ESB Sportsco - Flying the 'White Flag' for Irish Leisure Facilities

ESB Sportsco received the White Flag for leisure for the 5th year recently and successfully attained a Grade A in the assessment. This achievement is a tribute to General Manager Lorna Brady and all the professional staff at Sportsco for their ongoing efforts to maintain the highest level of service and standards in the leisure Industry.

87 leisure facilities from across Ireland have been presented with the 2005 White Flag Awards, the quality award which has been developed by The Institute of Leisure & Amenity Management Ireland Ltd (ILAM Ireland)

The 2005 White Flag Awards, which recognise standards or excellence in health and leisure facilities, were presented at Ireland's National Events Centre (INEC) in Killarney by Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism John O'Donoghue TD and Tracy Piggott, Sports Broadcaster, with RTE's Michael Lyster as MC.

The White Flag awards scheme, which is in its fifth year, is aimed at sports halls, fitness studios, health suites, spas, gyms and swimming pools. The White Flag Award has established itself as the quality mark that all leisure facilities must strive to achieve and is endorsed by Failte Ireland and the Irish Hotels Federation. It is also a mandatory requirement for health spas seeking funding from Failte Ireland.

Training Ethos Category Award ESB Sportsco was runner-up for the Training Ethos Category Award in The White Flag Award for Leisure Centres. This was a fantastic achievement considering the tough competition from facilities nation-wide.

Speaking recently in Dail Eireann, Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism John O'Donoghue TD "re-iterated successive Ministers' public endorsement of ILAM'S initiative in introducing the White Flag Awards. The Awards have been welcomed and commended as an important instrument to promote the highest standards in facility management and maintenance to meet present-day requirements and demands of an increasingly discerning public in Ireland."