The Waterworld Leisure Group is delighted to announce that it has been selected as a finalist for the Sustainability & Environment Award at the prestigious 2025 Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce Business Awards. The award, sponsored by GivEnergy, recognises businesses that utilise cutting edge sustainability initiatives to reduce their environmental impact.
With a legacy spanning 35 years, The Waterworld Leisure Group is one of the most prominent names in the region’s tourism and lifestyle industry, operating a diverse portfolio of brands across North Staffordshire and beyond. The group caters to all audiences, across all seasons and price points, through destinations including the iconic Waterworld Aqua Park, Adventure Mini Golf, M Club Spa and Fitness, and the pioneering M Swim School and Nurture Montessori Nursery.
As a major energy user, the group has made sustainability a moral and commercial priority, investing significantly in green technologies to futureproof its operations. In 2024, the group completed the installation of 1,700 solar panels across its sites — a project equivalent to planting 37,000 trees or avoiding 5,000 long-haul flights. These solar panels now play a key role in generating over 80% of the company’s electricity onsite. Complementing this is a powerful 250kWh Combined Heat and Power (CHP) engine, which recaptures heat during the energy generation process and recycles it to maintain Waterworld’s signature tropical climate. The group’s CHP initiative is certified through the government-backed CHPQA scheme, ensuring maximum energy efficiency and compliance with national sustainability standards.
In a bid to further reduce its carbon footprint, Waterworld and M Club introduced invisible liquid pool covers in late 2024. These covers help prevent heat and water loss overnight, and have already resulted in a 20% monthly reduction in gas consumption during winter. The business also makes use of filtered groundwater in its showers and restrooms, reducing demand on local reservoirs, and is actively rolling out recycling schemes across both back-of-house operations and customer-facing areas.
Waterworld’s approach to sustainability is not only technical but also community-driven. The group ensures that its energy-intensive resources are maximally utilised for public benefit. During off-peak hours, its heated pools are used to deliver hundreds of swimming lessons weekly to children, schools, and private learners, ensuring that no resource goes underused and that residents of Stoke-on-Trent have access to essential life skills. The group also provides space for external swim schools, maximising community engagement and access to fitness facilities.
