By Shaun Murphy And Emily Caulkett-
Lee Valley White Water Centre has been recognised as an ‘outstanding’ venue in a tough, new two-day assessment by Sport England’s continuous improvement tool for leisure facilities, Quest.
Quest was first established more than 20 years ago to gauge the efficacy of organisations are across a range of topics and remains the sector’s best-known improvement programme, with rigorous assessments challenging even the very best leisure centres in the UK.
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Located in Hertfordshire, England, the Lee Valley White Water Centre has become a shining example of excellence in leisure facilities. This world-class venue, famous for hosting the canoe slalom events during the 2012 London Olympics, has once again captured the spotlight by earning an outstanding award from Sport England’s continuous improvement tool for leisure facilities, Quest.
This prestigious recognition not only reinforces the centre’s commitment to providing exceptional services but also underscores its dedication to maintaining the highest standards in the industry. In this article, we will explore the significance of the Quest assessment, delve into the exceptional qualities of Lee Valley White Water Centre, and uncover the reasons behind its remarkable achievement.
Sport England’s Quest assessment is a two-day evaluation process that objectively measures and benchmarks the performance of leisure facilities across the United Kingdom. The Quest framework aims to ensure the consistent delivery of high-quality services, providing facilities with a tool to assess their performance against industry standards and best practices.
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Leisure facilities can identify areas for improvement, streamline their operations, and ultimately enhance the overall experience for their users.
Earning an outstanding award from Quest is no small feat. It signifies that a leisure facility has demonstrated exceptional commitment to customer satisfaction, staff training, and operational efficiency. The assessment covers a range of criteria, including governance, safety, customer service, accessibility, and sustainability, among others. Facilities that achieve an outstanding rating are exemplars in the industry, setting the standard for others to follow.
Iconic Destination
Nestled within the picturesque Lee Valley Regional Park, the Lee Valley White Water Centre is an iconic destination for adventure seekers and sports enthusiasts alike.
Built to host the canoe slalom events during the 2012 London Olympics, the centre has since evolved into a premier facility that caters to a diverse range of water-based activities. From white water rafting and canoeing to kayaking and hydrospeeding, the centre offers an adrenaline-fueled experience that attracts visitors from all corners of the globe.
The success of the Lee Valley White Water Centre goes beyond its thrilling activities. The facility boasts world-class amenities and infrastructure that prioritize safety, accessibility, and sustainability. As the first brand-new Olympic venue to reopen to the public after the Games, the centre has been meticulously designed to accommodate both seasoned athletes and beginners, ensuring an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.
At the heart of the centre’s outstanding award lies its dedication to customer service. Lee Valley White Water Centre recognizes that the satisfaction of its visitors is the ultimate measure of success.
Right from the moment guests arrive, they are greeted by friendly and knowledgeable staff members who are passionate about their roles. The facility invests heavily in staff training and development, ensuring that
Lee Valley White Water Centre is managed by GLL, a charitable social enterprise and worker-owned cooperative operating under the community-brand Better, and underwent the Quest Plus evaluation with a number of compulsory modules, including Tackling Inequalities and Environmental Management, as well as a variety of topics to help the facility make progress in specific areas of its business.
The venue also went through a mystery visit and by achieving an overall rating of excellent in both Quest Plus and its Mystery Visit, the former Olympic Games venue has been awarded the accolade of Quest Outstanding.
Jon Lea, general manager at Lee Valley White Water Centre, said: “We’re delighted and immensely proud of the entire Lee Valley White Water Centre team for this exceptional achievement. Their unwavering dedication and tireless efforts in preparing for the assessment have paid off, and we are elated to have earned the coveted ‘Outstanding’ rating.”
Shaun Dawson, chief executive at Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, added: “We are thrilled with the results of this latest Quest assessment. The ‘outstanding’ rating reaffirms Lee Valley White Water Centre’s position as a world class venue, and we extend our gratitude to our team and partners for their relentless efforts in maintaining the highest standards of customer service and safety.”
Quest’s operations director, Caroline Constantine, said: “Quest Plus is such a demanding process. By meeting Quest’s high standards for ‘excellent’ centres and achieving and overall accolade of ‘outstanding’, Lee Valley White Water Centre has shown its commitment to providing quality facilities and service to its customers.
“In these tough economic times it is more important than ever that local leisure facilities can demonstrate their value, and the Quest process helps them do just that; enabling facilities and their teams to have the quality of their work both recognised and nationally accredited, as well as showing how they measure up against national standards.”
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