Sir James Altham Pool – Managed in Partnership with Three Rivers District Council

John Sewell, Everyone Active’s contract manager in Three Rivers District, said:

“Everyone Active manages Sir James Altham Pool on behalf of Three Rivers District Council. Everyone Active is committed to improving the health of all Three Rivers residents and works closely with our communities to remove any barriers that may exist which prevent people from taking part in sport and physical activity.

“One such initiative is the women-only swim sessions that run alongside our wider programme and removes barriers to participation for many people for a variety of reasons, including confidence, religious beliefs, body image and more. This is all part of our pursuit of getting as many people as possible active and creating a healthier community.

“We run a huge range of activities in response to feedback from our communities at the four leisure venues in Three Rivers District that Everyone Active now manages. This makes sure that we provide as much flexibility and variety as possible and that there are opportunities suitable for everyone to get active. We offer over 40 hours of public swim sessions each week at Sir James Altham Pool, where customers of all ages and genders are welcome. We also run a fully inclusive programme of swimming lessons.

“Gender-specific sessions are in no way unique to Three Rivers; and are in fact common practice around the world as a strategy to encourage greater participation, particularly in swimming.

“When Everyone Active took on the management of Sir James Altham pool on 1 July 2018, we continued to offer two weekly women-only swim sessions on a Monday and Wednesday.

“Under the previous operator, no male participants of any age were allowed to attend these sessions. This policy is the same as that operated by Everyone Active, meaning there have been no changes to the guidelines regarding these sessions since the management change took place.

“We value feedback from residents and members, and are committed to evolving a schedule that meets as many needs as possible for our diverse, vibrant communities. We will always remain flexible with our programming with the aim of making sport and physical activity accessible to all."