New manager sets sights on offering something for everyone
The team at Inverness Leisure is pleased to announce the appointment of Eilidh Maclean (27) to the new position of Activities Development Manager.
Originally from Kyle of Lochalsh, Eilidh decided early on that she was going to seek out a career in the leisure industry. And after leaving school around 2000 she moved to Aberdeen to study, completing a High National Diploma in Sports Coaching and Development, following by another HND in Leisure Management.
She explained, “Coming out of college I was really keen to get right into working in the leisure industry and so went back home to Kyle and managed to secure a job at Lochalsh Leisure Centre and stayed there for about year.
“However, I wanted to get more experience in working in a larger leisure centre and decided to apply for a position at Inverness Leisure. I was successful in getting a job as a Lifeguard in 2005 with what I came to understand as the biggest leisure facility in the Highlands of Scotland.
“So having got my wish to work in a large centre I quickly came to realise just what a change it was from where I had previously worked. There was so much going; so many more people and circumstances changing hour-by-hour and minute-by-minute but your shift went really, really quickly and I was picking up so much experience.
Explaining how she started to move through the ranks at Inverness Leisure Miss Maclean said, “Within a year of being at Inverness Leisure a vacancy arose within the Operations Team and I was really pleased that following my interview I was appointed as Supervisor, a position that was going to allow me to fully appreciate the workings in one of the busiest leisure centres in the country”.
Following the resignation of a member of management at the end of 2010, Eilidh was then seconded into the vacant position on a temporary basis to help the management team out.
Miss Maclean went on, “I have been really engrossed in looking into the systems and processes that have been in place up until now. We have a fantastic product in the High Life card which offers really great value for money and I want to make sure that through this scheme we do actually offer access for everyone. I want to make sure that Inverness Leisure offers a fair system that gives everyone an opportunity to take part or try out some of the brilliant activities we are offering at the centre, so this is something that I have already started working on and look forward to making the improvements to the various activities.
James Martin, General Manager explained, “Inverness Leisure as a Company is always really keen to support and assist with our staff development, and in general I have looked to promote from within. Therefore knowing that Eilidh was academically well qualified along with the fact she now had about five years operational experience under her belt we offered her the opportunity to use the skills she had gained and take up the vacant position.
“During the last year Eilidh has undertaken a root and branch review of all activities with many of her improvements, new ideas and thoughts already having been approved by the Board of Trustees.
“Having undertaken a full review at Senior Management level into what Inverness Leisure needed, we invited Eilidh to apply for the new post of Activities Development Manager and we were delighted to offer her the position earlier this week which she has of course accepted.
The General Manager outlined Miss Maclean’s responsibilities in the new post saying, “She will have overall responsibility for all new products, activities and programming at Inverness Leisure. This obviously includes the massive Learn to Swim scheme, After-school activities and the ‘SO’ Schools Out programme during the holidays as well as new developments that will be arriving in the centre over the next year or so.
“I am pleased to welcome Eilidh to the team. She has already made a number of big improvements in the activities programme for the better which I know from feedback I have received that families have appreciated. I know that she has lots of ideas to improve the activities and programmes at Inverness Leisure and I look forward to working with her and wish her well for the future.
~ENDS~