Aura named finalist in 2022 Social Business Wales awards

Aura Wales, the employee-owned community benefit society which manages the majority of leisure centres and libraries in Flintshire has been named a finalist in the 2022 Social Business Wales awards.

The awards recognise pioneering social enterprises across Wales and Aura will be joining other shortlisted organisations at the awards ceremony held in Swansea on 10 October.

Aura has been nominated in ‘Transforming Community and Place’ category of the prestigious awards, 

Deeside Leisure Centre, Aura’s largest facility, has undergone a transformation following its use as a temporary Rainbow hospital.

The building has now been transformed back into a leisure centre that sits at the heart of its community, with new attractions to meet the needs of local Flintshire residents and visitors from further afield.

A ‘fun-filled’ inflatable park – the first of its kind in Flintshire – opened in December 2021 and accommodates up to 70 users at a time.

It was followed soon after by the re-opening of our new and improved indoor skate park at Deeside Leisure Centre which accommodates all types of wheeled sports including scooters, skateboards, BMX and inline skaters.

The new attractions represent “our ambition and commitment to providing exciting and dynamic leisure opportunities for its community. We now eagerly look forward to the return of the ice rink, due to re-open in autumn 2022.” Aura said

As one of the first employee-owned community benefit societies operating in the UK, Aura’s impact was first recognised nationally at the 2019 Social Business Wales Awards where we scooped not only the Consumer Facing award but the main prize of Social Enterprise of the Year.

Paul Jones, Aura’s Business Improvement & Performance Manager, said: “Following the challenges presented by the pandemic and the temporary loss of Deeside Leisure Centre we’re delighted that we’ve been able to revitalise the former indoor arena space through the introduction of two brand new and exciting attraction parks.”

“Both have proved extremely popular with customers since their opening and the recent national recognition received via this year’s Social Business Wales Awards is testament to the hard work of colleagues in bringing the new vision to fruition.”