Frequently asked questions
A little about us
Welcome to Places Leisure, a little bit about us …
As part of Places for People, we are one of the UK's leading social enterprises, welcoming over 30 million members to over 80 health and wellbeing facilities across the nation annually. Our overall aim is to create active places and healthy people for communities to thrive.
We’re thrilled to welcome you to Places Leisure and are looking forward to getting to know you and your communities.
Here are a few FAQ’s that may be helpful during the transition, we will keep these updated as we move forward with further information as we have it.
Frequently asked questions
General Information
Will the opening hours stay the same?
Initially, yes. Places Leisure will review the opening and closing times with the onsite staff teams to ensure they reflect the needs of the community.
Will the centre close whilst the transfer of management takes place?
It is important to us that the transfer process creates as little disruption for our customers and staff therefore your centre will remain open and operational whilst the transfer of management takes place.
Does the change of management affect the people who work there?
We’re pleased to say that you will still see the same familiar faces who’ve served you previously, with just a change to their uniforms. Please be patient, whilst the facility stays the same some of the products, systems and policies maybe a little different.
Will I still access my centre in the same way?
Yes, you will still access the centre in the same way. You will need to continue to use your wrist bands to gain access for all membership activities.
Will the Wi-Fi connection change in the centre?
Yes - we will be changing the public wireless network to Places Leisure's offering. We hope to have this operational as soon as possible but it may not be in all areas to begin with.
You will need to search your wireless connections for 'Active Places', then read through our terms and conditions and follow the instructions provided, it is a very simple process, although we will have staff on hand to assist if required.
Membership
I am currently a member at an Active Northumberland centre, will I need to do anything when it transfers to Places Leisure?
There is no need to do anything but please be aware of some changes to your Direct Debit, these changes have been communicated to members directly.
Will there be a change to my membership terms and conditions?
Currently, we are not planning any changes to terms and conditions.
I love classes and attending the gym, will I still need to pre-book my activities and how do I do this during the transfer process?
A range of sessions and activities will be available to book via the app, website and in-centre. Bookings are now open and available through the Places Leisure App or website.
You will no longer be required to pre book to attend the gym.
I’m a current member, what happens with monthly prices?
Your current membership pricing will remain the same.
Can I still book through the current App?
You will need to download the Places Leisure App and log in using the email address registered to your account.
Access to Centres
Due to Places Leisure working in close partnership with Northumberland County Council, please be aware that alongside access to all 10 centres transferring to Places leisure, members will also continue to have access to Rothbury Gym and Druridge Bay Fitness Centre.
Swimming Lessons
Places Leisure deliver Swim England Learn to Swim lessons, as per your current programme. We aim to continue your swimming lessons and progress as smoothly as possible. There will be no initial changes to your lesson time or pricing, all lessons will continue to run as normal. There will be some changes to the way your direct debit is collected, we will be contacting all customers with full information regarding these changes.
We operate the same Home Portal/Go Learn system that you have currently been using to track your child’s progress, make movements and top up payments. The only difference being we call it Course hub. You will need to create a Course hub account with us to access these services. More information will be sent directly to swimming lesson customers in the coming weeks with how to do this.
Course progress. Unfortunately, we were unable to transfer across course progress from your current system to Course hub, so you may notice that your overall percentage progress or key competency marks have gone backwards. Please bear with us, our teachers will be updating these in the first few weeks and getting them back to where they need to be.
Swimming hats
We will be introducing coloured swimming hats for children taking part in our lesson programme.
At each stage of the programme you will be issued with a coloured hat that matches the lesson stage that your child is in. The colours are listed below. When your child moves up to the next stage, simply collect your new coloured hat at reception.
We use coloured hats for a number of reasons:
- They help teachers at collection and drop off points to identify children in their class.
- They help our lifeguards to keep your children safe as they can easily determine which area of the pool they should be in.
- They give a sense of camaraderie in the lesson as they all match and a sense of achievement when they get to collect the next colour.
- They help to keep the pool fresh and clean, enabling us to use less harsh chemicals in the pool.
It may take a few weeks to get everyone issued with a hat so please bear with us during this time. If you have any concerns please speak to a member of staff.
Stage 1 Red hats
Stage 2 Orange hats
Stage 3 Yellow hats
Stage 4 Green hats
Stage 5 Blue hats
Stage 6 Navy Blue hats
Stage 7 Purple hats
Stages 8+ Silver hats
Other information
Will there be changes on how I make contact?
Please continue to use the contact centre as normal, numbers remain the same. The websites will be changing and further details will be shared on this shortly. If you have any questions regarding the transition, please email us at northumberland@pfpleisure.org.
I currently block book one of the centre facilities, how do I continue this?
Block bookings will continue as normal, and customers have been contact directly.
I want to follow my centre on Social media?
Great news, if you already follow your centre's social media page, then there's nothing for you to do. If you wish to follow your centre for the latest news and updates see below details, Instagram pages coming soon!
www.facebook.com/AshingtonLeisureCentre
www.facebook.com/BlythSportsCentre
www.facebook.com/ConcordiaLeisureCentre
www.facebook.com/NewbigginSportsCommunityCentre
www.facebook.com/PontelandLeisureCentre
www.facebook.com/PrudhoeWaterworld
www.facebook.com/WentworthLeisureCentre
www.facebook.com/WillowburnCentre
In the first month we’ll make sure the popular questions are added to this FAQs for the benefit of everyone.
The team at Places Leisure