated £44 million to the local economy through business and cultural tourism. For more visit bhlive.org.uk

Get social with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter @BHLIVE_UK

In Portsmouth BH Live operates the following venues in partnership with Portsmouth City Council:

  • Mountbatten Leisure Centre – Portsmouth’s flagship leisure and event venue with a national-class 50m swimming pool, 150 station gym, 8 court sports hall, squash, spin and dance studios, a cycle velodrome, athletics track, function suites, and an onsite café
  • Pyramids – one of Portsmouth’s leading entertainment and leisure complexes with views of Southsea beach and the Solent. It has fun pools, flumes, waves and a three-level soft play adventure world. There is also a multipurpose gym, more than 60 weekly fitness classes and a spa. Regular live music performances, conferences, exhibitions and private events are hosted in the venue
  • Portsmouth Gymnastics Centre – consists of a state-of-the-art gymnastics hall, physiotherapy room and meeting room
  • Portsmouth Tennis Centre – A 10 court tennis facility in the north of Portsmouth (just off the M275) consisting of 4 indoor courts and 6 floodlit outdoor courts. A comprehensive tennis coaching programme caters for all ages and abilities and is the hub of disability tennis in the area. The programme runs sessions for tots, juniors, adults and also includes variations of the sport such as cardio tennis and touch tennis
  • Eastney Swimming Pool – 20m swimming pool and a spectators’ area
  • Wimbledon Park Sports Centre – 20 station gym, 5 badminton courts, basketball court and sports hall
  • Charter Community Sports Centre – 20m swimming pool, 20 station gym, sports hall and an outdoor multi-use games area.