Manurewa Aquatic Centre awarded Halberg SportAccess GOLD

24th May 2010

Manurewa Aquatic Centre, Ngaa mahi a Rehia, is the first public facility in Manukau to be awarded with a Halberg Trust SportAccess Gold Award – and they earned the highest score given to date!

Sir Murray Halberg presented the gold plaque to Craig Rouse, the Centre Manager, on Thursday 20 May 2010 in a ceremony held at the facility. The Award is recognition of the facility’s encouragement and enabling of people with disabilities to participate in sport and active leisure.

Manurewa Aquatic Centre is one of six public swimming facilities Manukau Leisure operates and provides free of charge across the city. Manukau Leisure’s CEO, Brett Jude, says the award is a credit not only to the properties and design team for their physical access efforts, but also to the staff who demonstrate the necessary knowledge and understanding to assist and serve disabled customers.

Stacey Roche, Halberg Trust Sport Opportunity Adviser, and the team at the facility have been working together for nearly two years on this initiative. Brett Jude says they enjoyed working closely with the Halberg Trust and that the Award reflected the commitment of Manukau Leisure and the team at the Centre to ensuring all users get maximum value out of the facility both for enjoyment and for fitness and training.

“This Centre is clearly performing extremely well; this is the second major award they have been presented with recently for the quality of the service they are providing to our community,” he said.

Manurewa Aquatic Centre features a 25-metre six lane lap pool, a 25-metre graduated leisure pool, teaching pool, and toddlers’ pool, and has special disabled access to the pools including new steps, a purpose-built hoist and a special ramp for access to the teaching pool.

For more information visit: www.manukauleisure.co.nz/manurewa-aquatic-centre/

Photo: L-R: Sir Murray Halberg, Stacey Roche (Sport Opportunity Advisor, Halberg Trust), Craig Rouse (Centre Manager, Manurewa Aquatic Centre), and Brett Jude (Manukau Leisure CEO)