Rich Pool Of National Talent

When it comes to the challenging sector of swimming pool design, it pays to bring in the services of a specialist builder from the outset, preferably at the drawing board. UK architects can delve into the UK’s richest pool of talent with the multi award-winning swimming, spa and wellness experts that make up the National Leisure group. With 26 individual member companies, positioned all over the country, the National Leisure Group is the biggest group of specialist water leisure providers in the UK.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

National Leisure currently boasts not one but three national champions with UK Pool Contractors of the Year, Tanby Swimming Pools, of Surrey, and Cresta Leisure, of Dorset, as well as top British pool and spa showroom for the second year in succession, Oyster Pools and Leisure of Usk, Wales. The National Leisure Group is used to picking up awards with no less than 38 pool building and design awards in the past three years. As an added bonus, it was another National Leisure Group member, Harris Pools & Leisure, of Devon, had key staff member Kris German named as the industry’s Pool Star Of The Year. In fact being part of the National Leisure Group goes hand in hand with a higher profile with well-known companies included in the group such as Lifestyle Leisure of Northamptonshire, Home Counties of Horsham, Howard’s Hydrocare, of Essex, and the London Swimming Pool Company – to name just a few. Throw into the mix names like, Barton Lake, Stephen Chamberlain Technical Services, E J Payne, Splash Pool Supplies, Swimming Pool Care and Maintenance, Alan Bettin Pools, Grayfox, Pools & Gardens and Swan Pools and you begin to see the National Leisure strength in depth. Add on names like Rutherford, Hellard, Colley or Rio Pools of Gloucestershire and you are beginning to understand the National Leisure legacy. “National Leisure is constantly on the lookout for pool retailers and contractors who we identify as adopting the aims and business practices that we value. Companies who fulfil these criteria can then be invited to join the group,” says NL national co-ordinator, Angela Bowers.

“We don’t just expect our members to have high standards though. Our suppliers, too, must demonstrate a strong commitment to quality and excellent customer service. “As a result, our group is highly regarded in the UK pool trade and staff from member companies taking an active part in helping to promote the industry and maintaining its standards.” BLACK OR BLACK Four decades ago, you could confidently liken the choice in swimming pools with the original black or black option in Ford motor cars – you could have any swimming pool you like as long as it was blue and rectangle. These days grey slate and black tiles dominate the colour charts especially when combined with natural slate and stone contrasting finishes. Today’s infinite options for swimming pools come in an infinite array of shapes, colours and sizes – indoors or outdoors and thanks to the ultra modern sliding wall partitions – even a combination of the two. A plethora of up to the minute technological options include the ease of maintenance with automatic dosing, the convenience of remote control, the versatility of moving floors and the precision of automatic safety covers that disappear into floors and walls. On top of regular planning guidelines, new Part L regulations make it obligatory to build energy-efficient indoor pools with plans to extend controls to outdoor pools by 2014. These days, swimming projects invariably include spa and hot tub options as well as wellness facilities such as sauna and steam rooms, usually situated alongside gym equipment to complete the home health club package. Whether it is for residential or commercial clients, even the most experienced architects can avoid getting out of their depth if they call upon the expertise of specialists like National Leisure.