Community and the Sandwell Aquatics Centre – your views sought.

Cast your minds back to the summer of 2022 and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games … I’m sure many will recall some of the fantastic performances delivered at the newly-built ‘games venue – The Sandwell Aquatics Centre.

Nearly a year on, the venue is almost ready to be ‘handed over’ in its ‘legacy’ capacity – as a state-of-the-art community venue serving the its immediate neighbourhoods and the wider borough as a whole.

With that in mind, a piece of research is being undertaken (supported by Sandwell’s Public Health Team) – Maria Jarvis is currently studying for a PhD at the University of Wolverhampton. Maria has a public health background and occupies a role in a charity that focuses on community health and wellbeing, based in the Sandwell area.

What is the aim of this study?

To explore Sandwell residents’ unique views and perceptions of the Sandwell Aquatic Centre and their likelihood of engagement. This study investigates individuals’ physical activity habits, prior knowledge and involvement, and the perceptions of the Sandwell Aquatics Centre and intentions for use.

The findings of this survey will be used to make recommendations for the Centre in terms of building community involvement with the facility.

Am I eligible to take part in this survey and what do I need to do?

This survey is open to anyone living in the Sandwell area (i.e. with a Sandwell postcode), over the age of 18 years old. The survey will ask you to provide some demographic data, information about your physical activity habits, your personal views, and opinions, as well as your current knowledge of the Sandwell Aquatics Centre. It is expected that it should not take you any more than 15 minutes to complete.

You can access the online survey here: https://forms.office.com/e/8z9QuFuhip – and it would be great to get as many people as possible to fill it in.

You can find out more information by contacting Maria via email: M.Jarvis4@wlv.ac.uk