Wigan's leisure trust boss leads region-wide campaign for post-lockdown funding

Wigan’s leisure trust chief is spearheading a campaign to secure more funding for the region’s leisure trusts whose finances have been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Services such as children’s swimming lessons, older people’s fitness classes and medical rehabilitation support for patients, need extra, targeted Government funding to overcome the financial impact of the Covid-19 lockdown and its legacy. This is the call from GM Active, a regional body representing 12 leisure and community organisations ranging from not-for-profit trusts to in-house council leisure departments and strategic arms-length organisations.

The group is led by chairman Pete Burt, who is also managing director of Wigan’s Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles (IHL).

Although local leisure facilities and services can reopen from late July, Mr Burt and GM Active say that specific ring-fenced national Government funding is needed for targeted community health and wellbeing services across the UK in the future. It also says these types of targeted services will help to build the nation’s resilience to Covid-19.

Unlike purely commercial gym operators, many of the GM Active organisations have not-for-profit or charitable status and deliver their services directly. This prevents them from building-up large cash reserves and instead ensures any profits are reinvested back into the services and local communities they serve, adding significant social impact and improvements. Other members include in-house council leisure departments.

In March, all local community leisure operators had to close their amenities when the national lockdown started. Many staff then continued to support their local communities during the pandemic as volunteers.

Now, local operators are ready to reopen venues safely from late July with new Government approved social distancing and hygiene measures in place at all venues. However, they also face additional significant costs including lost income from the lockdown and new increased costs from operating socially distanced leisure amenities at lower capacity with less customer income. At present, there is no specific Government financial support to compensate for this.

So, GM Active is now calling on MPs, partners, stakeholders and the public to lobby the Government for funding specifically for community leisure services across the UK. Nationally, the Community Leisure UK organisation has suggested the Government issue a package of £775 million in relief funding for the community sector.

Mr Burt said: “It’s vital that everyone is fully-aware about the health, social and economic benefits that the community leisure sector brings. These are not luxuries. We hope central Government funding can be found to address the funding issues this year to spring 2021.

“Looking ahead, community leisure centres and gyms will help the nation get fitter. Our services are vital to help people recover from Covid-19, through strengthening their lungs and breathing, and boosting other people’s resilience, so they can cope better if they contract the virus this autumn or winter.

“Children’s physical and mental health is also vital. Youngsters across the UK have been inactive and socially restricted for months. They still have the summer holiday season ahead and community leisure services can improve their activity levels, weight, health and social opportunities to enjoy fun, healthy lives.”

Mr Burt added: “Together, GM Active member-organisations have a combined reach of over 20 million visits every year and deliver over 11,000 activity sessions per week, which play a major role in the health of our communities. In addition to operating leisure centres, gyms and pools, our member-organisations also hold activities in community halls, parks and libraries.

“So, they have a huge impact on communities, in supporting public services such as the NHS and local GPs, and in addressing inequalities. They also bring joy, excitement, social opportunities, family time and independence to people of many different ages and backgrounds, which are essential ingredients for happy lives and communities.

“Looking ahead to re-openings from late July, our members are ready to reopen amenities safely. Visitors can be confident that leisure venues have the most rigorous standards for hygiene and social distancing, and staff have been well-trained. In the meantime, we appeal for our MPs and the public to lobby for Government ring-fenced targeted support.”

GM Active’s call comes as a national campaign is launched, titled #saveleisure, by Community Leisure UK, UK Active and the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).