YMCA South Australia enters into ground-breaking schools partnership

YMCA South Australia (The Y) has launched a partnership with Adelaide’s Scotch College to provide high quality programs and services at the new $27million Purruna Spencer Newton Centre.

The partnership was struck after the Scotch College Council of Governors and Senior Leadership Team agreed that The Y was the standout in the tender process and would be expertly qualified to manage the Centre’s facilities.

The Centre, which opened in February, features an aquatics space with 25 metre lap pool including a separate program pool, Pilates studio, stadium courts and a variety of multi-purpose wellbeing and consultation spaces.

The history and strong alignment of values across the two organisations will facilitate a pathway for positive transformation of holistic health and wellbeing programs at the college.

The leading provider of community recreation in South Australia, The Y is the only such provider headquartered in the state and the only community-based not-for-profit.

Predicting more schools will look to partner with the organisation in similar ventures, The Y Chief Operations Officer, Andrew Mundy commented “the Y is regarded across the industry as a high-quality recreation facility management choice with a community focus. This partnership already has great synergies, with even greater potential to grow and focus on providing programs and services designed to meet the needs of the school and its wider community.

“Many schools and education providers would benefit from partnering with the Y and I am sure the model we have launched with Scotch College will prove the catalyst for growth in this area.”

“Nationally, the Y is the largest community recreation manager in the country with more than 4.4 million sport and recreation participations each year (2021/22). We’re proud that Scotch College in South Australia is now part of that iconic network.”

Mundy added that The Y is authentically aligned with Scotch College, not only in terms of activity, but also through the organisation’s unwavering commitment to young people.

The Purruna team is under the guidance of experienced facility manager Simon Watkins, an elite national swimming coach who has been a Swim Australia Board member for the past six years.

Watkins has had wide experience in the sports industry including operations management, contract management, social media and staff training.

He is supported by Petra Majchrak (Swim School Manager) and Angie Ashri (Pilates Studio Manager).

Excited at the opportunity to launch the Centre and help create an enduring new partnership was a huge positive for all stakeholders, Watkins noted “The Y’s culture of belief in young people makes it perfect to partner with a leader in education like Scotch College and the opportunity to launch a new, state-of-the-art Centre is an exciting challenge.

“I’m keen to take that challenge and create an immediate impact.”

Watkins is on the Swim Australia Advisory Committee that oversees swim schools in Australia and was recently Head Coach/Aquatic Centre Manager at Trinity Catholic College in Lismore, NSW.

The partnership synergies have great potential for positive outcomes, with The Y having expertise in many areas intrinsic to the education sector, including the provision of industry-leading OSHC and Early Learning services, facilitation of engaging camp programs and activities, promotion of sporting excellence and targeted training programs aimed at providing employment.

In addition to hosting student and staff programming, the state-of-art facilities offer community access to a contemporary aquatics space for swimming lessons and casual admissions, together with a suite of boutique-style fitness classes including reformer Pilates, mat Pilates, yoga and aquafit. There is also user group access to two basketball courts outside of school hours.

Images: Pre opening concepts for the Purruna Spencer Newton Centre showing itsa exterior (top), sports court space (middle) and yoga studio (below).