Active Leeds Spotlight: Programmes & Activities Across the City!
This blog has been written by colleagues at Active Leeds, as a spotlight on some of the wonderful projects and sessions they run, and in support of the Child Friendly Leeds 12 wishes. Particularly, Wish 9 which is all around making healthy choices.
Active Leeds offers a wide range of fun and engaging activities across our leisure centres, helping children and young people of all ages from toddlers to teens, make healthy choices and stay active!
The KEEP Project
The Kit, Equipment, Exchange, Partnership (KEEP) brings together organisations across Leeds to help children & young people, and families access FREE, repurposed sports kit. By redistributing donated kit, we aim to reduce inequalities, remove barriers to physical activity, and support the climate by keeping usable kit in circulation.
Having the right kit can make a big difference. By providing access to essential sport kit, KEEP empowers young people to make healthy choices whether that’s joining a community group, taking part in PE, or being active with friends and family. We want every young person to feel confident, comfortable, and ready to take part in any activity.
We offer a wide range of items including trainers, jumpers, coats, t-shirts, bottoms, and more. If you or someone you know needs kit, just get in touch, we’re here to help!
Contact the team at GetSetLeedsLocal@Leeds.gov.uk for further info.
Our Learn to Swim Programme
From just 6 weeks old, children can begin their swimming journey with our Parent and Toddler sessions, progressing through our Learn to Swim lessons, and even advancing to our Swim Squad, Diving Training, and Synchronised Swimming schemes. Across our 13 leisure centres, we teach over 14,500 children every week, with an additional 20,000 pupils learning through our school swimming programmes.
Swimming is a vital life skill that builds confidence, promotes safety, and opens the door to a lifetime of fun in the water—whether at your local pool, on holiday, or at the beach. By mastering the basics early, children are more likely to enjoy swimming with friends and family in a variety of settings.
We also offer a fantastic range of fun, family-friendly pool sessions—from float play to exciting inflatable sessions. Our newest addition, the Atlantis pool inflatable at John Charles Centre for Sport, is a big hit with kids and families alike!
Find out more info Here: Swimming Lessons | Active Leeds
Healthy Holidays
Over the summer holidays, Leeds City Council’s Community Hubs and Libraries delivered four fantastic weeks of Healthy Holiday activities, designed especially for families eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). These sessions took place across four welcoming venues: Armley Community Hub (West), Dewsbury Road Community Hub (South), Reginald Centre Community Hub (North-East), and the Thackray Museum of Medicine (East).
The programme offered a vibrant mix of culturally rich and fun activities for children, young people, and families to enjoy completely free of charge. Highlights included theatre workshops, the Summer Reading Challenge, food education, hip-hop music sessions, canoeing, caving, multi-sports, swimming, seaside trips, and farm workshops—creating unforgettable experiences and opportunities for learning and play.
With most activities hosted at Community Hubs, families also had access to a wide range of support services. Parents and carers were able to connect with teams offering help around welfare and benefits, library services, digital skills, volunteering and employment opportunities, debt support, and guidance for entering the labour market.
Gymnastics
Active Leeds offers Pre-school, Recreational, and Invitational gymnastics lessons across seven leisure centres in Leeds, welcoming children from walking age up to 15 years old. Our sessions are friendly, inclusive, and designed to help every child build confidence, coordination, and strength in a supportive environment.
At our dedicated Gymnastics Hub at Kirkstall Leisure Centre, we also run specialised sessions, including SEN pre-school and after-school gymnastics, as well as a unique pre-school class for fostered and adopted children—ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive.
Gymnastics offers countless benefits for both physical and emotional development, and our qualified, enthusiastic coaches are passionate about helping young people reach their full potential.
For more information please visit our website Gymnastics | Active Leeds
Gym Sessions for Young People
All of our gyms have been recently refurbished with state-of-the-art equipment, including resistance machines, functional training zones, and cardio stations. Cardio machines offer full-screen entertainment options like outdoor training modes, instructor-led sessions, and a variety of interactive workout programmes. We also offer virtual fitness classes, including popular options like Les Mills and The Trip.
We’ve seen a huge rise in young people getting active in our gyms, with over 4,000 members under the age of 18! Our discounted Junior Memberships are available from age 12, with access to the gym after school hours and support from qualified instructors to help young people train safely and confidently. At 16yrs old, Young Adults can use the gym at any time and join our fitness classes independently.
Find out more info Here: Gyms | Active Leeds
About Wish 9
There is work taking place within Leeds City Council, lead by our ‘Wish Lead’, on Wish 9 right now. The short-term priorities are:
- Reduce screen time of children and young people by delivering workshops to primary and secondary school staff
- Deliver the ‘Just One More’ campaign to support children and families to eat more vegetables
- provide Healthy Holiday programmes for families with children on Free Schools Meals (FSM), which deliver culturally and physical activity opportunities.
