Recognising the positive difference they make in the communities they proudly serve, Serco Leisure retained its title of Leisure Operator of the Year for a magnificent seventh time at the 2025 UK Pool & Spa Awards.
A fitting tribute to the dedication, passion and professionalism demonstrated by Serco Leisure teams, the title is a testament to their role as a leading aquatic operator, combining commercial growth, community engagement, innovation and excellence in training, to deliver meaningful outcomes for customers, partners and local communities.
The Serco Leisure aquatics portfolio has continued to expand, with the addition of Bletchley Leisure Centre in late 2024 and the opening of Whitchurch Swimming & Fitness Centre in March 2025. These additions have increased the Serco Leisure portfolio to 36 UK sites with swimming pools, operating a total of 73 pool spaces across the country. With a strong pipeline of live opportunities and bids, the Serco Leisure ambition remains clear: to continue growing its aquatics business through both new contract wins and the ongoing success of existing facilities.
Commercially, Serco Leisure continues to thrive. Swimming lesson participation has increased by 3% year-on-year across the business, with exceptional growth in several of our newer contracts. In Oxfordshire alone, more than 1,200 additional children are now learning to swim compared with the previous year, while Buckinghamshire has seen an increase of over 600 participants. These figures reflect the teamās continued commitment to expanding access to swimming and ensuring more people develop this essential life skill.
At the heart of their approach is a simple but powerful objective: to maximise opportunities for children and adults to learn to swim. While commercial success provides the foundation for sustainable growth, focus remains firmly on delivering positive outcomes for the communities they serve.
This commitment is perhaps best illustrated by one of Sercoās proudest achievements: the Water Safety Assemblies initiative. Since January 2024, Serco Leisure has delivered free water safety sessions to more than 108 schools, reaching over 11,800 primary school pupils. These assemblies provide children with vital knowledge and practical guidance that could one day save their own life or that of someone else.
More than 80 team members have contributed to the programme across the country, and plans are already in place to expand its reach even further. The initiative has generated tremendous goodwill among local communities and local authority partners, who have consistently praised its impact. Most importantly, however, it has enabled the team to reach children who may not otherwise have access to swimming lessons or family swimming opportunities, ensuring they understand how to stay safe around pools, beaches, rivers and other bodies of water.
The programme has received exceptional feedback from schools, teachers and community leaders. Sue Bridges, Headteacher at Edward Primary School in Mansfield, praised the initiative, highlighting the value of instructors visiting schools to provide practical advice on water safety. Local authority representatives have echoed these sentiments, recognising the programme as a valuable extension of the work already taking place in Serco Leisure pools.
Alongside community engagement, accessibility has remained a major focus throughout 2025. This year saw the successful rollout of SwimPix resources across all Serco-operated swimming pools. SwimPix provides specialist teaching resources and training materials designed to support children and adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Serco became the first leisure operator in the country to implement these resources across its entire swimming portfolio, reinforcing the dedicated commitment to ensuring swimming lessons are accessible to everyone.
The response from both teachers and learners has been overwhelmingly positive. While originally intended to support SEND provision, the resources have also proven valuable across mainstream lessons, helping instructors deliver engaging and inclusive learning experiences for all participants.
DISTANCE AWARDS
Recognition and reward have also been enhanced through the introduction of swimming distance medals. For the first time, learners can learn physical medals for reaching key milestones, from five metres through to an impressive one-mile swim. The initiative has been hugely popular, providing instant recognition and creating memorable moments of achievement. Giving children something tangible to wear, display and celebrate has added an extra dimension to the learning journey and further strengthened participant engagement.
Behind every successful swimming programme is a skilled and knowledgeable workforce, and Sercoās commitment to professional development has been recognised at the highest level. In 2025, our Approved Training Centre achieved CIMSPAās highest quality assurance rating, earning āEnhancingā status as a three-star provider. This prestigious recognition reflects the exceptional quality of our learning provision and the robust systems, processes and standards that underpin training programmes.
Innovation has also played a major role in Serco Leisureās success. Over the past year, Serco Leisure has continued the rollout of Lynxight Assisted Lifeguard Technology, a cutting-edge safety system designed to support lifeguards and enhance swimmer safety. The technology has now been installed across 22 sites, covering 46 individual pools and providing 63% coverage of its total swimming portfolio.
This large-scale implementation positions Serco Leisure as a sector leader in the adoption of advanced aquatic safety technology and demonstrates the commitment to continually investing in safer environments for customers and colleagues.
Whether through expanding access to swimming, investing in technology, developing its workforce, improving accessibility or delivering life-saving community programmes, Serco Leisure continues to push the boundaries of what great aquatic operations can achieve.
