On 19 September 2019, 11 Local Authorities and Organisations from across England participated in a day of learning and knowledge sharing with SLC’s Directors on ‘Optimising your Leisure Management Partnership’.

Guest speakers from SLC Strategic Partners Tillr and 4Global provided insight from the latest sector thinking. Tillr presented their experiences of using smart technology to manage healthy partnerships with service providers and 4Global shared how they collect and analyse data across the sector to provide organisations with actionable insight.

This SLC Think Tank provided a platform to share best practice and promote the development of effective leisure partnerships that generate both social and financial value.

The following key themes emerged, based upon delegates’ specific needs:

  • Enhancing outreach / Active Communities programmes to encourage less active people to engage in physical activity
  • Innovation – reducing administration by automating processes and utilising technology
  • A “stronger together” approach between authorities and operators, focussing more on strategic objectives
  • Obtaining and analysing relevant and useful information from operators and measuring performance indicators effectively
  • How contracts work, beyond facilities management.

SLC Directors, David Rushton and Toby Kingsbury facilitated discussion and shared learning with sector colleagues based on SLC’s unrivalled experience in this area. Local Authority leisure client topics were explored, including the role of the service in contributing to wider strategic outcomes, successfully collecting and analysing data and using available technology for more effective contract management.

SLC and Tillr presented case studies demonstrating how Authorities are beginning to implement sector best practice and smart contract monitoring technology to optimise leisure partnerships to ultimately improve service delivery and drive greater participation.

In the afternoon, SLC and 4Global facilitated small group ‘surgeries’; delegates discussed their own service challenges.

Feedback from the day was overwhelmingly positive, with an overall satisfaction rating of 95% and comments, such as:

“Useful event and a great opportunity to share issues and thinking with others who are in a similar position or have been through similar situations.”

“The TT was extremely useful. I was impressed with the interactive nature of the session. I look forward to attending the next one!”

“Really interesting day. Refreshingly laid back approach encouraged delegates to share useful information.”

“Excellent venue!”

“Really useful and allowed time to reflect on our contract.”

SLC has been running industry leading Think Tanks since its inception in 2009. They offer an opportunity to meet with colleagues from other authorities, organisations and experts involved in the transformation of leisure services in a challenging financial climate.

Our next Think Tank will focus on ‘Optimising your leisure procurement’. The Think Tank will be held on Wednesday 7th October at Loughborough University.

This Think Tank will be drawing on the soon to be published Leisure Services Delivery Guidance from Sport England, for which SLC has been the lead author.

Further details are available on request. For more information call us on 01444 459927 or email info@slc.uk.com.