Business Details
24 Years
experience
Your Trusted UK Leisure & Cultural Trust
Freedom Leisure stands as one of the United Kingdom's foremost not-for-profit charitable leisure and cultural trusts, operating over 130 venues nationwide. Our mission centres on improving lives through leisure, with a steadfast commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles and accessible community facilities. Since our establishment in 2002, we have expanded from managing four centres to overseeing 108 facilities across England and Wales, reinvesting all surpluses into service enhancements. Our expertise spans swimming instruction, gym facilities, group exercise classes, and tailored health programmes, supported by partnerships with Swim England and Swim Wales.We hold Gold Accreditation for our swim schools in Swansea and maintain a strong focus on environmental sustainability, targeting net zero operations by 2030. Our team of 3,000 colleagues delivers training opportunities while our Healthy Communities programmes have engaged over 300,000 participants. With 4500+ tonnes of CO2 saved across venues and a 95% colleague recommendation rate, we combine operational excellence with social value creation. Our environmental commitments, gender pay gap transparency, and community-focused approach underscore our position as a trusted provider of inclusive, high-quality leisure services.
Services
Swimming lessons
Gym facilities
Group exercise classes
Children's activities
Healthy communities programmes
Details
- Year established: 2002
Highlights and features
- We reinvest all surpluses back into service improvements across our 130+ UK venues
- Our swim schools have taught 63,000+ participants through Swim England partnerships
- We maintain 4500+ tonnes of annual CO2 savings across our facilities
- Our Healthy Communities programmes engage over 300,000 participants annually
- We hold Gold Accreditation for swim school excellence in Swansea venues
Associations and certifications
- Swim England
- Swim Wales
- Gold Accreditation (Swim Wales)
What people say
Friendly staff
Well-maintained facilities
Inclusive programmes
Effective swimming instruction
Welcoming environment
Services
Swimming lessons
Our swimming lessons cater to all ages from 3 months upwards, following nationally accredited frameworks. We offer group sessions, adult lessons, intensive courses and private tuition with fully trained instructors. The programme develops water confidence, swimming technique and safety awareness while tracking progress online at many locations. Partnerships with Swim England and Swim Wales ensure high-quality delivery.
Gym facilities
Modern gym facilities feature state-of-the-art equipment and personal training services. We provide no-contract memberships with flexible access options. Our fitness professionals offer tailored support for individual goals while maintaining welcoming environments that motivate consistent exercise. Online booking systems allow convenient class reservations.
Group exercise classes
Over 40 weekly group exercise classes include Les Mills programmes, HIIT, aqua aerobics and mindfulness sessions. These social workouts improve cardiovascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing chronic disease risks. Instructors create energetic environments that maximise endorphin release through music and group dynamics.
Healthy communities
Community wellness initiatives include walking sports, falls prevention classes and We Are Undefeatable programmes. We deliver specialist exercise prescriptions for long-term health conditions and operate free NHS health checks for over-40s. Our inclusive approach removes participation barriers across age, ability and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Children's activities
Family-focused offerings include soft play sessions, holiday camps and structured sports programmes. Little Leapfrogs sessions provide under-5s with balance bikes and inflatable play equipment. We offer SEND-specific activities and partner with schools to deliver after-school sports programmes that build confidence through physical engagement.
People
Ivan Horsfall Turner
CEO
Ivan leads Freedom Leisure's strategic direction, overseeing expansion from 4 to 130+ venues. With extensive leisure sector experience, he focuses on community impact metrics including 300,000+ Healthy Communities programme participants. His leadership targets net zero operations by 2030 while maintaining 95% colleague recommendation rates.
Charlotte Simpson
Active Communities Manager
Charlotte directs community health initiatives in Arun, expanding Healthy Walks participation to 700+ monthly walkers. She transformed Littlehampton Wave into a wellbeing hub, integrating social isolation reduction with physical activity programmes. Her team coordinates 30 volunteer walk leaders across 18 walking routes.
Questions
What community health programmes do you offer?
We provide falls prevention classes, We Are Undefeatable sessions for long-term conditions, walking groups and specialist exercise prescriptions through our Healthy Communities team.
Do you have swimming lessons for adults?
Yes, we offer adult swimming lessons for beginners and stroke improvement with qualified instructors at multiple locations.
Are facilities accessible for disabled users?
All centres have accessibility features including pool hoists, with specific sessions like dementia-friendly swimming available at designated times.
How can I track my child's swimming progress?
Many centres provide online tracking systems - check with your local swim team for availability and access details.
Do you offer family gym sessions?
Yes, we have family-friendly gym hours and children's activity sessions that operate alongside adult facilities.
Are there concession rates available?
We offer discounted memberships for students, seniors and low-income individuals through our inclusive pricing policies.
