New pool chair lift installed at Port Pirie Aquatic and Leisure Centre

Locals with a disability have been able to go for a swim at the Port Pirie Aquatic and Leisure Centre since last month with confidence that they can safely enter and exit the water.

Port Pirie Regional Council, Belgravia Leisure and the Belgravia Foundation partnered to fund a new pool chair at the Centre to create a more inclusive environment at the Centre, ensuring no-one misses out on the benefits of water-based leisure and fitness activities.

Belgravia Leisure South Australian State Manager, Catherine Foreman stated “shortly after opening it became clear that we had no way of assisting those in the community with a disability to enter or exit the pool without the use of a mechanical aid, given our stairs are too steep.

“Community feedback was also telling us that this was a gap, including students needing to attend the Department for Education and Child Development swimming lessons who had to be manually lifted in and out of the pool.

“We are so very pleased to now be providing this pool accessibility equipment, and with 136kg lifting capacity, the ‘PAL’ (Portable Aquatic Lift) enables us to welcome those in the community with a disability to actively engage in aquatic leisure experiences all year round via the outdoor pool during the summer months or the heated indoor pool.

“Belgravia Foundation funds are raised locally and spent locally, so I would like to extend my thanks to the Port Pirie community, as without this community support this initiative would have not been possible.”

The pool chair lift or ‘PAL’ (Portable Aquatic Lift) can be moved and operated by one person with ease and includes an extended vertical range with 240° rotation and a stability strap to help ensure safe transfer of guests.

The S.R.Smith PAL was supplied by Fluidra Commercial.

For further information regarding the Fluidra Commercial/S.R.Smith product range, click here to visit their listing in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.