HEREFORDSHIRE'S swimming pools and leisure centres have celebrated 20 years under Halo's ownership.

And the company says the milestone is iconic as over those 20 years it has reinvested more than £14 million in its facilities.

In April 2002, Halo Leisure and Herefordshire Council got together to create healthier communities.

To mark this milestone employees, many of whom have been with Halo since day one, customers, trustees and the local councillor came together at Hereford Leisure Centre to mark the anniversary and look ahead to the next 20 years.

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Since the partnership was formed in 2002 in Herefordshire, Halo Leisure says it has successfully transformed the community leisure spaces in the county through innovation and sustained reinvestment, bringing lasting benefits to its local communities.

It has seen a 28 per cent increase in customer uptake to 1.2 million customer visits per year since 2002.

A spokesperson said Halo, a registered charity, had also reinvested more than £14 million into initiatives including refurbishments at Halo sites in Ross, Ledbury, Hereford city, Bromyard and Leominster.

There has also been 3.3 million attendances at more than 480,000 swimming lessons delivered to local children.

There has also been 130,000 group exercises classes delivered with an attendance of 2.3million.

Coun Pauline Crockett, Herefordshire Council cabinet member for health and adult wellbeing, said: “Halo Leisure Trust is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its partnership with Herefordshire Council to operate leisure facilities across the county.

"What a wonderful example of a long-lasting partnership that is making a real difference to the physical and mental wellbeing of people of all ages in the area.

"The council is proud to work with a leading charity and Leisure Trust that is truly committed to supporting projects and activities which help promote and develop leisure and sport across the community.

“The expertise of the team at Halo – their understanding of what makes a brilliant leisure centre and the health issues of the communities where each one is based – has established them as the go-to leisure provider in Herefordshire.

"They bring to the table ideas that deliver the footfall we need, and the profits to plough back into the service, but also the community reach we’re after.

"Ideas that meet real need and deliver life-enhancing support. It is really exciting to think about where our work together might take us in the next 20 years.”

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Scott Rolfe, chief executive of Halo Leisure, said: “This partnership has resulted in a myriad of on-the-ground and award-winning initiatives too numerous to list here – think free swimming lessons for children and adults, workplace wellbeing packages for local businesses; training opportunities for local athletes ambitious to compete in international competitions to mental health and disability support via bespoke offers in our centres.”

He said none of this would have been possible without the creative, collaborative relationships Halo has built with Herefordshire Council.

He went on to say: “I would like to thank everyone who has been through the doors of all our leisure centres in Herefordshire – be it to the gym, pool, golf course, exercise studio, toning suite, racket court, sports hall, indoor soft play, cafe, whether they be staff or customers, for their commitment to a healthy lifestyle.

"We’ve seen so many success stories over the years, and I’d like to thank you all for being a part of it. We can’t wait for the next twenty years.”