LEX LEISURE & ACTIVITY ALLIANCE PARTNER TO DELIVER DISABILITY AWARENESS TRAINING FOR STAFF

Thursday 4 February, 2021 – Lex Leisure, operator of more than 30 leisure venues across England and Wales, has introduced a new e-Learning course aimed at improving the service and experience for disabled customers at its facilities.

The course, which is being funded by Lex Leisure, will be delivered in partnership by national charity Activity Alliance, the leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity who exists to reduce the fairness gap between disabled and non-disabled people’s activity levels.

The course is mandatory for all senior managers, duty managers and heads of departments across Lex Leisure sites, with more than 300 staff set to complete the training. Learners will cover six topics including perceptions of disability and delivering inclusive customer service, legislation, effective communication techniques and practical advice for serving people with specific impairments.

As a Community Interest Company (CIC), Lex Leisure is already highly active in providing opportunities for disabled people to engage with sport and physical activity. The organisation invests surplus revenue generated by its leisure facilities to support those with physical and/or mental disabilities, or those who require bespoke care to stay physically active.

Lex Leisure is also part of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme, which aims to encourage employers to identify workplace opportunities for disabled people and to improve retention and development of staff with impairments and health conditions.

Commenting on the roll-out of the e-Learning course, Kim Arrenberg, Chair of Lex Leisure, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our commitment to supporting the communities in which we operate and we’ve already spent a lot of time with our sites to improve accessibility and inclusivity. This course will not only seek to build on that, but it will give staff the tools and information that they need to ensure that we are delivering a positive and engaging experience for all our visitors and that this is consistent across every Lex Leisure facility.”

Ray Ashley, Activity Alliance’s Strategic Lead – Partnerships, said: “We all have a role to play in achieving fairness for disabled people in sport and activity and we cannot do this alone. Our latest Annual Survey highlights the pandemic’s true impact on disabled people’s activity levels. Now more than ever it is important to put accessibility and inclusion at the heart of reopening plans. This includes a more welcoming and positive experience for everyone, including disabled people. Our Delivering an Excellent Service for Disabled Customers’ eLearning course is a great way to improve an organisation’s confidence and competence on inclusive customer service.”

Lex Leisure is a partner to Parkwood Leisure, which includes Glendale Golf and Parkwood Theatres.