SponSored briefing ALLiAnCe LeiSUre
The future of leisure In today’s environment of austerity, a Lancaster leisure centre has proven that a little investment in leisure services can have a big impact
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ccording to the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, between 2010 and 2020, local authorities will have seen reductions of £16bn to their core government funding. The LGA says the funding gap facing councils will be £5.8bn by the end of the decade. At the same time, much of the UK’s stock of public leisure facilities is in need of investment. The most recent figures from Sport England, which were published in 2015, showed that 58 per cent of sports halls and 60 per cent of swimming pools were more than 20 years old and, of these, nearly a quarter had not been refurbished in 20 years. Faced with ever declining budgets and leisure centres which are no longer fit for purpose, is it possible for the public sector to encourage wider participation in physical activity? It is. And the recent £5m transformation of Salt Ayre Leisure Centre proves it, says Paul Cluett, managing director of Alliance Leisure. “We know that modern leisure centres with the right mix of facilities and services can change lives by
in times of austerity engaging people of all ages and abilities in activity,” Cluett says. “Partnering with the private sector allows local authorities to maximise investment in their centres by reducing the risk of rising costs and increasing the possibility of securing
additional funding, thereby increasing the impact of government capital.” Just two years ago, the tired and ageing Salt Ayre centre was an expensive drain on council resources making an annual loss of £800,000. Paul Cluett, managing The situation was director, Alliance Leisure unsustainable and
Gravity, the UK’s first outdoor Flight Tower, has six descent options, including zip line and free fall
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