GLL to make its 350 leisure facilities more "dementia-friendly"

Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), which operates facilities on behalf of the council, has announced plans to make its centres more "dementia-friendly".

The leisure operator, who is the parent company of UK spa brand Spa Experience by Better, will update its 350 facilities, making adjustments such as installing dementia-friendly signage to allow simpler navigation for all facilities, including gyms, pools and spas, as well as training its 14,000 workforce via a series of staff conferences in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society to make them more “dementia-aware”.

This will result in GLL staff becoming “Dementia Friends” – an initiative run by the alzheimer charity which is designed to inform people about dementia and empower them to “turn their understanding into action”.

“GLL exists to provide inclusive, accessible facilities in communities across the UK, so it is crucial that our centres are accessible and welcoming to all,” said Caitlin Thomas, corporate health manager at GLL.

“Having so many of our staff take part in Dementia Friends sessions shows commitment to understanding the specific needs of our visitors, to help get more people more active more often.”

GLL has nine spa sites in the Spa Experience Group.

Spa Experience by Better also took home the title of Employer of the Year at the 2018 Professional Beauty Awards. 

Image: Spa Experience Wimbledon