The Active Standard: Spotlight on Sport Wales

More than a hundred health and fitness operators have now achieved certification to The Active Standard (TAS), ukactive’s quality mark for gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools.

In this blog, Adam Bailey, Customer Services & Operations Manager at Sport Wales National Centre, shares how the TAS certification process helped reinforce the organisation’s existing procedures, while identifying areas for improvement.

What motivated your organisation to achieve The Active Standard (TAS), and what have been the biggest benefits since becoming certified?

Achieving The Active Standard has been an important milestone for Sport Wales, as it provides an industry-recognised standard that reflects our commitment to operating a safe, well-managed facility.

Pursuing this accreditation was a key priority because it demonstrates to our customers, staff and wider stakeholders that safety is at the heart of the services we deliver.

The Active Standard gives us a clear framework for maintaining high standards, evidencing compliance and continually reviewing our approach to facility operations. It also brings significant reputational value, helping to reassure users of our facilities that we take our responsibilities seriously and operate to a recognised level of best practice.

Internally, it reinforces confidence across the wider Sport Wales team that we are delivering our services safely, consistently and professionally.

How did you find the assessment process, and what was your experience of working through the certification?

We found the assessment process to be very positive and reassuring. The guidance provided in advance was clear and helpful, which meant we were able to prepare effectively and understand what would be required throughout the certification process.

Any questions we had before the assessment were answered promptly by the ukactive team, which gave us confidence and made the process feel well supported.

During the assessment itself, we were pleased to find that there were very few areas where gaps were identified against the required standards. The assessor was constructive and practical in their approach, highlighting one key opportunity to improve the way we manage emergency light testing. Their recommendation gave us a more logical and efficient way to demonstrate compliance, and we have since implemented this improvement across our site.

Overall, the experience was collaborative, valuable and helped reinforce confidence in our existing procedures, while also identifying clear areas where we could strengthen our approach.

What advice would you give to another operator about to undertake The Active Standard assessment?

My advice to another operator who is about to undertake a The Active Standard assessment would be to invest time in preparing beforehand and gathering all the required evidence.

Once you have the information needed to meet each standard, make sure it is organised, easy to access and in the correct sequence, as this will help both you and the assessor during the assessment.

If you are unsure about any requirement, contact the ukactive team, as they are helpful and quick to provide guidance and support.

To find out more about The Active Standard, click here.