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From early morning workouts to family swim sessions, Les Quennevais Sport Centre plays a vital role in supporting the health and wellbeing of Islanders aged 5 to 95 years old.
But behind every spinning class, swimming lesson, and training session is a dedicated team keeping everything running smoothly.
Leisure Assistant, Josh Clayson, has been in the Infrastructure and Environment Department and part of the Les Quennevais Active team for nearly three years. His role involves everything from lifeguarding the pool to leading group exercise classes.
Josh said: “I work predominantly at the gym at Les Quennevais, inducting new members and helping existing members – we have around 5000 members at Active. I’ll help them as and when they need, taking a variety of fitness classes – from functional fitness in the morning to occasionally covering other classes, including gentle circuits and chair fit. I might also be needed to lifeguard the pool and so I attend regular training for that.”
Josh’s new passion for fitness during the pandemic pulled him into a new career path.
“During Covid, I wanted to get into sport, started training people, getting into coaching – just a more active role. I had a friend in a gym manager role here at the time, and the role came up… the rest is history really.”
A typical day at Les Quennevais starts at 6am.
“I come in and help with the unlocking and opening of the building – that could involve safety checks, checking hall alarms, fire exit doors, walking around the gym, making sure the equipment is functional and safe.
“If it’s a morning where I’ve got a class, I start setting up around 6am for the 6:45am class. Then it’s onto inductions, which can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 90 minutes depending on the customer’s experience.”
For Josh, the most rewarding part of his job is seeing people progress and grow in confidence.
“There’s some classes I started taking when I first started working here, and some customers have been coming back to those since the very beginning. Just seeing their lives progress and change is really satisfying. Being a part of that is really enjoyable.”
But like any role, it’s not without its challenges.
“Some classes may have up to 40 people, so of course you’re not going to be able to give the same amount of attention to everyone. The challenge is making sure the right people get the right amount of attention.”
A positive community spirit is felt at Les Quennevais, with staff also getting involved in competitions and challenges throughout the year. In 2024, Active hosted 45 sporting events and are set to host even more this year.
“Every year we always have a marathon team, and we’ve got the monthly gym challenges. There’s a good bit of friendly competition between customers and staff. It’s always good fun.”
Josh believes Les Quennevais plays a key role in literally keeping the Island running.
“We’re providing not just a sport fitness facility but also fitness instruction and support that’s accessible to the majority. Accessibility is massive – you’ve got your box fit classes, functional fitness classes, gentle circuits, swim tots… it caters for everyone from new born babies to older generations trying to get more comfortable on their feet.”
Beyond the day job, Josh’s life still revolves around health, fitness, and the outdoors. He’s a keen weightlifter, enjoys CrossFit and running, and loves taking his two adopted French bulldogs for walks.
Active provides facilities across the Island, indoors and out, keeping the Island’s sporting community running.
From athletics at FB Fields, softball at Les Quennevais, to Jersey Bulls National League matches at Springfield Stadium, Active and team members like Josh at Les Quennevais are helping to keep sporting, fitness and wellbeing running across the Island.
For current career opportunities at Active, including Leisure Centre roles, please visit: Active Careers | Active Jersey | Active Jersey
