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se2 partnership - social enterprise south east

Slough Community Leisure - a healthy approach to business

Slough Community Leisure.....

  • Collaborating with the health service to improve people’s levels of physical activity. slough_community_leisure_reception
  • Offering innovative services to different markets to increase income.
  • Making the most of independence and control over its budgets.

Back in 2000 Slough was one of many local authorities to externalise its leisure facilities. The contract went to a newly-created social enterprise, Slough Community Leisure, which was set up as an Industrial Provident Society.

Managing director Rob Whitehouse says staff and customers definitely benefit from the organisation’s independence and status: “Within a larger public sector body you can be affected by external factors, with decisions taken because of needs elsewhere. We can make sure that staff and customers experience the direct benefits of us performing well because profits are re-invested in improving services and facilities.”

In addition the business can offer discounts to certain groups of people and subsidise community-based work from more commercial activities. SCL has several gyms, a flourishing conferencing brand, and thriving Asian wedding business. This all helps bring in income to cover the extra costs involved in offering school swimming lessons, “ladies only” sessions, and schemes aimed at children and the over 50s.

slough-community_leisure_gymWhilst many customers happily use the facilities without appreciating they are run by a social enterprise, being an IPS is important to their public sector clients. Rob says: “Most members of the public probably don’t know we’re a social enterprise, though we do promote this. They associate themselves with a specific leisure facility such as a sports centre or ice rink. However, being a social enterprise is very important for our stakeholders and public sector clients.”

One such client is the Health Authority which shares the “prevention agenda” – trying to prevent coronary heart disease through physical activity. They have a service level agreement for SCL to house their nurses and dieticians at the centres. (They would normally be based in a local hospital). Patients are offered a programme of physical activities based in the centre to help people become fitter and healthier. Everyone seems to benefit from working together in this way. The environment is friendly and less daunting than a hospital. People become familiar with the facilities and are likely to continue using them. Nurses and dieticians are accessible and the PCT would have to rent them space somewhere – so why not at the leisure centre where all profits are reinvested in offering more physical activity facilities? At the same time the initiative helps Slough Community Leisure towards one of the targets agreed in the Local Area Agreement – to increase adult participation in physical activity.

The local authority which kickstarted all of this now contributes around 15 per cent of Slough Community Leisure’s income. And there are targets to keep reducing this management fee. Other sources of income include other public sector partners, the general public and also grant-makers such as the Lottery or agencies like Sport England. This is money that wouldn’t be available to a local authority, though – as Rob says – it’s hard work to secure it.

Rob has the following advice for anyone going down a similar path in setting up a social enterprise:

“When you are setting up it’s crucial to get the right people at senior level. If leisure services aren’t working well as part of the local authority simply making the whole thing not for profit won’t change anything. You need the right people from day 1. Work closely with your partners to build positive relationships. Remember people change – new client officers arrive and you need to educate them too.”

Finally, he has some advice on that crucial balance between the social and the enterprise elements. “In the first few years put commercial activities to the fore so you are performing really well, then you can focus more on the other benefits.”

www.sloughleisure.com