UK leisure company GLL plans to make its centres more dementia-friendly

Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), a UK social enterprise that operates facilities on behalf of the council, is planning to make its 350 public facilities more accessible for those living with dementia.

The leisure operator, who is the parent company of UK spa brand Spa Experience by Better, will be 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”.

Adjustments are also being made to the leisure company’s physical spaces by installing dementia-friendly signage to allow simpler navigation for all facilities, including gyms, pools and spas.

“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, which is part of the company’s plan to expand its offering to all areas of the UK.

Image: ©SpaExperience