Over-60s to benefit from free fitness scheme

The 60-plus Active Leisure Scheme has delivered more than 10,750 sessions since 2021, with 154,500 attendances recorded.

Activities range from pickleball and climbing to swimming, yoga, tai chi, walking groups and strength training classes.

Last year alone, more than 5,550 people took part in the programme, with 125 different types of exercise available.

The scheme is jointly funded by the Welsh Government and Sport Wales and is delivered in all 22 local authorities.

Beyond physical health benefits, the scheme helps tackle loneliness and social isolation. Participants say the scheme helps their wellbeing and creates stronger social connections.

Kath Knowles, 73, from Ynys Môn, took up pickleball through the scheme in 2018. She has since helped grow the sport to around 200 players across the island.

She said:

“The best thing about attending for me, and for all our players I think, is that it’s brought sport back into our lives at the grand age of 60 plus. 

“It’s a brilliant, social life. You meet people, male and female, you’ve never met before. It’s integrated me when I moved on to the island and that’s how I made friends.

“Like most people, I’ve had a lot of personal battles in my life. I’ve had breast cancer, and two heart attacks. This is a distraction from the battles that we all face in life. I’ve had mental health issues myself and this game has helped me enormously to get out of myself and stop worrying about things that might not happen and just get on with it.”

Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Professor Isabel Oliver said:

“The 60-plus Active Leisure Scheme demonstrates the transformative power of physical activity in later life. As well as improving people’s physical activity levels, schemes like this help enormously with mental wellbeing, loneliness and social isolation.

“This programme is a vital part of our commitment to supporting healthy, active ageing and ensuring that people across Wales can enjoy the best possible quality of life in their later years.”

The programme is part of the Welsh Government’s Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales strategy, which is designed to address high levels of overweight and obesity in Wales.

Victoria Woods, Education and Health Lead at Sport Wales said:

“The 60-plus Active Leisure Scheme shows how sport and physical activity can enrich lives at any age. By working with partners across Wales, we’re helping older people stay active, connected and confident, while supporting both physical health and mental wellbeing in their local communities.”

[Lead image: Welsh Government]

£223k refurbishment brings new life to Maesteg’s netball and basketball courts

Major investment in community sport

The refurbishment forms part of the Sport Wales Court Collaboration Project, a scheme launched in 2022 with Wales Netball and Basketball Wales to widen access to sport across Welsh communities.

Funding for the Maesteg project included £167,250 from Sport Wales’ Court Collaboration Fund and £55,750 from Bridgend County Borough Council’s Community Asset Transfer Fund.

Official opening ceremony

The courts were officially reopened on Thursday 25 September, with speeches from John Spanswick, Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, Jack Sargeant MS and Stephen Kinnock MP.

The ribbon‑cutting was followed by basketball and netball activities led by national governing bodies, with pupils from St Mary’s & St Patrick’s RC Primary School among the first to try out the new facilities.

Council leader welcomes investment

John Spanswick, Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, said:

“We are thrilled to have worked in partnership with Sport Wales’ Court Collaboration Scheme and are delighted to announce that the basketball and netball courts at Caedu Park and Maesteg Welfare Park are now available to the community.

It’s brilliant to see that these courts have been given a refurbishment and another boost of investment in the park, having recently opened the neighbouring tennis courts.

I am extremely grateful to the Court Collaboration Scheme for seeing this come to fruition alongside us and I have no doubt that these courts will prove to be popular with adults and children alike in the community.”

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#basketball #BasketballWales #BridgendCountyBoroughCouncil #CaeduPark #CllrJohnSpanswick #CourtCollaborationScheme #JackSargeantMS #Maesteg #MaestegWelfarePark #netball #SportWales #StMarySStPatrickSRCPrimarySchool #StephenKinnockMP #WalesNetball

Revamped sports courts boost community access across South West Wales

A Welsh Government-backed initiative is transforming outdated tennis courts into modern basketball and netball spaces across South West Wales, with new facilities already open in Maesteg, Port Talbot, Cwmafan and Haverfordwest.

The upgrades are part of Sport Wales’s Court Collaboration Fund, which has invested over £1.4 million since 2022 to improve sports infrastructure in 12 local authorities. The fund supports the Welsh Government’s wider £41 million commitment to community and elite sports facilities, including £10.1 million earmarked for 2025–26.

Local impact: Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire

Two newly refurbished courts opened this week at Maesteg Welfare Park in Bridgend County, converting former tennis courts into vibrant basketball and netball zones with multi-coloured surfacing, line markings and new court furniture.

In Neath Port Talbot, recent investments have upgraded courts at Port Talbot Memorial Park (£73,745), Parc y Llyn in Cwmafan (£77,384), and Ystalyfera (£121,182), creating inclusive spaces for team sports and youth engagement.

Pembrokeshire has also benefited, with £12,501 allocated to Ysgol Caer Elen in Haverfordwest to support court transformation and expand local access to basketball and netball.

Jack Sargeant, Minister for Sport, said: “The Court Collaboration Fund exemplifies how working together strategically to invest in the right facilities in the right places can maximise the impact for local communities. They’re more than courts — they’re catalysts for community cohesion, youth development and improved wellbeing.”

He added: “With the £10 million allocated for sports infrastructure, we’re building the foundation for a healthier, more active Wales where geography and background are no barrier to sporting participation.”

Supporting grassroots sport

The refurbished courts are designed to increase participation, enable coaching programmes, and support new teams. Governing bodies are working with schools and community groups to embed sport into daily life and ensure facilities are accessible to all.

Other funded sites include Caedu Park in Ogmore Vale (£84,750), further strengthening Bridgend’s multi-sport offering, and several locations across Monmouthshire, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent.

The Court Collaboration Fund continues to support projects that repurpose underused spaces and promote inclusive, team-based physical activity across Wales.

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Ystalyfera tennis courts officially reopen after major upgrade

The project, which cost £134,647 in total, was made possible thanks to a £121,182 grant awarded by Sport Wales through its Court Collaboration Fund – made up of officers from Wales Netball, Tennis Wales, Basketball Wales and Sport Wales.

Neath Port Talbot Council also contributed £13,465 to help transform the courts into a high-quality, multi-use community space.

The upgrade included resurfacing of the tennis courts, new court markings, new tennis furniture such as nets and posts, new perimeter fencing and two new basketball hoops.

Councillor Cen Phillips, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing, said: “The completion of this project demonstrates our ongoing commitment to enhancing facilities and improving play and leisure services for children and young people.

“It’s great to see the courts officially reopened and being enjoyed by local residents.”

Owen Hathway, Assistant Director – Insight, Policy and Public Affairs at Sport Wales said: “Ensuring people have access to quality local spaces to be active is central to our approach. The transformation of the Ystalyfera tennis courts is a great example of how investment in community sport facilities can remove barriers and help build more connected communities.”

#basketball #NeathPortTalbot #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #SportWales #tennis #Ystalyfera

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Gowerton sports complex pitch makeover complete

The extensive refurbishment was made possible thanks to a £230,000 grant received from Sport Wales and Freedom Leisure, as a result, the pitch at Elba has been accredited by the International Hockey Federation and will continue to be the proud home of Gowerton Hockey Club. 

Yasmin Marshall from Gowerton Hockey Club said:

“We are so proud of our home pitch now as this new surface was much needed – each winter we would have to postpone games due to flooding or a frozen pitch.

“Hockey at Gowerton can now be played at a higher standard, just from the new pitch – this being vital with our first team playing Prem 2 and our squad housing international players.

“The new pitch has secured the future of hockey at Gowerton and we’re hopeful it will encourage more individuals to get involved with the club – this which we’re already starting to see as the season progresses.”

The pitch is also suitable for football and a wide variety of outdoor sports for local schools, sporting groups and communities in and around the Gowerton Area to use and is the ideal surface during the winter months when grass fields and pitches become muddy and unusable. Bookings are now being taken for sport groups to use the refurbished pitch at the Elba, operated by Freedom Leisure.

Gwyn Owen, Freedom Leisure Area Manager in Swansea commented:

“The refurbished pitch at the Elba offers year-round access for local residents and clubs alike.

“Indeed, it is a fantastic outdoor pitch for the whole community across Swansea and we’d encourage as many people to come and see for themselves the new look pitch and all the other amazing facilities at Elba Sports Complex.”

Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, said:

“Swansea has a long tradition of producing hockey players that go on to compete at a high level. We also have a strong pathway of introducing new players to the game through the work of clubs like Gowerton who provide skills sessions for all abilities.

“It’s great that this effort can be supported by the introduction of modern facilities such as the new surface at the Elba and Swansea Council is grateful to Sport Wales, Hoci Cymru and our partners at Freedom Leisure for making this happen.”

For clubs and organisations wishing to enquire further about the pitch or make a booking please contact [email protected] or call the Elba Sports Complex on 01792 874424.

[Lead image: Freedom Leisure]

#ElbaSportsCentre #featured #FreedomLeisure #Gowerton #Hockey #SportWales

Exciting sports projects across Swansea and beyond backed with £3.5m funding

Allocated by Sport Wales, the funding will widen access to sports and physical activity among communities, create more artificial pitches in places that need them most, and also support our most talented athletes to achieve their dreams.

Several local authorities successfully applied for funding to help make leisure centres more energy efficient so that activities can remain affordable for communities to enjoy.

For example, running costs will be slashed at the LC in Swansea thanks to the installation of solar panels and LED lighting, while £175,226 worth of improvements will help conserve energy at many sites across Pembrokeshire.

Other popular facilities will benefit from reduced utility bills too. The Urdd will use £25,860 towards the installation of solar panels at the Llangrannog Residential Centre, while Queensway Stadium in Wrexham will install LED lighting which will improve the stadium’s energy efficiency and sustainability.

Innovative ideas to help more people become active have received significant funding. Pembrokeshire County Council’s plans for using Artificial Intelligence technology to create personalised workouts for all abilities will receive £99,630, while Welsh Boxing has received funding to introduce opportunities for Virtual Reality Boxing – ideal for giving people who have impairments a chance to enjoy the sport safely.

A proposal to resurface the athletics track at the Pembrokeshire Sports Village has been awarded £191,253, while Sport Wales has worked together with the Football Association of Wales, Welsh Rugby Union and Hoci Cymru to allocate funding towards a number of new artificial pitches in Port Talbot, Wrexham, Cwmbran, Colwyn Bay and Haverfordwest.

Hot on the heels of a successful Paris 2024 Games for Welsh athletes, more than half a million pounds is being invested into improving facilities and creating better sporting environments so that the country’s most talented sportsmen and women can fulfil their potential.

Projects awarded funding include the creation of a first-ever Centre of Excellence for Welsh Boxing, a series of upgrades at The Wales National Pool and the National Hockey Centre, improvements to the performance gym at the National Indoor Athletics Centre, and the installation of 2,000 more seats at the House of Sport venue in Cardiff – the home of performance netball in Wales.

The national pool in Swansea is set for upgrades (Credit: Sport Wales)

Sport Wales CEO Brian Davies speaking about the plans said:

“We received a high level of applications from local authorities, sport governing bodies and national partners for a share of this funding and prioritised projects that would make the biggest impact on making sport more inclusive for all as well as supporting our ambitions for nurturing talented athletes.

“Just as we did last year, we’re pleased to have been able to award a large amount of funding to help safeguard the long-term future of leisure facilities by making them more energy efficient and sustainable. These projects will also generate sizeable carbon savings, helping to support Wales’ climate change targets.”

Welsh Government Minister for Sport, Jack Sargeant, said:

“Through this funding – which marks a significant part of our £8m investment in Sport Wales this year – we are delivering on our commitments to promote equal access to sport, support our grassroot clubs and invest in new and world-class sporting facilities for our nation’s talented athletes.  

“From innovative tech-driven facilities to energy-efficient places, these projects will provide inclusive, accessible and sustainable opportunities for people across Wales to enjoy both the physical and mental health benefits of sport, and to hone their skills and talent to achieve their potential and emulate their sporting heroes.”

All of the grants have been made possible thanks to a total £8m worth of capital funding for 2024-25 which has been allocated to Sport Wales by the Welsh Government.

All grants are subject to certain terms and conditions being met. Some of the projects are already underway, while others are planned for the coming months.

A full list of the 37 projects to receive capital funding can be found at the Sport Wales website.

[Lead image: Sports Wales]

#LCSwansea #SportWales #VirtualReality #WalesNationalPool