Boasting two 50m swimming pools, the Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex is one of the most sought-after leisure facilities in the country.
Welcoming over 100,000 visitors through its doors annually, the leisure complex serves the community in the London Borough of Hillingdon, as well as people from the surrounding boroughs and the South East region.
“As one of the few 50m indoor pools in the country, we often get visitors who travel from all over the UK to attend our swimming competitions, galas and events,” says general manager Neil Campbell.
The wet leisure facilities at the centre include a 50m indoor competition pool, with a moveable floor, plus a 50m outdoor lido. There’s also an indoor leisure pool, an outdoor children’s pool and sauna and steam rooms.
Neil adds: “The water treatment of the pools involves automatic dosing and UV. Our indoor pools are treated with UV, which means we can run our chlorine at lower levels, thus reducing our impact on the environment, and reducing our overheads.
“We also dose with polyaluminium chloride, to assist in removal of smaller particles from the pool water.”
Aside from the wet leisure facilities, the centre is also home to a 400m athletics track, a gym, basketball and badminton pitches and a 5-a-side football pitch. Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex was opened by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, in 2010 on the site of the former Uxbridge Lido.
Originally opened in 1935, the 50m lido was used as a training pool by athletes participating in the 1948 Olympics. As part of the construction work in 2010, the Grade II listed outdoor lido was restored to its 1930s glory, complete with cascades at both ends and a new, heated shallow splash pool for children.
Neil comments: “We offer a mix of pool-based activities at the centre, including leisure swimming, swim fit classes, club and lane swimming. We’re also very proud of the swim school programme in partnership with the ASA, which has over 2,500 members.
“Events also play a big part in the pool calendar, and we regularly host family fun days and swimming galas.”
