When GLL made the decision to transform the active area at Barking Sporthouse and Gym, they needed a partner who could turn an underperforming space into something genuinely compelling for children, families, and the community it serves. Through a full retrofit of the existing footprint, The Play Company delivered a multi-zone activity area packed with high-energy attractions that give visitors of every age a reason to come back.
GLL is the charitable social enterprise behind the Better Leisure brand and is one of the UK’s largest operators of public leisure facilities, running over 370 locations nationwide. With a mission to improve the physical, mental, and social well-being of local communities, GLL invests continually in upgrading its centres to keep them relevant, engaging, and accessible.
Barking Sporthouse and Gym, located in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, is a busy community facility serving a diverse local population. As part of GLL’s ongoing commitment to Better Leisure, the centre undertook a major investment to replace its ageing trampoline park and surrounding area with a brand-new, multi-zone activity experience designed to appeal to a much wider age range.
The existing trampoline park at Barking Sporthouse had run its course. While it served its community well, the space needed to evolve — both to meet the expectations of today’s visitors and to broaden its appeal beyond its core demographic.
GLL’s ambition was significant: replace the existing provision with a dynamic, multi-attraction active zone that could compete with dedicated family entertainment venues, drive footfall across age groups, and generate strong repeat visits. The space needed to work hard — accommodating high-energy thrill seekers, competitive players, and families looking for something more varied than a standard trampoline session.
The challenge was to deliver all of that within the existing building footprint, with minimal disruption to the wider centre operation, and to a timeline that had the new area open for families by spring 2026.
Working closely with the GLL team, The Play Company designed and installed a comprehensive multi-zone activity area to replace the previous trampoline park, breathing new life into the space and significantly expanding the range of activities on offer.
Strike Arena: The centrepiece of the new installation. Strike Arena is our flagship interactive challenge zone, combining physical obstacles with intuitive light and sensor technology to create a genuinely competitive, high-energy experience. Designed to keep older children and families engaged in a way traditional play equipment simply can’t, the Strike Arena at Barking sets a new benchmark for active play at leisure centres.
Refreshed Trampoline Court: Rather than removing trampolining entirely, we retained and refreshed the trampoline court, giving it a new lease of life as part of the wider zone. Updated, energetic, and properly integrated into the overall layout, it continues to deliver the bounce visitors expect.
Slide Jumps onto Airbags: A crowd-pleasing addition that adds an adrenaline element to the mix, the slide jump airbag runs bring a sense of spectacle and excitement that appeals to older children and teens, especially. It’s the kind of feature that generates noise, laughter, and social media content in equal measure.
Football Pitch: An interactive sports pitch rounds out the offering, providing a structured activity option that sits naturally alongside the more freestyle elements of the zone. It broadens the appeal to sports-minded visitors and groups, and adds a repeatable, session-based activity that supports bookings and revenue.
The inflatable zone, delivered by a separate specialist supplier, completes the multi-zone layout, because altogether, the combination of attractions gives Barking one of the most well-rounded active play offerings of any leisure centre in the region.
The completed Multi-Zone Activity Area opened at Barking Sporthouse and Gym in spring 2026 to an immediate positive response from the community. GLL now has an active area that truly reflects what modern leisure visitors expect: varied, competitive, exciting, and suitable for a wide age range.
By refreshing and expanding the existing space rather than starting from scratch, the project demonstrates exactly what a well-executed retrofit can achieve: a dramatically improved visitor experience, stronger commercial potential, and a facility that feels entirely new — without the cost or disruption of a full build.
For GLL, it’s another step forward in their mission to keep Better leisure centres at the heart of their communities. For The Play Company, it’s another example of what happens when great design meets the right client.
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