Summer holiday activities

Need some entertainment during the summer holidays?

We have lots of fun activities on offer across our Active Nottingham leisure centres. See below what is happening:

Clifton Leisure Centre: 

Swimming

Choose from Swim for All with Flume, Swim for Fun or Notts Splash Tots this summer:

Pre-booking is required and bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. The times and information provided were correct when going to print and may change without notice. For up-to-date timings, please click here.

Little Treasures Soft Play 

A two-story play frame packed full of challenges for your child. Pirates and princesses can explore the Octopus lair and the fun hanging features of the biff snakes – a unique and challenging under-the-sea adventure. Suitable for toddlers as well as children, with different designated areas to keep everyone on the hunt for treasure!

Pre-booking is required. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance via the Active Nottingham app or here.

Birthday Parties

Don’t forget to enquire today about our birthday parties at Clifton, we even have an amazing party room to make your child’s birthday extra special. With a range of children’s party packages available, Clifton is the perfect choice for your celebrations.

Djanogly Community Leisure Centre: 

Join friends and family at Djanogly Community Leisure Centre this summer with their Swim for Fun (1m depth), Swim for All (1m depth) and Splash About (0.30m depth) sessions.

Pre-booking is required and bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. The times and information provided were correct when going to print and may change without notice. For up-to-date timings, please click here.

Ken Martin Leisure Centre: 

Join friends and family at Ken Martin Leisure Centre this summer at their Swim for Fun sessions.

Pre-booking is required and bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. The times and information provided were correct when going to print and may change without notice. For up-to-date timings, please click here.

Harvey Hadden Sports Village – programme starts Monday 31 July 2023

Pool Parties/Pool Disco

Join us by the pool with friends and family and splash about with our pool inflatables.

H20 Water Obstacle Course

Are you ready to take on the H20 Challenge at Harvey Hadden Sports Village? It’s a great family activity, suitable for children aged 6 and above! This a fun and brilliant way to get active with a difference – try not to fall and see who can get to the finish line first!

Will you rise to the Challenge or make a splash? For more information on dates, how to book and to read the safety details click here.

Pre-booking is required and bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. The times and information provided were correct when going to print and may change without notice.

Southglade Leisure Centre: 

Pool Parties

Join us by the pool with friends and family and splash about with our pool inflatables.

Swim for Fun with Flume

A great way to work on your swimming skills whilst enjoying our great flume ride! (Height restrictions apply – 1.2 meters minimum, single riders only).

Notts Splash Tots

A swim session for aged five and under with floats and toys. Designed to introduce children to swimming and develop water confidence.

Pre-booking is required. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. The times and information provided were correct when going to print and may change without notice. For up-to-date timings, please click here.

Victoria Leisure Centre:

Join friends and family at Victoria Leisure Centre this summer with their Swim for Fun and Swim for All sessions.

Pre-booking is required. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. The times and information provided were correct when going to print and may change without notice. For up-to-date timings, please click here.

May Half Term holiday activities

Need some entertainment during the school holidays?

We offer many fun activities across our Active Nottingham leisure centres. (Please note, the information advertised below was correct at the time of going to print. Always check the live timetables for any alterations prior to making any journeys).

See below what is happening:

Clifton Leisure Centre: 30 May – 2 June 2023

Swimming

• Tuesday to Thursday: 10.30 am to 11.15 am – Swim for All with Flume in the leisure pool
• Tuesday to Thursday: 1.30 pm to 2.15 pm – Swim for Fun in the main pool
• Tuesday to Thursday: 2.30 pm to 3.15 pm – Swim for All with Flume in the leisure pool

Pre-booking is required for both the Swim for Fun and Swim for All with Flume sessions. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. Timings are subject to change without prior notice, the times shown above were correct when going to press. Please check the Active Nottingham app or timetable for the most up-to-date timings.

Little Treasures Soft Play

A two-story play frame packed full of challenges for your child. Pirates and princesses can explore the Octopus lair and the fun hanging features of the biff snakes – a unique and challenging under-the-sea adventure. Suitable for toddlers and children, with different designated areas to keep everyone on the hunt for treasure!

Little Treasures is open Monday to Friday 9 am – 6 pm and from 9 am – 3 pm on weekends – excluding Bank Holidays when the centre is closed.

Pre-booking is required. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. Timings are subject to change without prior notice, the times shown above were correct when going to press. Please check the Active Nottingham app or timetable for the most up-to-date timings.

Birthday Parties

Clifton Leisure Centre has a range of children’s party packages available, perfect for any celebrations you might be having.

Djanogly Community Leisure Centre: 30 May – 4 June 2023

Join friends and family at Djanogly Community Leisure Centre for Swim for Fun, Splash About and Swim for All sessions.

Please note – Djanogly Community Leisure Centre will also extend its health suite opening between 30 May and 4 June 2023. Please refer to the app or timetable for times and availability.

Pre-booking is required. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. Timings are subject to change without prior notice. Please check the Active Nottingham app or timetable for the most up-to-date timings.

Ken Martin Leisure Centre: 30 May – 2 June 2023

Swim for Fun:

• Tuesday: 10:00 am to 11:00 am & 13:30 pm to 14:30 pm
• Wednesday: 13:30 pm to 14:30 pm
• Thursday: 10:00 am to 11:00 am & 13:30 pm to 14:30 pm
• Friday: 10:00 am to 11:00 am & 13:30 pm to 14:30 pm

Pre-booking is required. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. Timings are subject to change without prior notice, the times shown above were correct when going to press. Please check the Active Nottingham app or timetable for the most up-to-date timings.

Harvey Hadden Sports Village: 30 May – 2 June 2023

Pool Parties

Join us by the pool with friends and family and splash about with our pool inflatables. Available on:

• Tuesday 30 May: 09:45 am to 10:45 am and a Pool Disco from 11:00 am to 12noon
• Thursday 1 June: 09:45 am to 10:45 am and a Pool Disco from 11:00 am to 12noon

H20 Water Obstacle Course

Are you ready to take on the H20 Challenge at Harvey Hadden Sports Village? It’s a great family activity, suitable for children aged 6 and above! This a fun and brilliant way to get active with a difference – try not to fall and see who can get to the finish line first!

Will you rise to the Challenge or make a splash? For more information on dates, how to book and to read the safety details click here.

Pre-booking is required for all pool parties and H20 Water Obstacle Course sessions. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. Timings are subject to change without prior notice, the times shown above were correct when going to press. Please check the Active Nottingham app or timetable for the most up-to-date timings.

Southglade Leisure Centre: 30 May – 2 June 2023

Pool Parties

When are the pool parties? Every Tuesday and Thursday, between 30 May and 2 June 2023. Session times:

• 1.15 pm – 2.15 pm
• 2.30 pm – 3.30 pm

Pre-booking is required. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. So grab your swimming clothes, get a booking and we’ll see you by the pool. Timings are subject to change without prior notice, the times shown above were correct when going to press. Please check the Active Nottingham app or timetable for the most up-to-date timings.

Swim for Fun with Flume

A great way to work on your swimming skills whilst enjoying our great flume ride! (Height restrictions apply – 1.2 meters minimum, single riders only).

When are the Swim for Fun with Flume sessions? Session times are listed below, including Pool Party times:

Pre-booking is required. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. So grab your swimming clothes, get a booking and we’ll see you by the pool. Timings are subject to change without prior notice, the times shown above were correct at the time of going to press. Please check the Active Nottingham app or timetable for the most up-to-date timings.

Victoria Leisure Centre: 30 May – 2 June 2023

Join friends and family at Victoria Leisure Centre with their Swim for Fun and Swim for All sessions this half term.

• Tuesday 30 May:
  • 13:30 to 13:30 pm, Swim for Fun – both pools
  • 14:45 to 15:00 pm, Swim for All – main pool
• Wednesday 31 May:
  • 09:30 to 10:30 am, Swim for Fun – small pool
  • 10:45 to 11:45 am, Swim for All – main pool
  • 13:30 to 14:30, Swim for Fun – both pools
• Thursday 1 June:
  • 09:00 to 10:00 am, Swim for Fun – main pool
  • 10:00 to 11:00 am, Swim for Fun – small pool
  • 15:00 to 16:00 pm, Swim for All – main pool
• Friday 2 June:
  • 10:00 to 11:00 am, Swim for Fun – main pool
  • 11:00 to 12noon, Swim for Fun – small pool
  • 13:30 to 14:30 pm, Swim for Fun – both pools

Pre-booking is required. Bookings can be made up to 7 days in advance. Timings are subject to change without prior notice, the times shown above were correct when going to press. Please check the Active Nottingham app or timetable for the most up-to-date timings.

*Activities per site may vary and are subject to availability. Pre-booking required. Timings are subject to change without prior notice. Please check the Active Nottingham app or timetable for the most up-to-date timings.

Claire Henson Blog – Stay Safe, Stay Active, Start Small

“Hello! I hope you are all keeping safe and well. Let me introduce myself, my name is Claire and I am a Mental Health First Aid England Instructor, founder of The Mind Map project and The Anxious Exercise Club and, programme lead for the Tricky to Talk programme at Nottingham Forest Community Trust.

I also live with a long-term anxiety condition which I manage day-to-day. Back in 2015, I had a relapse in my long term anxiety condition, which made leaving my home very difficult. Some days, it took all my strength to walk to the car to be able to go to work, and that did not leave me very productive for the rest of the day! I knew that activity and exercise were good for me and that it would ease the symptoms of my mental ill-health. But the anxious voice in my head was a lot louder when telling me that the outside was scary and there was no point in even trying.

Towards the end of 2015, I became more and more unwell, with long-term pain, muscle stiffness and overwhelming fatigue. I was referred to the hospital and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I was given guidance on how to manage my condition and one of the overwhelming pieces of advice was to do more activity. I knew I had to listen to the doctors, but I also still had the anxious voice.

So I made a compromise. I walked to the post box and back. It was about 500 yards and I started doing it once a day. Then I walked to the church just next to the postbox and then onto the bench. Every week, I added a small chunk onto my walk and it didn’t feel unmanageable, even the anxious voice quietened down. I began a circuit each evening, I simply did three or four rounds of the circuit.

This simple activity allowed me to rebuild my life. It wasn’t instant, there wasn’t a miracle cure. I still live with a long term anxiety condition that I manage each day. But I do experience the benefits of what activity can bring to my life and how it helps me to manage my anxiety.

The reason I am talking about this today is that I am finding myself in a very similar situation as we live in the current lockdown situation. I’ve found exercising very difficult due to fear and anxiety. So I wanted to take some time to talk about getting active whilst living with a mental health condition and whilst living in lockdown.

Today, I went for a small walk.

It took some bargaining with the anxious voice, but I felt able to get up a little earlier and take a few steps outside. It wasn’t about distance or the number of steps I completed, it was about breathing and feeling the sunshine. It was about letting my whole body know that whilst these are extremely frightening times, these few small steps can benefit our mental wellbeing and help us to get through this time.

There is lots of information out there currently about how we can get active in our homes, which is fantastic. But it can also be overwhelming, so I hope this post, and future ones, will let you know you are not alone.”

Jack’s experience with our Visually Impaired Tennis sessions

Jack, aged 25, who has been visually impaired from birth, travels to the Nottingham Tennis Centre once a week to play Visually Impaired Tennis and train for Regional and National tournaments around the Country.

“Give it a go, you might be better than you think.”

The Friday evening session that he attends from 6-7pm is open to all ages and abilities, with the youngest player being just ten years old.

You don’t have to be a member to play and you don’t need any expensive equipment either, as the centre provides rackets and an “audible” foam ball, which is attached to a bell to help you find its location.

In many ways, the game is the same as the national game played by the likes of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, it’s just played on a Junior Orange court with a lower net.

Jack and his fellow players are allowed one to three bounces of the ball, depending on their visual impairment, of which there are five categories: B1 (blind) through to B5 (almost fully sighted). Jack falls under B3, and so gets two bounces of the ball.

“It’s great fun and I’d love more people to play as it would give more variety at the tournaments I play in.”

Jack was just four years old when he started playing tennis after his Dad searched for a sport that they could play together. He’s really keen to create a legacy and encourage others to try it out too, at least once.

He’s so keen he even offers to mentor anyone who’s nervous about doing something new – offering to meet them at the Tennis Centre to welcome them and put them at ease.

For the last five years, Jack has regularly travelled to play both singles and doubles matches competitively in tournaments at Loughborough, Birmingham, Newcastle and London. His proudest achievement so far has been his recent reaching of the quarter finals, but he claims it’s not about winning – it’s about taking part and being active.

“There’s always someone better than the person at the top,  they just may not have started playing yet.”

Besides playing tennis and studying for his PHD at Derby University, Jack also loves walking and enjoys playing chess – something he modestly admits to being fairly good at, as he was once within the world’s top 7000 players.

Visually Impaired Tennis is just one of our specialist sessions.  Visit our Disability Activities page for other activities you can take part in.

If you live in Nottingham City and have a registered disability you can save up to 50% discount off activities, so join Active Nottingham today!