July 2022 - Alliance Leisure

Monthly Archives: July 2022

Julia Goddard celebrates 20 years of service

This month Julia Goddard, Senior Business Development Manager, celebrates 20 years of service with Alliance Leisure. Here she talks about her long and successful career with the Alliance team.

What have been the highlights of your career at Alliance Leisure?

The people; from Sarah, who gave me the opportunity to join the company in 2002, through to the many colleagues who have joined the company over the last two decades. There have also been many projects I have been proud of:

Completing my first large development which involved refurbishing four sites for Monmouthshire County Council in 2004 – a client I’m still working with today.
Winning the Development Partner Framework for Flintshire Council and then delivering £6m of refurbishment at Deeside Leisure Centre in 2010
Being awarded the first UK Leisure Framework in 2017 which was hard work with most of the summer of 2016 spent writing the bid. The last three days were spent in the office with Paul Cluett, Kelly Anderson-Kaye and John Leaver, working till the early hours of the morning with the odd Chinese being delivered. We finished at 3am ahead of the 12-noon submission deadline.
Delivering my first new build with Jamie Groves at Denbighshire Leisure (SC2) in 2018

Deeside Skatepark

Monmouth 2004

SC2

How has your role evolved over the last 20 years?

In the early days Alliance was a small team of 6 to 10 colleagues and we were developing £200,000 – £1m projects, while TA6 had multiple partnership clients. I started running my region in 2002 with just Sarah Watts and spent most days travelling the country and meeting clients. As Alliance expanded (we now have over 35 employees and our projects are up to circa £35m), we’ve had to develop our governance and processes, and I now have a team to help deliver the region – Will Gardner, Gillian Dunster alongside Paul and Sarah. We have a strong head office team also to provide the legal and financial support and TA6 to ensure each project is a success. And we are expanding again with another team member joining Will and Gillian soon. I still deliver projects, but today my role also involves managing and supporting Will and Gillian and mentoring other colleagues in the business.

Why do you think you’ve you stayed so long?

I can genuinely say I get up every morning and look forward to my day. When I started with Alliance, we were involved in small, predominantly fitness refurbishments, but over time we’ve taken on larger schemes and the sheer variety of projects (indoor and outdoor play, fitness, spa, café’s, zip wires, outdoor pitches, outdoor gym) plus the learning on the job has kept the role interesting, challenging and fun. Every project has been different and together with the wider ALS team our region has delivered over 90 projects at a value of more than £115m.

I first met Sarah in 1993 when she became my manager at Bristol City Council and consider myself very fortunate that she offered me the opportunity to join Alliance. She’s unique; a great boss and a great friend. I’m lucky to work with such a fantastic group of people – Alliance is my second family.

What has been the most challenging time over last 20 years?

Probably writing the bid for the UK Leisure Framework in 2016. It was all absorbing for six weeks and it was during the school summer holidays, so I had my children to juggle as well as my day job.

What’s your most memorable project?

It has to be Deeside Leisure Centre. It was 2008 and was by far the largest project Alliance had delivered at the time. It involved creating six 5-a-side 3G pitches, a large gym, an assisted-exercise suite, studios, café, spa and the conversion of an old ice rink into the largest indoor wooden skatepark in Wales. The queues outside the skatepark on opening day were amazing.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The flexibility to work around other commitments which was very appreciated when my children were young.

The variety of the job is great and I love having the freedom to just get on with it, knowing support is always there if I need it. And of course, seeing projects complete is always a positive.

How do you spend your spare time?

Being a mum, socialising with friends, playing Racketball & Padel Tennis at least two to three times a week and walking with friends and our lockdown addition ‘Yoda’ the Border Collie.

Alliance Leisure is developing some amazing leisure facilities. How do you see public leisure provision evolving over the next 20 years?

I think facilities will become less sport and more leisure orientated in line with the wider wellness, health and physical activity agenda. I’d like to see the health sector embrace the benefits that leisure centres offer more and prescribe exercise / healthy eating instead of pills when appropriate. It’s been a great journey and I’m excited about the next chapter of my career with Alliance.

Meet the rest of the team

Kent Country Park Opens New Amenities To Encourage Active Visitors

In a bid to encourage even more people to enjoy the beautiful 230-acre Leybourne Lakes Country Park in Kent, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has enhanced the incumbent water sport provision through the development of a café, outdoor seating area, toilets and changing facilities.

Procured, designed and developed by Alliance Leisure through the UK Leisure Framework, which is owned and managed by Denbighshire Leisure, the new facilities have been largely funded through the developer contributions paid to the council under Section 106 payments, leaving the council with just 10 per cent of the £880,000 to invest.

Speaking of the development, Councillor Des Keers at Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, says: “Since its creation in 2004, Leybourne Lakes Country Park has been popular with families, cyclists, walkers, anglers and water sports enthusiasts alike. It received Local Wildlife Site designation in 2008 and has achieved the Green Flag Award for over 15 years, whilst maintaining Country Parks accreditation with Natural England.

“Located on the waterside of the Ocean Lake, the watersports centre offers a range of activities including stand up paddleboarding, open water swimming, kayaking and windsurfing. Whilst many people take advantage of the facilities, the site lacked a social hub and basic amenities to enable families and individuals to extend their stay beyond an hour or so.

“This recent investment changes that. Now, with the option to purchase food and drink in the café whilst enjoying the beautiful lakeside view from the outdoor seating area, with access to baby changing facilities and bathrooms, people are more likely to visit and to extend their stay. In addition, the changing facilities make visits more comfortable for our regulars whilst also attracting new participants to give the sports a go.”

Working as Lead Development Contractor, Alliance Leisure appointed Saunders Boston Architects to design an environmentally sustainable building that complements its surroundings. Cutting-edge ‘green technology’ is being incorporated to drive energy efficiency, including the installation of a Water Source Heat Pump using water from the lake and solar power to create a unique, environmentally friendly, development in this beautiful parkland setting.

The new café opened to the public on July 15 and is being managed by tmactive.

The new amenities are expected to have a transformational effect on the way people interact with the Country Park. Rather than popping by for a quick water-based activity session or walk, people are now much more likely to enjoy a longer period of time enjoying the great outdoors whilst utilising the facilities. The inclusion of the café introduces a sustainable revenue stream, creating an opportunity for the development to become commercially self-sufficient.

Tom Fairey

Development Director

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Fitness Facility Upgrade Completes in Newcastle Under Lyme

Residents in Newcastle Under Lyme are enjoying a completely overhauled fitness provision at the Jubillee2 Leisure Centre, thanks to work delivered by Alliance Leisure and funded by the Council.

Works have included a complete refurbishment of the gym from redecoration and new flooring to the installation of new Technogym equipment throughout. Technogym has also added TEAMBEATS, fitness technology that enables heart rate-driven energising classes for added motivation and community interaction.

In a bid to encourage more older adults and those new to exercise to visit the centre and adopt an active lifestyle, a new wellness hub, complete with a Innerva (formerly Shapemaster) circuit has also been incorporated.

The renovations took just three weeks to complete and facilities reopened to the public on May 25 2022. The project was delivered by Alliance Leisure through the UK Leisure Framework, owned and managed by Denbighshire Leisure. The appointed building contractor was Universal Civils. Build architecture and interior design was delivered by Bignell Shacklady Ewing.

The new facilities look fantastic and are a great example of how a relatively small investment can have a hugely positive impact on the modern relevance of an ageing leisure centre. Works have reinvigorated the fitness provision and created opportunities to engage new segments of the community.

Will Gardner

Business Development Manager

Alliance Leisure Named Supplier Of The Year 2022!

In recognition for an outstanding deliverance of transformational projects that create engaging active environments and support healthy, happy, and prosperous communities, Alliance Leisure has been named Supplier of the Year at the prestigious, national, ukactive awards.

Over the last 20 years, we have worked in partnership with local authorities up and down the country, designing, procuring and developing leisure transformations that deliver huge community value. During this time, the company has delivered 192 projects representing investment of more £250 million. Projects have ranged from pump tracks and 3G pitches to multiple facilities across entire leisure portfolios. Every project is unique and designed to address the bespoke needs of the community it serves.

Earlier this year, Alliance Leisure also extended its tenure as Lead Development Partner on the UK Leisure Framework, owned and managed by Denbighshire Leisure. This will ensure public sector leisure providers can continue to invest efficiently and effectively in their leisure stock, both now and in the future.

This award reflects the hard work, dedication and experience of our team. Even through tough economic times, we have continued to work with councils to find ways to fund and deliver projects that are essential to community health, cohesion and prosperity. We look forward to continuing this journey, creating sustainable, active environments that encourage more people to be more active, more often.