Jamie Groves, Managing Director of Denbighshire Leisure (DLL), has been awarded a prestigious national award for his contribution to the UK leisure industry.

The best in the business from across the physical activity sector were celebrated last week as the winners of the UKActive Awards 2023 were announced at Leeds Royal Armouries in a special ceremony on Thursday, 26th October.

DLL was honoured during the evening when Jamie Groves, MD, was awarded the prestigious ‘Jan Spaticchia Award Special Recognition Award’ for his outstanding contributions to the leisure industry across the UK.

The purpose of this award is to recognise someone’s outstanding contribution to the physical activity sector. This award was added to the UKActive line up to honour people who have made a continued and significant impact across the breadth of the sector, and Jamie’s set up and continued work on the UK Leisure framework was recognised by the Industry.

Jamie Groves, Managing Director of DLL, said: “I’m truly honoured to have been given this award. I am incredibly proud of the amazing work that DLL has led on over the last ten years, The hard work, determination and dedication of the whole Executive Team has helped us get to where we are today and I am very grateful for all of their support, especially since the launch of the company in 2019. As a company, it’s our values, dedication and respect that makes us stand out and I couldn’t be prouder to receive this award on behalf of the whole of DLL.”

Jamie was awarded this accolade for his dynamic and inspirational leadership, for transforming DLL from a single local authority service into a flourishing commercial business, recognised for sector-leading facilities and practices and also for founding the UK Leisure framework.  Jamie conceived the idea for the UK Leisure Framework (UKLF) and turned it into a reality.

UKLF, which is owned by DLL, operates in partnership with Alliance Leisure Ltd, and allows for the direct appointment of a development partner for scoping, design, refurbishment and construction of leisure centres, play facilities, recreation facilities and sports facilities across the UK.  However, the framework is not just focused on delivering bricks and mortar facilities, but adopts a full service approach, supporting all the elements that contribute to a successful, sustainable development including design, business planning, funding, construction and marketing.

To date the UKLF has helped deliver over 96 developments and has a pipeline of development projects with a total value of £2 billion.  Thanks to Jamie, people across the UK will have the opportunity to visit transformed leisure facilities where they can play sports, recover from injury or illness, spend time with their families and benefit from being more active more often.