Ten local authorities in Derbyshire, led by Derbyshire Sport, the County Sports Partnership, recently challenged SLC to help them to explore efficiency savings. The Derbyshire local authorities identified the current state of their respective cultural services  – sport, arts, museums, heritage and libraries – via a simple questionnaire. A number of authorities also shared their Cultural Service Improvement Tool (CSIT) Efficiency Theme 9 Self Assessments to provide further insight for SLC. The results informed an interactive workshop with all authorities to explore a number of themes for generating efficiencies, such as collaboration, alternative management models, income generation and commissioning.

The workshop was run by Duncan Wood-Allum, Marcus Kingwell and Winckworth Sherwood’s Joanna Bussell, the UK’s leading expert on cultural and leisure trusts. Authorities were encouraged to put forward their own ideas for collaboration via SLC’s unique ‘speed dating’ partnering exercise. Following the workshop, the results were collated in a summary report which signposted opportunities for efficiencies via collaboration and other improvements for the authorities to consider. SLC is now working with the partnership supporting opportunities for implementation in the new financial year.

Paul Chambers, Business Development Director of Derbyshire Sport, said, “The work that SLC has coordinated for us in Derbyshire has enabled us to identify the possibilities for further efficiencies and to encourage all our local authority partners to engage in more cross border collaboration”.

To find out how SLC can support your organisation in unlocking efficiencies with your partners, contact us on 01444 459927 or email info@sportleisureculture.co.uk