Opened by Reading Borough Council in 2023 as part of its £40 million investment in leisure facilities, Rivermead is one of only seven facilities in the UK to be awarded an outstanding rating by Quest, Sport England’s Continuous Improvement Tool for leisure.

The assessment follows a ‘mystery’ visit and a rigorous two-day planned inspection that included reviewing operational and environmental management, customer experience, compliance, inclusivity, accessibility, exercise referral standards and lifeguarding. 

Rivermead was handed an overall ‘excellent’ rating on each of the inspection days – resulting in an ‘outstanding’ award.

Operating under the Better brand, Rivermead Leisure Centre is run by not-for-profit social enterprise GLL. Facilities include a brand new eight-lane competition swimming pool, a diving and teaching pool, a 120-station gym, cycle and exercise studios, a six-court sports hall, children’s soft play, party rooms, cafe and a full-size all-weather pitch.

Craig Woodward, GLL Partnership Manager for Reading, said: “To achieve a hugely prestigious Quest Outstanding assessment is a fantastic tribute to the hard work of Rivermead General Manager James Bayliss and his team. As this rating shows, they are committed to ensuring exceptionally high standards in every aspect of their service delivery, and I heartily congratulate them all. 

“Quest is all about continuous improvement and that’s the aim of every Better leisure centre – to keep pushing forward and exceed expectations.”

Caroline Constantine, Quest’s managing director, said: “Quest Plus is such a demanding process. By meeting Quest’s high standards for ‘Excellent’ centres and achieving an overall accolade of ‘Outstanding’, Rivermead Leisure 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 by 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.”

Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture, said: “Rivermead Leisure Centre achieving an Outstanding rating from Quest is a fantastic endorsement of the Council’s £40 million investment in modern, high-quality leisure facilities for Reading and confirms what residents have been telling us about Reading’s flagship leisure centre.

“This project was about creating spaces that encourage active lifestyles, improve health and wellbeing, and are accessible to everyone in our community. Working in partnership with GLL, we’ve delivered a facility that not only meets but exceeds national standards, and this award shows that our commitment to excellence is paying off.

“High quality leisure facilities play a vital role in supporting healthier, happier communities. Rivermead’s Outstanding rating shows we are creating the right environment for residents to thrive and we will continue working to ensure Reading’s leisure offer remains among the very best in the country.

“This award is a testament to the dedication of everyone involved in delivering such exemplary standards. Thousands of Reading residents have already experienced the exceptional facilities at Rivermead. Perhaps the news of this Outstanding award will encourage the rest to come along and try it out for themselves.”