Wirral Council runs its own sport and leisure provision and has an ambition for the service to be selfsufficient by 2020. Ahead of that, investment is underway to improve the facilities, increase participation, improve the health of local people and generate greater income from the sports facilities.
Wirral Council’s sport and leisure provision consists of eight leisure centres, four golf courses, a sailing centre and a sports development team. The service employs about 290 staff and 140 sessional coaches. Alongside the comprehensive sport offer there are seven gyms and over 380 exercise classes each week. Total footfall is just over three million visits each year.
The council’s leisure strategy and sports development team have a focus on hardto-reach community groups, such as young people not in education, employment or training. The ‘Active Wirral’ campaign targets increased activity across the borough, including in areas of deprivation, using sport as the ‘hook’. Over the years, various funding streams have contributed to this work including Sport England, the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, Big Lottery Fund, Positive Activities for Young People and the Early Intervention Grant.
Wirral has an ambition for its leisure facilities to be fully inclusive and accessible, offering a broad range of activities, programmes and facilities. Within the leisure facilities programming there is a mix of disability sessions and tailored programmes. The development of capital funding streams is underway for a sensory room and changing places to aid access.
Objectives and outcomes
The sports development team’s work feeds into a number of key themes in the council’s 2020 vision. These include:
- people with disabilities live independently (through provision of accessible facilities and activities)
- workforce skills match business need (through apprenticeship schemes and staff progression opportunities)
- assets and buildings are fit for purpose (capital projects to increase footfall, revenue development opportunities and improved access)
- leisure and cultural opportunities for all (through a diverse range of activities that cater for all residents)
- Wirral residents live healthier lives (for example through partnership working with health to implement intervention schemes)
- Wirral neighbourhoods are safe (through delivery of programmes in areas of high anti-social behaviour).
The council offer is wide-reaching and involves many other organisations, including over 400 sports clubs that use council facilities, schools and colleges, community groups, local businesses, the Wirral Tourism Network and training providers. The relationships with health are strengthening and a number of initiatives are now in place around cancer (with Macmillan), cardiac rehab and diabetes exercise on referral. Local and regional partners include NCS (National Citizens Service), Doorstep Street Clubs (Sport England) and the Merseyside Sports Partnership.
Looking to the future
A strategic review of leisure services, parks, culture and libraries is underway, with a Cabinet decision on the future delivery model due in late 2017. Ahead of this, the council has adopted a more commercial approach to these services, with the aim of reducing the net investment requirement to zero by 2020.
Over £3 million has been invested into improving the leisure facilities, which has helped to drive growth in membership from 9,500 to over 15,500 in two years.
Significant developments around IT and marketing are underway with the aim of increasing customer interaction and improving membership retention rates. The golf facilities have been restructured, with ‘footgolf’ introduced at three courses to increase participation.
Councillor Phillip Brightmore, Wirral’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “In times of prolonged austerity, when financial difficulties may discourage poorer or at-risk residents from accessing private sports and leisure facilities, it is vital that local authorities maintain a quality, affordable and accessible alternative. Not to do so risks exacerbating health inequalities and necessitating costly interventions by councils, and their partners, at a later date.
Members, especially lead members, must be mindful of the impact of accessibility upon those they represent, lobbying government to properly fund that which our communities so desperately need. Through targeted investments, working with partners and delivering differently, councils should seek to enable and encourage physical activity and wellbeing.
Key learning points
- Capital investment in ageing stock, such as gym equipment, can drive revenue and membership sales
- Rationalise membership types and categories to make the ‘offer’ simple to understand, communicate and sell.
- Reviewing all staffing levels can help to maximise income-generating opportunities and potential savings in the operation of all delivery areas.
- Utilise the services of specialists to develop innovative solutions to attract broader user groups. For example, using a leisure marketing specialist means the service now embraces social media and digital campaigns and has a more targeted approach.
Contact
Simon Bellamy
Leisure Operations Manager
Wirral Council
[email protected]