We are a social enterprise run by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of people from the community. Our motto:  Run for the Community by the Community.

This all grew out of a campaign to save Harlech Pool in 2008 and it is the culmination of years of hard work by members of the Community. The addition of a new reception area,  Climbing Wall and Cafe with external sun terrace all form part of the not-for-profit community led project.

History: Harlech & Ardudwy Leisure

2007/08—Gwynedd County Council announced that the swimming pool would close as it had reached the end of its life and claimed that closing it would save them £160,000 a year. However without the pool the children from seven local schools would be left with no swimming lessons provision. A campaign group was set up to fight the closure of the pool;

2009—Local people submitted a business plan to run the pool as a COMMUNITY TRUST— The Friends of Harlech Swimming Pool wanted to invest in a Climbing Wall and Café to attract more paying customers;

2010—£800,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund was secured (£500,000 Capital Funding and £300,00 revenue grant), further £300,00 secured through the Community Facilities and Activities Programme (CFAP);

1st December 2010—the keys for Harlech Swimming Pool was handed over to the Trust; Building work commenced in early 2011—building a new reception area, State of the Art Climbing Wall and Café along with essential maintenance work to the swimming pool basin and a face-lift to the changing rooms;

Delays in building work meant that the opening of the Climbing Wall and Café were postponed but they eventually opened in November 2011. The center was officially opened on the 9 January 2012.

Official opening of Harlech Leisure Centre.
New State of the Art Climbing Wall
Wall Designers Testing routes for first time.
New Entrance
Official opening of Harlech Leisure Centre. Top woman climber Silvia Fitzpatrick on the new climbing walls at the centre with below, from left, Mike Theodoulou, Wales Big Lottery Fund committee member, Joyce Watson AM, Trevor Gennard, director of the centre and Dyfed Edwards, Leader of Gwynedd Council.
Official opening of Harlech Leisure Centre. Dyfed Edwards, Leader of Gwynedd Council,
Official opening of Harlech Leisure Centre. Trevor Gennard, Volunteer Chair of the Board.
New Cafe Space.

Since then the Harlech & Ardudwy Leisure has continued to provide a valued service to the wider community of Ardudwy and visitors to the area. We have increased the provision of swimming lessons to children both through school lessons and private lessons, and have a thriving swimming club. But in addition to the swimming lessons the Center has since being taken over as a community run center expanded it’s activities in the pool to include aqua-fit sessions, swim-fit and kayaking sessions.

Sadly the Covid-19 pandemic meant that the centre had to close for the best part of two years but during that time the Board of Voulunteer and staff, especially our maintenance staff workd hard to repair and improve the interior and exterior of the facility.

The cafe is now very much a community hub and as well as providing refreshments to the general public also hold various events which include themed Saturday night meals, quiz nights, Bingo sessions etc.

The climbing wall and bouldering room provides a facility for a much wider geographical area as the nearest other climbing walls are at the Beacon in Caernarfon, The Indy Climbing Wall in Menai Bridge and the Boardroom in Deeside. So not only does the climbing wall cater for residents of the Ardudwy area as well as visitors to the area, but climbers from south Gwynedd and Mid-Wales visit the Wall. The Wall offers a number of children clubs from ‘little’ rockers (under 5), kids clubs and NICAS clubs. Wall staff can provide introduction sessions to climbing and tasters sessions for individuals and groups.