Elswick Community Pool and Gym-Rashida Ahmed

We are Elswick Community Pool and Gym, a leisure centre based in Elswick Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. We reopened our doors on September 7th 2019 under charitable status, supported by a dedicated board of trustees. Additionally, Philip Jameson and Rashida Ahmed have been at the heart of this organisation since the reopening, and continue to make an impact in their roles of general manager, respectively community development manager.

As part of the community leisure sector, we serve as an inclusive organisation for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Our facilities include a welcoming swimming pool, fully-equipped gym, and studio, where we provide swimming lessons, fitness classes, personal training sessions. Our entire team shares a deep-rooted passion for enhancing the mental and physical wellbeing among our community, especially in a deprived area where access to affordable physical activity has the potential to change lives. From the very beginning, our ambition has been to break down barriers, providing free or low-cost opportunities for low-income families to stay active and healthy.

Among the projects we are most proud of is the annual 4-week long summer camp, launched in collaboration with the Newcastle City Council, Centre West, Street Games and other partners. These camps are free of charge to the children and contribute to fostering their physical and mental development, through a set of organised activities. Another highlight is establishing our own swimming school in 2019, recognising swimming as an essential life-saving skill. We now teach more than 2000 children every year how to swim, and our lessons run Monday to Saturday. Lastly, we have boosted the employability of members of our community. Here at Elswick Community Pool and Gym, we have trained 8 swim instructors, all of whom are now actively employed in the field, as well as more than 60 lifeguards with an impressive employability rate of over 80%.

We always strive to emphasise our commitment to inclusion. Therefore, we introduced gender-specific sessions, in both the swimming pool and the gym, responding directly to customers’ feedback. A recent survey revealed that many of our female members feel comfortable and empowered here. Regardless of their role, all our staff members are trained to showcase strong leadership and address uncomfortable situations like racism and discrimination, ensuring that everyone feels safe, welcome and respected.

Up to this point, the pandemic has been the greatest obstacle, hitting only months after our reopening. As a charity whose revenue relies on memberships, we struggled to cover all our costs and pay staff salaries. Nevertheless, it was our incredible community and dedicated team that pulled us through. Through fundraising and other initiatives, not only did we make it through this difficult time, but we managed to come back stronger and more united than ever before.

Being nominated for the ABC Awards 2025 truly means the world to our entire team. It validates the hard work and dedication we have been putting in since day one to serve our community, and inspires us to continue delivering the highest quality of service that makes a difference.