Agenda item

Report of the Head of Community Services

Having declared an interest in the item, Councillor K Horn removed himself from the Committee for the duration of the discussion.

The Head of Community Services presented the report.

The Everyone Active Contract Manager presented a PowerPoint to supplement the report.

The Chair asked for evidence that the Leisure Centre served all constituents. In response, the Everyone Active Contract Manager advised that the contract had specifically crafted community wellbeing targets done in collaboration with the Council to measure precisely how successful the contract was in this regard.

A Member noted a couple of concerns about a low rate of children in her ward utilising Activ8 credits: could people book online and were they limited to how they could use their Activ8 points? In response, the Everyone Active Contract Manager advised that people should be able to book online but noted that the data also did not always fully reflect the take up rate through associated partners.

The Leisure Services Team Manager accepted concerns around giving free activities to those already likely to be inclined to be active or be able to afford them; should they instead target less sport inclined or socio-economically privileged constituents was something to consider.

In response to a question about whether the data included school visits, the Everyone Active Contract Manager advised that it was mostly measured through card sign ins and then school trips added to this.

The Member then expressed concern that it might slightly overinflate how successful the usage figures looked. The Everyone Active Contract Manager advised that the nationally impressive 19% increase in memberships at the Hermitage could not be explained by this.

The Leisure Services Team Manager added that children forced to go by their school are likely the sort of people who should be targeted, and their attendance will stimulate better, healthier habits.

In response to a question about lapsed memberships, the Everyone Active Contract Manager advised that they could measure usage of any member and efforts are made to contact members who begin to lapse, in the interests of both parties. Quit rates are below Everyone Active averages over the last 12 months though they are growing at Whitwick and Coalville, which is likely down to the fact it is too busy in the evenings.

A Member inquired about the viability of a bursary scheme. The Everyone Active Contract Manager advised that the Leisure Link scheme is a means tested 25% discount which has been running for a while; complimentary memberships are also given to targeted groups; furthermore, the organisation are well above the national average performance in this area. He added that Everyone Active are even now examining the possibility of replicating the organisation’s successes.

In response to a question about opening hours, the Everyone Active Contract Manager said there was no desire to change hours any further. Furthermore, the current hours parallel industry standard and the demand levels. He also stated that the centres now also opened earlier and this had been particularly well received by users.

In response to a question about seasonal changes to membership, the Everyone Active Contract Manager advised that the Lido facility at Ashby logically explains the spikes in membership in the summer months as it is the only public Lido in the East Midlands.

The chair noted that 68% of North West Leicestershire residents have a membership but only 22% of members have used their membership in the last 12 months. She requested postcode data on attendance to assess, demographically, the composition of who actually regularly attends the Leisure Centres and where they are from. The Everyone Active Team Manager was happy to attempt to attain and collate this data, and would then return to Members with it.

The Leisure Services Team Manager welcomed the idea of postcode analysis and was happy to consider any other data that Members felt could evidence the impact the leisure centres were having on improving the health and wellbeing of residents.

It was moved by Councillor T Eynon, seconded by Councillor D Bigby and

RESOLVED THAT:

The report be noted and it be requested that future reports include data profiles, including postcode and socio-economic data, to demonstrate the effectiveness of schemes such as Activ8, Leisure Link and Community Outreach.

At the conclusion of the item Councillor K Horn returned to the Committee.