AURA LEISURE NAVAN WELCOMES BACK SWIMMERS

WITH COMPLETITION OF CHANGING VILLAGE REFURBISHMENT

Photo Left to Right: Larry Whelan, Acting Director of Services (DoS), Shane Smith, Operations Manager of Aura Navan and Francis Deane, Mayor of Navan Cllr.

Meath County Council and Aura Leisure are delighted to confirm the swimming pool changing village refurbishment works have been completed at the leisure centre. Larry Whelan, Acting Director of Services, Francis Deane, Mayor of Navan Cllr. and Dara McGowan, Director of Services, from Meath County Council, attended the centre today to see the newly refurbished areas which will improve the long-term viability of the facility which first opened its doors in 2000. Aura has held the partnership contract with Meath County Council for over 20 years operating the centre which has played a key role in improving the quality of life for people and children living in the local communities.

It has been a tough couple of months for Aura since they had to close on March 16^th due to Covid-19 but the Aura Navan staff were delighted to welcome back their customers when they re-opened their doors on July 6^th. The swimming pool has remained closed during the works but is now open again for public swimming, schools swimming and swim academy which teaches over 7500 children how to swim every year.

Chairman of the Aura Holohan Group said, ‘’Once again, Meath County Council have demonstrated the ongoing commitment to supporting the health and wellness for the people of Navan and surrounding area. While the refurbishment of the changing village had been budgeted for this year, the speed and professionalism with which the council team planned and managed the contract was exemplary. Turning a crisis into an opportunity, the Council management and engineering team fast tracked the contract once the Covid-19 lockdown was announced, to minimise the disruption to customers’’.

Dara Mc Gowan said, “This investment by Meath County Council in partnership with Aura is substantial; with upgrades to the swimming pool area and the changing facilities. This Centre plays a key role in improving the quality of life for the local community, the refurbishment works will enable the citizens of the county to maintain and enhance their health and well-being in the current challenging times”.

The refurbishment works have upgraded the changing village to include new family changing areas, upgraded disability changing room and a new one way system to allow for social distancing. The builder involved in the refurbishment works is Tommy Birmingham from Castletown Civils, who was also hugely professional in the delivery of the works under time constraints, to minimise the disruption to the centre.

No strangers to excellence in health and safety, the award-winning leisure centre has implemented new health and safety protocols including social distancing guidelines, personal protective equipment for staff, intensified sanitisation and cleaning practises, health and safety training and increased ventilation system with 10 air folds per hour.

Aura, in consultation with Meath County Council has also devised a strategy to reduce energy consumption in the Centre and help reach Government targets by the end of 2020 through investment and system upgrades. This will not only reduce the carbon footprint but enhance comfort levels throughout the building and ensure future sustainability.

More than ever, we are determined to drive our mission of ‘A Healthier and Happier Ireland’ and it appears that our longstanding company values have never been more relevant e.g. ‘We Are All In This Together’. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our partners in Meath County Council for their continued support and all of our customers who have supported us over the last number of challenging months.