The pool and leisure facilities at Wester Hailes Education Centre (WHEC) have been refurbished and reopened on Thursday.
This renovation of a valued local leisure asset will increase local access to sport, leisure and wellbeing. WHEC leisure facilities are open seven days for gym, swimming and fitness.
Edinburgh Leisure say the needs of local residents have been “at the heart of the redevelopment, with improvements focused on activity spaces, inclusivity and the overall customer experience”.
The swimming pool offers lane swimming, diving and family sessions, with daytime access now also available to the fitness suite and new general-purpose studio.
The fitness suite has 30 cardio and resistance workout stations in a bright, open environment, while the studio hosts an expanded programme of classes, including Kettlecise, Pilates and Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities activities, and is also available for group hire.
The venue is also more accessible and inclusive, with improvements including modern changing accommodation, step-free access throughout, a Changing Places facility and a state-of-the-art pool pod to support easier entry to the water.
The refurbishment forms part of the wider City of Edinburgh Council project to deliver a new Passivhaus-standard secondary school adjacent to the existing site, which is due to open later this year.
David McGlade, Head of Operations (Schools) at Edinburgh Leisure, said: “We’re delighted to welcome the community to a modern, accessible leisure facility in the heart of Wester Hailes.
“The investment has created brighter activity spaces, upgraded changing accommodation and a wider range of opportunities for people to be active close to home.
Alongside our gym, swimming and fitness offer, we’re particularly excited to expand our Active Communities programme, helping people of all ages overcome barriers to being active and supporting healthier, more active lives. We hope these improvements will help even more local people enjoy being active and build on the facilitiy’s place at the heart of the community.”
Cllr James Dalgleish, Education, Children and Families Convener, said: “It is fantastic to see the opening of this new facility that will provide more opportunities for the local community to be active and try new sports.
“This state-of-the-art leisure centre is not just for the school, but for the whole community to use and enjoy. It is open seven days a week, with a modern gym, swimming pool and range of sport classes, Wester Hailes High School will make keeping active and developing new skills easier than ever.”
To find out more about the facilities, opening times and membership options click on the website.
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