Sign of the times for all Beau Sejour staff
RE-DISCOVERING old Beau Sejour signs has inspired staff members to reflect on how the centre has changed over the years.
When lockdown restrictions eased and some staff could head back to Beau Sejour, duty manager Danny Le Page took the opportunity to give some of the store cupboards a deep clean.
At the back of the store in the David Ferguson Hall, he saw three huge boards with old Beau Sejour logos from as far back as 1976.
‘Rather than just throw them out, me and the technician decided to screw them up on the wall and ask past and present staff members to sign the boards with the date they started working here,’ he said.
‘The idea is that in 20 or 30 years the boards might still be there for the next generation to see.’
Staff began talking amongst themselves about old times and the good times they had shared working at the island’s leisure centre.
Mr Le Page started in 2000 manning the flumes part-time as a teenager.
‘I started full-time in 2003, the year Beau Sejour had its big refurbishment, and it’s amazing to think how we’ve adapted facilities to cater to a new world of clients.’
But one thing that has stayed the same is the team atmosphere, meeting lots of different people every day and forming friendships with them over the years.
Head of Recreation Services Sam Herridge also started as a flume attendant in 1992 and since then has had a taste of almost everything Beau Sejour has to offer.
‘From running the holiday club and developing trampolining to overseeing the recreation sites and everything in between, I’ve done it all,’ she said.
‘There’s something about working here that makes me think of an elastic band, no matter how far away you stray – I worked in the UK for five years in the middle of my time here – you always come back to it.’
One of the things that makes Beau Sejour so perfectly suited to Ms Herridge is how all the staff are passionate about helping the community live the best lives they can.
‘Whether it’s teaching a youngster how to swim or helping someone recover from an illness or injury, we’re here for the benefit of the community and we all share that passion,’ she said.
‘The fact that when we first attempted the CREST award we failed to achieve it, and now we are rated ‘excellent’, just goes to show how hard staff have worked to improve the centre over the years.’
Jordan James, 24, is one of the newer members of staff to sign the board, having joined part-time as a lifeguard and recreation assistant in 2014.
‘My dad used to work here in the ‘90s and always said how it was such a nice place to work, there’s such a community atmosphere here, it’s like a family,’ he said.
‘As a full-time recreation assistant I take care of things from getting the sports hall ready to first aid issues, so no two days are the same and that’s something so unique about this job – I can see why people stay for years and years.’
Someone who has seen generations of customers use Beau Sejour is Debbie Le Noury who has been at the centre since 1977.
After starting out during the holidays while completing her teacher training, Ms Le Noury was part of the group of staff who recognised the demand for swimming lessons and started the Beau Sejour Swimming Club.
‘I’ve been here ever since,’ she said.
‘One of the things I like the most is the variety, I get as much joy from seeing a five-month-old swim for the first time to seeing really talented athletes who are training for the Island Games or Commonwealth Games.’
