The opportunity is clear. The challenge is creating the conditions for operators to play a broader role in delivering local outcomes. Councils are increasingly focusing on local priorities to improve population health, tackle inequalities and increase physical activity. This requires a broader range of organisations to contribute to shared health…
Public leisure’s next challenge is not vision. It is delivery. The future of public leisure will not be determined by how well it operates facilities. It will be by how effectively it contributes to the outcomes that matter to places and for the people who need it most. The…
The biggest determinant of success is the quality of your understanding of the challenges you’re trying to overcome Having worked with local authorities across the UK for more than two decades and helped shape national guidance on public leisure service transformation, this is the conclusion we’ve reached. Many organisations begin…
September 2026 update Following publication of this article, the Government announced a review of its plans for Local Government Reorganisation. We are currently assessing the implications of this announcement for local authorities and the wider sector. While the future shape of LGR may change, the challenges discussed in this article…
September 2026 update Following publication of this article, the Government announced a review of its plans for Local Government Reorganisation. We are currently assessing the implications of this announcement for local authorities and the wider sector. While the future shape of LGR may change, the challenges discussed in this article…
For years, the question of whether local authorities should charge VAT on leisure services has been a point of contention with HMRC. HMRC’s longstanding view was straightforward: leisure centres and sports facilities were business activities, so income was subject to VAT. Local authorities disagreed, arguing that they were providing leisure…
My journey with SLC began during a week-long work experience placement in July 2024, a year into my A-levels. After carefully researching SLC, I wrote an introductory letter to its Managing Director Duncan Wood-Allum to explore the opportunity. I was delighted that Duncan came back to me, and he clearly…
Is this the end of public leisure services as we know it? Yes – but active wellbeing is our collective future Duncan Wood-Allum, Managing Director of SLC, recently produced an article for Health Club Management outlining the reasons why he believes the investment in place-based working hasn’t realised its full…
September 2026 update Following publication of this article, the Government announced a review of its plans for Local Government Reorganisation. We are currently assessing the implications of this announcement for local authorities and the wider sector. While the future shape of LGR may change, the challenges discussed in this article…
September 2026 update Following publication of this article, the Government announced a review of its plans for Local Government Reorganisation. We are currently assessing the implications of this announcement for local authorities and the wider sector. While the future shape of LGR may change, the challenges discussed in this article…