Case Study: Dearne Valley Leisure Centre

Written by Kit Garrett
August 30, 2023

Sport is a topic close to our hearts at RISE. We recently launched the #RiseForSport campaign, which aims to put a Changing Places toilet in every UK sports venue by 2030. That was why it was an absolute pleasure to recently complete work on a project at Dearne Valley Leisure Centre, in our own backyard in the Doncaster area, helping to bring sport and recreation opportunities to disabled people and their families in the wider area.

A Winning Partnership

RISE was commissioned for a third time by Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust to install a modular Changing Places toilet at Dearne Valley Leisure Centre. Situated outside the city of Doncaster in the village of Mexborough, Dearne Valley serves not only Mexborough but also the neighbouring areas of Conisbrough, Denaby Main, Cadeby and Swinton. The Centre offers swimming, over 30 keep fit classes a week and its free parking makes it an attractive prospect for visiting families.

A Variation to a Standard Modular Pod

Working closely with the team at DCLT, RISE devised a schedule of works designed to minimise disruption to the users of the Centre, while also ensuring that works were completed to budget and groundworks didn’t interfere with the smooth running of the rest of the business.

The project was complicated by the need for the installation of a thermostatic electric shower, a requirement that falls outside the normal scope of a BS8300 Changing Places toilet. This meant we also needed to find room onsite for a water heater and an underfloor shower tray.

Thankfully, as all of our modular pods are built bespoke to the client’s specification, we were easily able to accommodate. Our build team extended our standard pod to ensure ample room for the added shower and its requisite plumbing, and our groundworks team made sure that all of our on-site work was completed with minimal disruption, meaning dropping the completed modular pod in place was a breeze.

This is where modular pods really show their worth; adapting an existing space within the Centre to include the extra room needed for a shower could have been extremely costly, and would almost certainly have involved making compromises to provisions elsewhere. By opting for a modular pod in this instance, DCLT avoided major construction work onsite, reduced the disruption to the business and ensured they got everything they wanted out of their Changing Places toilet.

Answers To All Your Questions

A Great Outcome

After installation was complete, we spoke to our contact at DCLT, Chris Hone, who had this to say:

“We met on-site, we looked at both adaptations and pods and considered what would be the best option for the end users. We opted for a pod so the facility would be accessible to anyone visiting in the area, not just customers of the leisure centre.

“The process of working with RISE is easy – from the initial conversations, the team has always been there to offer advice. It’s been a two-way process all the way through, not just a case of signing a piece of paper and then off you go. The team have always been available to offer help and advice. They were always there for us when we needed them. The whole job has been absolutely seamless.”

Full Scope of Works

Surveying
Architectural drawings & elevations for planning & building control
Groundworks
Supply and install custom modular pod
Supply and install thermostatic shower and basin
Supply and install standard Changing Places pre-requisites: an adult-sized changing bed, accessible toilet, height adjustable sink, hoist, grab rails and privacy screen
Post-build quality control checks
Installation of solar panels