Westminster Sports

Everyone Active Joins Forces With Red Sky Foundation For Restart Heart Day 2025

Everyone Active Joins Forces With Red Sky Foundation For Restart A Heart Day 2025

Did you catch our lovely team from Everyone Active at Victoria Station a couple of weeks ago? They were out there giving demonstrations and practical CPR training for #Restartaheartday on Thursday, 16 October, as part of a joint initiative with Red Sky Foundation.

Over 100 passersby and commuters got involved, learning a new skill or improving on an existing one, with many feeding back how impactful and helpful the demonstrations were. 

CPR is a vital life skill, and you never know when you might need it. For someone in cardiac arrest, the chances of survival can double or even triple if CPR is administered immediately. You can find out more about CPR on the British Heart Foundation site.

Level up your skills

If this is a skill you want to learn, make sure you keep an eye out for our Skills and Training Programme First Aid Course.  This year’s courses have now finished; however will be running the next iteration in February 2026. 

Skills and Training Programmme

This program is open to anyone who lives, works, or studies in Westminster; however, we aim to prioritise staff and volunteers of an ActiveWestminster Mark-accredited organisation, as well as individuals who face significant cultural and socio-economic barriers to personal and professional development.  

The Skills and Training programme offer comprises three categories which include:

  • Offering free foundation training
  • Signposting to further training opportunities and,
  • Accessing a training bursary scheme

To find out more click on the button below

Porchester Centre Centenary Open Day: Join Us For A Celebration To Remember!

Porchester Centre Centenary Open Day: Join Us For A Celebration To Remember!

That’s right! We’re getting ready to celebrate 100 years of community, health, and swimming, and we want you all to join. Next Thursday, 6 November, we will be hosting an open day event at the Porchester Centre, to celebrate this monumental milestone, and it would not be the same without you, our wonderful residents.

Find out all about the Centenary Open Day by clicking on the flyer above.

Centenary Schedule

It will be a day full of fun, free activities, and a celebratory ceremony.

Morning Sessions (08:00 – 11:00 am)

  • 8:00 – 9:00 am: Free Public Swim (Teaching Pool)
  • 9:30 – 10:30 am: Free Lane Swimming (Main Pool)
  • 10:00 am: Refreshments (Teas, coffees, and a slice of centenary cake)
  • 11:00 am: Official Plaque Unveiling Ceremony: Join us in the lobby as Councillor Cara Sanquest officially unveils the commemorative plaque.

Midday and Afternoon Activities (11:30 am – 4:00 pm)

  • 11:15 am: Guided tour
  • 11:30 am: Open Age Over 55’s Chair Class with Armand Botha
  • 11:30 am– 2:30 pm: Free Lane Swimming (Main Pool)
  • 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm: Free Lane Swimming (Main Pool)

Evening Fitness and Fun (4:00 pm onwards)

  • 4:00 pm: Free Yoga Session (Wellness Studio)
  • 4:00 – 6:00 pm: Free Lane Swimming (Main Pool)
  • 5:30 – 9:30 pm: Evening DJ Set
    Get fit or just hang out with a DJ spinning tracks on the gym floor!
  • 6:00 pm: Free Group Cycling Session

Booking your free sessions

Book in advance to avoid disappointment!

Free swimming and fitness sessions will be running throughout the day. Due to high demand and limited availability, please make sure you book in advance. Spaces will be limited and will operate on a first come first serve basis.

You’ve Still Got Time! Sign Up For The Female-Only Lifeguard Course at Porchester

You've Still Got Time! Sign Up For The Female-Only Lifeguard Course at Porchester

Missed out earlier this year? Here’s your chance to get qualified this October with our Female-only National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) course at the Porchester Centre, Queensway, next Wednesday 29th October. Gain a nationally recognised qualification and vital lifesaving skills that can kickstart your journey in leisure.

Whether you’re looking to start a career in leisure, boost your employability, or build confidence in the water, this intensive training programme provides the perfect opportunity. Accredited by the  Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK), this course is internationally recognised and can open doors to employment in leisure centres, health clubs, holiday resorts, and even cruise ships, while also giving you transferable skills such as teamwork, responsibility, and quick decision-making.W

Gain a qualification that builds confidence, creates opportunities, and makes a difference.

Course details

  • Dates: Wednesday 29 October – Sunday 2 November 2025
  • Times: 9am – 6pm daily
  • Assessment Day: Sunday 2 November (included in course timetable)
  • Cost: £300 or funded if you:
  • Commit to working full-time with Everyone Active
  • Stay with Everyone Active as a lifeguard for at least one year
  • Attend an interview at the site where you may be placed **Please note that the decision will be made by the General Manager and Operations Manager of the site, as they will be covering the costs**
Alternatively you may be eligible for support through the ActiveWestminster Bursary Offer via the Skills and Training Programme
 
Requirements
 
To be considered you must fulfil the below requirements:
  • Be aged 16+ by the date of assessment
  • Be able to swim 50m in under 60 seconds
  • Be able to swim 100m continuously on front and back
  • Be able tread water for over 30 seconds
  • Be able to surface dive to the deepest part of the pool
  • Be able to climb out of the pool unaided

What You Will Learn

  • Pool Rescue Techniques
  • Lifeguard Theory
  • First Aid & CPR
  • AED & PXB Certification included!

This female-only course is designed to create a supportive and empowering environment. Whether you are looking for a rewarding part-time job, a stepping stone into the leisure industry, or just a new personal challenge, this is your opportunity!

Enrol Now

It’s quick and easy!

  • If you aren’t already a member of the RLSS UK, you need to set up a RLSS UK account
  • Download and complete the NPLQ Enrolment Form
  • Once completed please send it to Anis Ukaye at EveryoneActive: anisukaye@everyoneactive.com
  • Anis is the main point of contact for all enquires, bookings and employment opportunities

Active Westminster Awards 2025 – Shortlisted Finalists Announced


The Active Westminster Awards 2025 - Shortlisted Finalists Announced

The ActiveWestminster Awards 2025 recognise those who change lives through their outstanding contribution to physical activity, leisure and sport.

We received over 400 nominations from residents this year. Thank you to each and everyone one of you who have taken the time to recognise the hard work of inspiring people and organisations across Westminster.

The shortlisted finalists have been invited to the awards ceremony taking place on Friday 14 November at Porchester Hall.

This year’s shortlisted finalists

Inclusive Award

Caxton Youth Organisation
Ryan Denys
Step Change Studios

Rewarding and Celebrating Diversity Award

Danny Flyod – Turning Point
Westminster Women and Grils
Micoroty Inclusion Front (MIF UK)

Change4Life Award

Charlotte Thomas-Rowe – Hurdles2Hoops
Amelia Vincent – Change4Life Programme
Girls Allowed

One You Westminster Award

Paola Andrea Gianelli
Sandra DaCosta
Change4Life Neighbourhood Projects

Active Space or Place Award

Paddington Recreation Ground
Lisson Green Pitch
Porchester Centre, Hall and Spa
Jubilee Community Leisure Centre

PE & School Sports Award

St George’s RC School
St Vincent’s RC Primary School
St Grabriels’s C of E Primary School

Club or Coach of the Year Award

City of London Gymnastics Club
Neng Hua – Proud Sports
Antonia Nnyananzi – Brige Park Gymnastics Club

Sports Personality of the Year

Naqui Rizvi
Seyfu Jamaal
Nilourfar Rezaei

The Lord Mayor of Westminster Unsung Hero Award, In memory of Mariam Sabir

Ali Sharif
Ebenezer Owusu
Zahid Namigul

COUNTDOWN TO THE EVENING OF THE 2025 ACTIVEWESTMINSTER AWARDS

Days
Hours
Minutes
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Good luck to all the finalists and thank you again to everyone who submitted a nomination.

For more information, please visit the main ActiveWestminster Awards page.

Drum Roll Please! Announcing DanceWestminster 2025 Winners!

Drum Roll Please! And The Winners Of This Years DanceWestminster Grand Final Are……

And that’s a wrap for another year! What a wonderful final we had for our annual pan-disability dance competition, DanceWestminster. All our finalists were truely fanatastic, and although the judges found it hard to pick, below are our winners for this year.

Dance Westminster Champion 2025

Daniel and dance partner Liam dancing to ‘Take me to church’

SECOND POSITION

Faheem and dance partner Joelle dancing to song ‘Killin it’

THIRD POSITION

Manel and dance partner Ellen dancing to song ‘Good Morning/Singing in the Rain’

OUR PEOPLE’S  CHOICE WINNER

June and dance partner Ruth dancing to song ‘Swan Lake’

Congratulations and thank you to all of our finalists for their heart felt and inspiring performances:

  • Sam Y & Ellen with song ‘In Your Eyes’
  • Yursa & Goergia with song ‘APT/Gangnam Style’
  • Jonsidney & Chloe with song ‘Unsteady, X Ambassadors’
  • Ana & Jaimee with with song ‘Perhaps, Perhaps’
  • Manal & Ellen with song ‘Good Morning/Singing in the Rain’
  • Sam H & Patricia with song ‘Timber’
  • Mariam & Georgia with song ‘Say Na Say Na’
Visit our main Dance Westminster Page for more information and find out how you can be at this spectacular event next year!

Supporting Mind and Body Together: Free and Inclusive Activities in Westminster


Supporting Mind and Body Together: Free and Inclusive Activities in Westminster

World Mental Health Day (10 October) serves as a poignant reminder that mental wellbeing is integral to our overall health. This year, the theme “Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies” emphasises the critical need for accessible mental health support during crises. While global events highlight this urgency, it’s essential to recognize that fostering mental health resilience begins within our communities.

At ActiveWestminster, we are committed to ensuring that every resident has the opportunity to engage in activities that promote both physical and mental health. Through our Move for Life! Strategy 2024–2028, we aim to create a fairer, healthier, and happier Westminster by providing inclusive and accessible movement opportunities for all.

Inclusive activities for mental wellbeing

Westminster offers a diverse range of free and low-cost activities to support both mental and physical wellbeing:

  • Gentle Movement: Engage in activities like yoga, somatic therapy walking, and cycling. Whether it’s high-impact or slower-paced, movement makes a difference

  • Be Active in Your Neighbourhood: Participate in guided walks and outdoor community activities to connect with nature and others.

  • Community leisure offers: Access discounted services through the ActiveWestminster Card, making movement accessible for every community member.

  • Inclusive programs for all residents: Our goal is to provide safe and welcoming environemnts for every resident from every walk of like to move and get active in a way that works best for them. That’s why we run initiatives like Edutain+ (in partnership with Everyone Active and SportWest) – a school holiday camp that is suitable for children with disabilities to engage, and connect with their peers. We’ve recently launched a brand-new swimming club for adults with disabilitieswhich is delivered by WeSwim, an organisation dedicated to supporting inclusive swimming ActiveWestminster’s Commitment to Mental Health

ActiveWestminster’s Commitment to Mental Health

Our approach is guided by three strategic pillars:

  1. Active Lives: Encouraging residents to engage in regular physical activity through tailored programs that focus on different needs and abilities.
  2. Active Neighbourhoods: Creating vibrant local environments with parks, open spaces, safe streets, and community-led initiatives that inspire movement and connection.
  3. Active City: Capitalising on Westminster’s top-class facilities and meaningful partnerships to make physical activity a central part of its identity.

These pillars ensure that mental wellbeing is at the heart of how Westminster moves.

Take a Step for Your Wellbeing

This World Mental Health Day, we encourage you to take a simple step: move for your mind. Whether it’s a walk with a friend, trying a new class, or just taking five minutes to stretch, every bit counts.

We’re committed to a fairer, healthier, happier Westminster, where everyone has the chance to move, connect, and thrive.

Move for Your Mind This World Mental Health Day