The Aspire Leisure Centre, situated in North West London, was the first fully integrated community leisure centre in Europe for both disabled and non-disabled people.

Currently, around a third of our members are disabled, which compares with a national average of just 2-3% in other sports centres. Aspire Leisure Centre offers an Inclusive Fitness Initiative approved fitness studio and proactively encourages disabled people to join and take part in all activities by subsidising their membership and activity costs.

The centre is connected to the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre, allowing it to be regularly used in rehabilitation for people with Spinal Cord Injury. People with spinal injury are able to make use of the full range of accessible facilities at the centre throughout their rehabilitation and beyond. These facilities include a wheelchair accessible swimming pool, and Inclusive Fitness Initiative accredited fitness equipment.

Aspire Leisure Centre is fully approved by the Inclusive Fitness Initiative and has gained Quest (UK Quality Scheme for Sport and Leisure) registration as 'Excellent'.

The good practice at the ALC inspired the InstructAbility programme, a national project to train disabled people, including those with Spinal Cord Injury as fitness instructors.

Disability and Employment in the Leisure Industry