Gloucester-based Aspire Sports & Cultural Trust has celebrated its first year of operation.

The trust currently manages the GL1 leisure centre and Oxstalls tennis centre in the city and during the past 12 months has achieved QUEST and IIP at both sites.

It has also hosted the prestigious European Junior Synchronised Swimming Championships and successfully launched the government's "Swim 4 Life" free swimming campaign to maximise the health benefits for people aged over 60, or 16 and under, the only pool in Gloucestershire to do so.

More than 8,500 people have already registered for free swimming resulting in significantly increased usage from both of these groups. To achieve these high numbers Aspire has teamed up with Clarity Leisure and tailored their e-Joining software to register over 40 per cent of applications on-line.

Aspire employs nearly 150 staff to serve over one million customers every year and its goals span a range of social targets for public sports and leisure provision, as well as raising service standards and achieving quality accreditation.

"It has been a great first year for us," said Steve Elway, Aspire's chief executive. "Our staff have responded amazingly to the significant changes we have all been through and I believe that we are now well positioned to consolidate on our excellent start and continue to improve 'from Good to Excellent' as our journey moves into its second year."