SLC Managing Consultant, Toby Kingsbury presented to delegates at SALTEX, held at the NEC on 1st November. Toby explored the topic of inequalities in sport and physical activity and explained how new leisure contracts are helping to tackle this issue.

The correlation between socio-economic groups and levels of inactivity is stark and although this is nothing new to the sector, the way in which SLC are designing new leisure contracts very much is!

Traditional leisure contracts that focus ONLY on facilities, mass participation and outputs are becoming a thing of the past and are being replaced by new contracts that specify community outreach work, targeted programmes and outcomes. In order to properly tackle inactivity, operators are being asked to look beyond the four walls of core facilities to extend the REACH and IMPACT of the sport and leisure services they deliver.

Activity programmes in parks, open spaces, community centres, village halls, care homes and schools will have a much greater impact upon the 80% of the population who won’t ever visit a leisure centre – not so much ‘leisure contracts’ as ‘community activity contracts’.

For more information about how SLC are breaking new ground through leisure procurement, please visit our procurement page here.