Peninsula Leisure’s Community Contribution
Creating healthier, more connected communities
At Peninsula Leisure, our vision is simple: to improve lives by inspiring activity and connection. We exist to create your place to be active, happy and connected, and every day our team works to make recreation, health and wellbeing opportunities more accessible for our community.
We re-invest in programs, partnerships and initiatives that remove barriers, increase participation and create positive outcomes for people across Frankston. Below are some examples of ways that we give back and re-invest in our local Frankston community.
Removing Barriers To Participation
We believe everyone should have the opportunity to access recreation, health and wellbeing experiences.
Through subsidised memberships, free community programs, partnerships and initiatives, Peninsula Leisure reinvested $464,706 in FY2025-2026 in community outcomes, helping create greater access for people who may otherwise face barriers to participation.
Active Pathways subsidised PARC membership
In partnership with Reclink Australia, our Active Pathways program provides supported access to Peninsula Leisure facilities for community members experiencing disadvantage. The program offers heavily subsidised memberships at PARC and visit passes to PINES, supporting people who may face barriers including financial hardship, disability, social isolation, housing insecurity or other challenges impacting access to health and wellbeing opportunities.
in FY2025-2026 Peninsula Leisure subsidised $181,745 in Active Pathways memberships. Over the year, the allocated number of these memberships was also increased by 10%, allowing greater access.
By connecting participants with local support agencies, Active Pathways helps people take meaningful steps towards improved health, confidence and community connection.
View Active Pathways Membership info.
Free events and activations
Creating opportunities for the community to connect, participate and be active is at the heart of Peninsula Leisure’s approach to delivering inclusive experiences across our venues.
Throughout the year, we delivered a range of free community events and activations designed to bring people together and make our facilities accessible to everyone. From action-packed Skate Park Leagues and community Skate Jams at Frankston Skate Park, to high-energy Zumba activations at PARC, these events provided opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to try something new, connect with others and enjoy being active in welcoming community spaces.
At PINES Forest Aquatic Centre, our PINES Free Family Fridays program continued to be a highlight of the summer season, providing families with free evenings of entertainment, activities and aquatic fun. The initiative welcomed 2,682 free attendees across the season, helping families make the most of summer while supporting our commitment to creating accessible, affordable and engaging community experiences.
Through these free activations, Peninsula Leisure continues to strengthen community connection and create more opportunities for people to move, belong – and HAVE FUN!
Creating More Affordable Pathways to Participation
We understand that cost can be a barrier for many people when it comes to staying active and connected. Across our programs and services, we continue to find ways to make participation more accessible for our community, including:
- Family swimming lesson discounts – providing reduced fees for families with multiple children enrolled in swimming lessons, helping more children build essential water safety skills.
- Free access for every Frankston household – providing free centre access to every household in Frankston, through the Frankston City Council Rates Notice. Ensuring every household has the opportunity to connect with PARC.
- Free community access to PARC Plus – giving all residents access to our online exercise platform, with a range of workouts and resources they can complete anytime, anywhere.
- Member Referral Program – rewarding our members for inviting friends and family to join our community, helping more people discover the benefits of being active.
These initiatives complement our broader commitment to creating inclusive opportunities where cost is not a barrier to participation, connection and wellbeing.
Expanding Our Community Impact
Our Can Swim water safety initiative delivered our two-year target of more than 6,000 water safety attendances.
Through our 30-20-2: Choose What You Want To Do campaign and Digital Hub, we are encouraging the community to move more, understand the benefits of physical activity and incorporate the National Physical Activity Guidelines into everyday life.
Bespoke programs for diverse community needs
We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to be active, connected and feel a sense of belonging. Across our facilities, we are committed to creating welcoming and inclusive spaces where people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds can participate with confidence.
PINES Quiet Hour
Quiet Hour swims provide a calm, low-stimulation aquatic environment designed to support individuals with sensory needs. These sessions were expanded over the summer season, providing more individuals and families with access to an inclusive and welcoming swimming experience.
Girls Only Skate
This dedicated program provides a supportive environment for girls and young women to build confidence, develop new skills and connect through skateboarding. The program continues to grow in popularity, with participation increasing by 70% year-on-year.
More than a pool or gym
Our latest Outcomes Survey reinforced the important role our facilities play in the community. Aquatic and recreation centres are much more than places to exercise – they are essential community spaces that support physical health, mental wellbeing, social connection and quality of life.
Community Outcomes Through Partnerships
Partnerships in action
At Peninsula Leisure, we collaborate with community partners to strengthen our impact and create meaningful opportunities for Frankston to be active. These partnerships help us expand access, improve service delivery, and contribute to a healthier, more connected Frankston community.
In partnership with Frankston City Council
We delivered: Fully subsided Can Swim programs providing vital water safety education for the Frankston community.
Through our Can Swim initiatives, 3,016 children and adults participated in free water safety programs in 2025-2026. Jointly funded by Frankston City Council and Peninsula Leisure, these programs remove barriers to access and deliver life-saving water safety education and increased water confidence.
In partnership with Rotary Peninsula 2.0 Birth Tree Initiative
We delivered: Can Swim Infant Swim Programs
This collaboration promotes early water familiarisation between parent/care giver and child, and supports lifelong water safety, from the youngest age. This year Rotary Peninsula 2.0 donated to PARC to fund these targeted, important programs.
We also partnered with Rotary Peninsula 2.0 to jointly fund an accessibility hoist at PINES.
In partnership with Frankston Business Chamber
We delivered: Corporate membership opportunities to support workplace health and wellbeing.
We proudly partnered with the Frankston Business Chamber, offering members a special Corporate Membership fee – allowing even small businesses to benefit.
In partnership with Focus Individualised Support Services
We delivered: Disability Awareness training for Peninsula Leisure staff, increasing understanding of disability inclusion across our facilities and services. Focus also participated in our PARC Centre Photoshoot, ensuing our images reflect the diversity of our Centre users.
In partnership with Frankston North Community Centre and local Emergency Services
We delivered: Increased community access to and awareness of Pines Forest Aquatic Centre, including water safety education, community BBQs and promotional initiatives.
In partnership with Frankston Youth Services
We delivered: A Youth Community Open activation featuring free skate lessons and showcasing our Frankston Skate Park programs and free clinics. This event encouraged participation, movement and connection for young people.
We have also hosted Fresh Frankston at the Frankston Skate Park’s 20th Anniversary which saw record attendances.
In partnership with Industry
We delivered: Collaboration with key partners, including Swinburne University, on projects to enhance the customer experience. We also contributed professional expertise to a range of industry committees with Aquatics and Recreation Victoria (ARV) and Life Saving Victoria (LSV), as well as investing in multiple delegates to represent at industry conferences.
Big Splash Awards and Donations
Our Big Splash Awards are donated to local community groups and sporting clubs.
Peninsula Leisure is proud to support local organisations, sporting clubs, schools and community groups by providing opportunities to connect with our facilities and engage their communities. Through our community support program, eligible groups can access complimentary swim passes, centre passes and promotional support to assist with fundraising activities, community events and member engagement initiatives. Our partnerships provide a way for local organisations to reward their members, encourage participation and strengthen connections across the Frankston community.
This year we donated to 91 local sporting clubs and 126 unique community groups, non-profit organisations or schools, to the value of $251,002.
Our people make the difference
Our people are at the heart of creating positive community experiences. During the year, we launched our three-year People Strategy and were recognised with the Outstanding Employer Award at the Frankston Business Chamber Awards, reflecting our commitment to creating a safe, supportive and people-first workplace.
