The staff owned co-operative running The Hive Leisure Centre in Ely has been awarded the prestigious Investors in People (IiP) Gold Standard.

GLL, which runs leisure centres and libraries across the UK, is a charitable leisure and cultural social enterprise and has been running The Hive at Ely’s Leisure Village on behalf of East Cambridgeshire District Council since it opened in 2018.

It was awarded the IiP Gold Standard in January 2024.

IiP is an international, best-practice standard that recognises companies that commit to good people management and development of their people. It is used in 70 countries across the world and achieving the Gold Standard puts GLL in the top 15% of IiP accredited organisations.

The Hive provides top of the range facilities and services to help residents become more active. These include an eight-lane 25m swimming pool, a learner pool with moveable floor, a 120-station Technogym, two activity studios and a four-court sports hall. There is also a 3G artificial grass pitch outside.

On average, residents visit The Hive 30,000 a month, and it employs over 50 people.

Lorraine Patrinos, GLL’s People Director, said:

“We are a friendly organisation that cares about its people.

“Gold standard means we are independently acknowledged as a good employer – one that excels in creating an organisational culture that provides a clear vision for the future, values and develops its people and creates high degrees of trust.

“To get IiP Gold Standard is a fantastic achievement and caps off an amazing 30th anniversary year for GLL’s staff-owned social enterprise.”

Councillor Alan Sharp, chair of the council’s Finance and Assets Committee, said: “We are truly delighted GLL, which runs The Hive on behalf of the council, has been awarded the Investors in People Gold Standard award.

“The Hive is an integral part of our local community. I want to pay tribute to all the staff that work there for the great work they do, day in and day out to deliver the great public services our residents rely on.”

As part of the assessment for Gold standard, all GLL staff were surveyed and 200 staff completed face to face interviews.

GLL employs 11,000 people in England, Cardiff and Belfast and operates over 350 facilities from swimming pools and children’s centres to libraries and national arenas.

During Covid, GLL protected and rewarded its workforce using the Government’s Retention Scheme to keep all staff on the books for when the business reopened.

Recently, it has made a stronger strategic focus on culture and values and built leadership and management capability.

GLL is an accredited Real Living Wage Employer and believes in harnessing all the talents of its diverse workforce in decision-making – including offering places on its Worker Board.