A leisure centre , sports centre , recreation center , or aquatics centre is a purpose-built building or site, usually owned and provided by the local government authority , where people can engage in a variety of sports and exercise , and keep fit .
6-656: The Link Centre is a leisure centre in Swindon , England. The building, owned by Swindon Borough Council and operated by Greenwich Leisure under the brand "Better", is best known for its national-sized ice rink which houses a National Ice Hockey League team, the Swindon Wildcats . The building is part of the West Swindon district centre, in Westlea, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Swindon town centre. The complex includes
12-413: A gym , and may include: aerobics studios, an indoor cycling studio, squash courts, a cafeteria , a licensed bar , outdoor grass and/or artificial pitches for football (soccer) , hockey etc., a solarium , sauna and/or steam room . Some of its functions may overlap with that of a community centre . Leisure centres are staffed by attendants who carry out a range of tasks to help and supervise
18-757: A large Asda supermarket as well as many smaller shops The centre was commissioned by Thamesdown Borough Council (later renamed Swindon Borough Council ) in 1970 to provide leisure and social facilities for an estimated West Swindon population of 50,000. Design was undertaken in-house under chief architect K P Sherry, and work began on the site in 1983. The modern, multi-axial design incorporating an ice rink, swimming pool and other facilities opened in April 1985, received an estimated 1 million visitors in its first year of operation and "won awards and favourable mentions in architectural circles". The complex, designed to provide facilities for more than 20 sports and leisure activities,
24-476: A routine test, is the cause of Legionnaires' disease . The centre re-opened following a full sterilisation of the water supply. In 2006 the metal-exterior centre was closed for a short time after a major electrical fault was caused by an internal flood. A number of ice hockey teams play at the Link Centre, including: Leisure centre Facilities typically include a swimming pool , a large sports hall, and
30-514: The people using the leisure centre's facilities, and act as swimming pool lifeguards , gym instructors and coaches , offering advice, motivation, and expertise to users. Leisure centres are often operated by private companies on contract to the local authority. Some leisure centres, particularly in Australia, are called aquatic centres , if their main facilities are pools for swimming , diving , and other aquatic sports . This article about
36-480: Was described in architectural and sports journals as the most comprehensive development of its kind in Britain. The £2million ice rink was praised on completion but local residents were unhappy that the swimming pool, at only 25 metres long, was not of competition standard. In 2003, the centre was closed temporarily following the finding of the legionella bacteria in the water cooling system. This bacteria, found during
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