Halo Leisure takes over contract to manage facilities in Merthyr Tydfil

Social enterprise, Halo Leisure, has taken over the running of leisure facilities owned by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council.

Halo will now operate three sites – Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Centre, Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre and the splash park and cafe at Cyfarthfa Park – adding to the 22 facilities it already manages across Bridgend, Herefordshire, Gloucester, Shropshire and Wiltshire.

Scott Rolfe, Halo’s chief executive said: “We are delighted to be selected by the council as the operational partner for these leisure facilities.

“Our social enterprise business model and registered charity status allows us to trade for social purposes and ‘not for profit’, something the council recognised as a sign of quality and strength.”

“We will work with the teams at the sites and the council to support even more local people to participate in some form of exercise, increase the range of activities available to them, and invest in the leisure facilities.

“We are confident that, together, we can transform services and facilities for the benefit of local residents and get more people more active more often.”

Halo taking over the facilities coincides with the swimming pool at Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Centre reopening on 25 May, following a major redevelopment.

The works were funded by a £5 million investment by the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Programme, Salix Finance and Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council. The regeneration project, led by Alliance Leisure through the UK Leisure Framework, has seen swim facilities reintroduced to the leisure centre after an extended period of closure.

Works have included the development of a new 25m, six-lane main pool and a dedicated teaching pool offering a full swimming education programme.