Active Leeds Care Experience

Children and young people with Care Experience up to the age of 25 living in Leeds. 

The Local Government Association defines a care experienced person as someone who was in care at any stage of their life. This includes those that have been looked after by foster carers, in a residential children’s home, in kinship care, and supported accommodation or secure units. 

• Free Active Leeds membership until their 25th birthday this includes gym, swim, classes and squash
• Leeds Card Extra- Discounts and exclusive offers across Leeds all year round in our sports and leisure facilities as well as museums, theatres, restaurants and shops.
• There are age restriction on some activities, to view these please visit our junior membership activities page

• There are junior gym times in the gyms, these are sessions under 16s can attend unaccompanied. Outside of these hours under 16s can still access the gym but will need to be accompanied by a responsible participating adult (parent/guardian 18+). Session times may vary during school holiday. These can be found on the leisure centre pages.
• Those 16+ can attend any time
• Gym appointments: all under 16s require a gym appointment to use the gym. The junior user will be provided with a personalised programme and be introduced to the equipment. They take approximately one hour and include using the cardio and resistance machines. The appointment is a practical session, and the junior will need to wear appropriate clothes and footwear to use the equipment. To book call our contact centre on Tel: 0113 376 0398 or Email: ActiveLeeds@Leeds.gov.uk
• 16+ can book an initial gym appointment at the local leisure centre on a day and time to suit them. This will provide them with an hour to meet with a dedicated instructor. The instructor will introduce them to the equipment and how best to use it.

• During their appointment with our friendly team of instructors, they can expect:

  • A consultation around current lifestyle and health and fitness goals

  • An optional health check using Tanita Body Composition Scales to identify current physical wellbeing

  • A personalised fitness plan via the Technogym App based on fitness goals

  • The membership entitles the member to follow up appointments for the fitness plan

• Free swim lessons in Stage 1–7 up to their 16th birthday.
• If 16 and over, they can join the adult swim programme for free until they turn 25.

• Annual (12-month expiry) – must be renewed each year.
• There is no direct debit option for this scheme as no money is taken. 

A letter from their social worker, PA or case worker is required each year to confirm entitlement. If you are a care leaver and no longer have access to one of these please contact the Care Leavers Service Phone: 0113 378 6771 Email: careleavers@leeds.gov.uk

• Send the letter and child/young person’s details to activeleeds@leeds.gov.uk from a Case Worker or Social Worker.
• Alternatively, if email isn’t an option a paper copy of the letter can be taken to any leisure centre where a membership and Leeds Card Extra can be set up.
• All adults and juniors using the gym will need to sign a health commitment statement before using the gym. An adult will need to sign off on a junior’s, in the case of there being no parent/guardian available a social worker or case worker can sign. 

• Send a letter to activeleeds@leeds.gov.uk confirming the child/young person continues to be entitled to the membership
• Alternatively, if email isn’t an option a paper copy of the letter can be taken to any leisure centre
• A new annual membership and Leeds Card Extra will then be added to the person

• We will endeavour to process all applications within 5 to 10 working days. Once a confirmation email has been received from the Customer Service Centre, they can collect their card at any leisure centre or if applying in person at a leisure centre they will receive their card immediately.
• Existing members, when a renewal is confirmed, they can use their existing card. There is no need for a new one.

• If a person with care experience is over 18 and applying for their first membership, they may be asked for ID as proof of age.
• Sometimes, due to circumstances, they do not have ID or a confirmed date of birth.
• In these cases, the age/date of birth stated in the social worker or case worker’s letter will be accepted as proof.

Leeds City Council Foster Carers, Kinship Carers and Special Guardians are eligible.

• The Foster Carers, Kinship Carers and Special Guardian’s, can apply for a free Active Leeds membership includes gym, swim and classes. See https://active.leeds.gov.uk/memberships for details of the adult membership.
• Here are the locations of the leisure centres
• Leeds Card Extra- Discounts and exclusive offers across Leeds all year round in our sports and leisure facilities as well as museums, theatres, restaurants and shops. 

• Members can book an initial gym appointment at the local leisure centre on a day and time to suit them. This will provide them with an hour to meet with a dedicated instructor. The instructor will introduce them to the equipment and how best to use it.
• During their appointment with our friendly team of instructors, they can expect:

•A consultation around current lifestyle and health and fitness goals

•An optional health check using Tanita Body Composition Scales to identify current physical wellbeing

•A personalised fitness plan via the Technogym App based on fitness goals

•The membership entitles the member to follow up appointments for the fitness plan 

• Send a picture of the ID badge clearly showing name, picture and expiry date to  activeleeds@leeds.gov.uk if the ID does not contain an expiry date it will be accepted for the first year of membership and we will require an ID with an expiry from then on.
• Alternatively, if email isn’t an option the ID/paper copy of the letter can be taken to any leisure centre where a membership can be set up.
• Kinship Carers and Special Guardian’s may not have ID. In this case a social worker or case worker email/letter to confirmation of status will suffice.  
• Anyone using the gym will need to sign a health commitment statement. 

Annual – must be renewed each year.  

Foster and Kinship Carers 

• Send a picture of the ID badge clearly showing name, picture and expiry date to activeleeds@leeds.gov.uk
• Alternatively, if email isn’t an option the ID/paper copy of the letter can be taken to any leisure centre where a membership can be set up.
• Kinship Carers and Special Guardian’s may not have ID. In this case a social worker or case worker email/letter to confirmation of status will suffice.

• We will endeavour to process all applications within 5 to 10 working days. Once a confirmation email has been received from the Customer Service Centre, they can collect their card at any leisure centre or if applying in person at a leisure centre they will receive their card immediately.
• Existing members, when a renewal is confirmed, they can use their existing card. There is no need for a new one.

If a Leeds City Council Foster Carer with a carer ID badge lives outside the Leeds boundary, they are still entitled to the Foster Carer membership. They can follow the Foster Carer process. 

• Agency Foster Carers (not employed  by Leeds City Council) do not receive a membership themselves.
• However, children from Leeds in Foster Care under their care can have a membership.

Foster Carers, Kinship Carers and Special Guardian's own children are entitled to a free membership and/or swim lessons on stage 1-7 their expiry dates will align with that of their parent/guardian up until to their 19th birthday.

Foster Carer, Kinship Carers and Special Guardian’s own children up until their 19th birthday. 

• Children of Foster Carers, Kinship Carers and Special Guardian’s entitled to a free membership. For age restrictions on memberships see https://active.leeds.gov.uk/memberships/juniormembershipactivities
• Here are the locations of the leisure centres
• Leeds Card Extra- Discounts and exclusive offers across Leeds all year round in our sports and leisure facilities as well as museums, theatres, restaurants and shops

• There are junior gym times in the gyms, these are sessions under 16s can attend unaccompanied. Outside of these hours under 16s can still access the gym but will need to be accompanied by a responsible participating adult (parent/guardian 18+). Session times may vary during school holiday. These can be found on the leisure centrepages.
• Those 16+ can attend any time
• Gym appointments; all under 16s require a gym appointment to use the gym. The junior will be provided with a personalised programme and be introduced to the equipment. They take approximately one hour and include using the cardio and resistance machines. The appointment is a practical session, and the junior will need to wear appropriate clothes and footwear to use the equipment. To book call our contact centre on Tel: 0113 376 0398 or Email: ActiveLeeds@Leeds.gov.uk
• 16+ can book an initial gym appointment at the local leisure centre on a day and time to suit them. This will provide them with an hour to meet with a dedicated instructor. The instructor will introduce them to the equipment and how best to use it.

• During their appointment with our friendly team of instructors, they can expect:

  • A consultation around current lifestyle and health and fitness goals

  • An optional health check using Tanita Body Composition Scales to identify current physical wellbeing

  • A personalised fitness plan via the Technogym App based on fitness goals

  • The membership entitles the member to follow up appointments for the fitness plan

• Send a picture of the parent/guardian’s ID badge clearly showing name, picture and expiry date to activeleeds@leeds.gov.uk IDs that do not contain an expiry date it will be accepted for the first year of membership and we will require an ID with an expiry from then on.
• Kinship Carers and Special Guardian’s may not have ID. In this case a social worker or case worker email/letter to confirmation of status will suffice.
• Alternatively, if email isn’t an option the ID/paper copy of the letter can be taken to any leisure centre where a membership can be set up.
• All adults and juniors using the gym will need to sign a health commitment statement before using the gym. An adult will need to sign off on a junior’s, in the case of there being no parent/guardian available a social worker or case worker can sign.

For Foster, Kinship Carers and Special Guardian’s: 

Annual – must be renewed each year.  

• Send a picture of the Foster Carer/ID badge clearly showing name, picture and expiry date to activeleeds@leeds.gov.uk
• Kinship Carers and Special Guardian’s may not have ID. In this case a social worker or case worker email/letter to confirmation of status will suffice.
• Alternatively, if email isn’t an option the ID/paper copy of the letter can be taken to any leisure centre where a membership can be renewed. 

• We will endeavour to process all new applications within 5 to 10 working days. Once a confirmation email has been received from the Customer Service Centre, they can collect their card at any leisure centre or if applying in person at a leisure centre they will receive their card immediately.
• Existing members, when a renewal is confirmed they can use their existing card. There is no need for a new one. 

• If a Leeds City Council Foster Carer with a carer ID badge lives outside the Leeds boundary, they are still entitled to the Foster Carer membership as are their own children.
• Some carers have had issues setting this up inside a leisure centre – please contact Active Leeds if this happens activeleeds@leeds.gov.uk or call 0113 376 0398

• Agency Foster Carers (not employed  by Leeds City Council) do not receive a free membership for themselves or their children.
• However, children from Leeds in Foster Care under their care can have a membership.