SLC showed great professionalism, expertise and energy right from the start – engaging with members, senior management and officers and gaining knowledge on the Council’s corporate objectives and strategies as well the service. SLC regularly updated key stakeholders on their work and showed great adaptability and flexibility throughout.
Rikin Taylor, Head of Corporate Finance
Westminster City Council
“The Council considers SLC as our ‘go to’ consultant. SLC are always at the forefront and driving change and progression across the sector. Their friendly but professional approach, knowledge, expertise, connections and reputation is second to none, and they maintain a blue sky thinking and outside of the box approach to the delivery of bespoke projects and pieces of work that are tailored and place based. We look forward to working with Duncan, Toby and the team again soon“
Mark Hammond, Community Infrastructure and Development Manager
Malvern Hills District Council
“From start to finish on any given project the SLC team are a professional cohort of talented consultants and associates who are highly qualified and respected from the industry. They are able to turn around high-quality projects at pace and scale to ensure the best outcomes.
Working with SLC on the Bury Wellness Strategy has been an intense and challenging project but working together we have created a strategy we are collectively proud of and has been created through a whole system approach to deliver better health outcomes aligned to local strategies.“
Jackie Veal, Head of Wellness
Bury Council
“SLC’s work is of the highest possible quality. They are market leaders in sport and leisure consultancy and their extensive leisure industry knowledge and skilled staff enables them to work quickly and flexibly meeting the needs of the client by utilising their expertise to achieve high quality outputs and outcomes. I would definitely recommend using them for your project.“
Lisa Pottinger, Head of Sport & Physical Activity
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
“SLC have undertaken an extensive piece of pre-procurement work as part of a planned tender exercise of the Council’s main leisure management contract. Including options appraisals, supply and demand analysis, feasibility work and identifying facility investment opportunities, their knowledge and expertise has been invaluable. SLC cover a broad range of disciplines and bring with them extensive experience. Always open to a challenge, they bring fresh ideas, deliver on time and have been a pleasure to work with.”
Guy Fishbourne, Sport & Physical Activity Development Manager
Bristol City Council
“In April 2022, SLC were commissioned to undertake a short piece of work, as part of a complex Management Options Appraisal. The team brought a wealth of experience and knowledge, in addition to bringing fresh ideas and quickly developing a sound understanding of key challenges and emerging priorities. The team were both highly professional and approachable and the final output was exactly what was required. SLC’s work is of the highest standard.”
Lisa Berry, Commercial Project Manager
Salford City Council
“SLC produced a comprehensive report that gives a clear analysis of inactivity in Islington and what can be done to address it. Its recommendations are a major component in the Proactive Islington Strategy.”
John Thorne, Leisure and Physical Activity Manager
Islington Council
“SLC provided a comprehensive financial report that informed the Council’s decision making to reopen their leisure centres at a very challenging time during the COVID-19 pandemic. The detailed analysis of our operator’s financial forecast enabled us to understand the financial consequences and allowed us to remobilise leisure centres once Government lifted the restrictions on the industry so that residents could get back to being physically active, which was much needed during this time.”
Nicky Boothroyd, Facilities Contracts Manager
Manchester City Council (MCR Active)
“SLC’s support was invaluable when looking at the Covid support for our leisure provider, their industry expertise and ability to translate that into how we could respond really supported our decision making around this complex and uncertain area. They were also accessible at short notice and for lots of last minute questions.”
Julia Smith, Director Communities and Wellbeing, Harborough District Council
“SLC supported the Council with a robust independent management options appraisal during the COVID crisis in summer 2020. Although the Council had been with the same outsourced operator for over 20 years, SLC’s understanding of the Council’s aspirations for leisure and insight regarding the impact of COVID on the sector led to the conclusion that the optimum solution for South Kesteven was to run its four leisure facilities through a Local Authority Trading Company.
Following this decision SLC supported the Council in developing a business and mobilisation plan for the new company, Leisure SK, which was ready for business in January 2021 and following lockdown opened the centres in April 2021. SLC’s independent advice and insight were vital building blocks in helping us secure the post-COVID future for leisure in the district through Leisure SK at an extremely difficult time for public leisure services”.
Karen Whitfield, Head of Leisure, South Kesteven District Council
