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Protecting Culture and Heritage Through Thoughtful Reinvestment

Protecting Culture and Heritage Through Thoughtful Reinvestment

Dave Spencer, Business Development Manager
Gareth Liversedge, Alliance Delivery Manager

Heritage buildings are an important part of our communities but preserving them means more than simply protecting the past. Through thoughtful reinvestment, these assets can be adapted to meet modern needs while retaining the character and significance that makes them special.

Historic buildings shape the identity of our towns and cities. They tell the stories of the communities that built them, provide a connection to our shared heritage and create a sense of pride and belonging.

Yet across the UK, many heritage assets face the same challenge: how do we preserve their character while ensuring they remain relevant, accessible and sustainable?

Too often, preservation and modernisation are presented as opposing forces. In reality, the most successful projects show that the two can work together.

At Alliance Leisure, we work with public sector partners to reinvest in heritage assets, helping them retain their character while creating places that continue to support culture, wellbeing and community connection.

More Than Bricks and Mortar

Heritage buildings deliver their greatest value when they continue to play an active role in community life.

A building that is admired but underused will always be vulnerable. One that attracts visitors, supports learning, hosts activities and brings people together has a clearer purpose and a stronger future.

For local authorities, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Many heritage buildings require investment to address maintenance, improve accessibility, enhance environmental performance and meet the expectations of modern audiences. At the same time, any intervention must respect the qualities that make the building special.

The answer is not simply restoration. It is thoughtful reinvestment and adaptation.

Heritage Must Evolve to Survive

Communities need buildings that are welcoming, accessible and inclusive, with the flexibility to support exhibitions, learning, events and community activity. They must also be environmentally and financially sustainable.

The question, therefore, is not whether historic buildings should evolve, but how they can do so without losing their identity.

By investing carefully in historic assets, councils can unlock wider benefits for their communities, supporting cultural participation, education, tourism, regeneration and civic pride.

Modernisation should not diminish heritage value. Done well, it can bring the stories of a building to life for new audiences and ensure they continue to be discovered and appreciated.

The Nicholson Institute: Restoring a Community Asset

The transformation of the Nicholson Institute in Leek demonstrates what this balance can look like in practice.

Gareth Liversedge, Alliance Delivery Manager, comments:

The Grade II* listed building, originally built in 1884, has long played an important role as a cultural and community hub, housing both the library and museum. Its £3.8 million refurbishment has focused on preserving its distinctive historic features while improving functionality, accessibility and sustainability.

Essential repairs, improved accessibility, enhanced museum and library spaces and energy-efficiency measures have all been delivered with careful consideration for the building’s character and significance.

The Nicholson Institute also forms part of a wider programme of investment in Leek town centre, alongside the revitalisation of the market halls and redevelopment of MyActive Leek, demonstrating how investment in existing assets can contribute to wider economic and social renewal.

Shire Hall: Writing the Next Chapter

A similar approach is shaping the transformation of Shire Hall in Monmouth.

Dave Spencer, Business Development Manager, comments:

As one of Wales’ most significant heritage buildings, the Grade I listed Shire Hall has played many roles throughout its history. Its redevelopment is focused on ensuring it can continue to serve future generations while safeguarding its historic significance.

The wider transformation will bring museum collections together in a central location, creating new galleries, learning facilities and community spaces, alongside improvements to accessibility and environmental performance.

By creating more inclusive and flexible spaces, the redevelopment will create new opportunities for people to participate, learn and discover while introducing the building and its stories to broader audiences.

Preserving the Past, Creating a Future

The challenges facing heritage buildings are not unique to Leek or Monmouth. Across the country, local authorities are managing ageing cultural assets against a backdrop of financial pressures, changing visitor expectations and increasing sustainability requirements.

Yet these challenges also present an opportunity.

Historic buildings already possess something many new developments spend years trying to create: authenticity, identity and an emotional connection to place. Combined with thoughtful investment and a clear understanding of community needs, these assets can become powerful drivers of cultural participation, regeneration and civic pride.

The question should never be whether we preserve historic buildings or modernise them. The real challenge is how to do both successfully.

At Alliance Leisure, we believe heritage projects deliver the greatest value when conservation is considered alongside the needs of the communities those buildings are there to serve.

The Nicholson Institute and Shire Hall demonstrate that protecting historic assets does not mean looking backwards. Through thoughtful reinvestment, buildings can be adapted to meet modern needs while retaining the character, stories and significance that make them unique.

Ultimately, the best way to protect a heritage building is to ensure it remains useful, relevant and valued by the people who will inherit it next.

Historic buildings need more than a past to survive. They need a future.

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Unspent CIL: Turning Developer Contributions into Community Infrastructure

Unspent CIL: Turning Developer Contributions into Community Infrastructure

Tom Fairey, Development Director

For councils across the UK, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) can provide an important source of capital to help address the infrastructure demands created by growth.

But securing CIL is only part of the challenge. The bigger opportunity is turning that funding into infrastructure that delivers a meaningful, measurable and lasting benefit for local communities.

With pressure on council budgets continuing, and demand for health, wellbeing, leisure and community facilities growing, unspent CIL could provide an opportunity for councils to bring forward projects that might otherwise be difficult to fund.

From Funding Pot to Community Asset

CIL is designed to help councils fund infrastructure needed to support development. Importantly, the definition of infrastructure is broad and can include sports and leisure facilities, parks, open spaces, healthcare and other community facilities.

That flexibility creates opportunities for councils to think beyond traditional infrastructure and consider how developer contributions can help deliver places that support healthier, more active and connected communities.

The question, therefore, is not simply “how much CIL funding is available?”, it is “what could that investment deliver for the community?”

For some councils, the answer could be new leisure and wellbeing facilities. For others, it could mean the transformation of an existing centre, new outdoor activity provision or facilities that form part of a wider regeneration programme. The key is ensuring that the investment is supported by a robust understanding of local need and a clear route to delivery.

Making the Case for Investment

For councils, community facilities can play a significant role in supporting wider objectives, from improving physical activity and population health to supporting regeneration, social connection and community cohesion.

Developer contributions, including CIL and Section 106 funding, can form part of the funding mix needed to deliver this infrastructure, particularly where new development is creating additional demand for local facilities.

However, a successful community development investment requires more than capital funding. Councils need to understand what their communities need, what is financially viable, how the facility will operate in the long term and how the investment can contribute to wider strategic priorities.

This is where early-stage insight and feasibility can make a significant difference. By researching local demographics, participation data, existing provision, future population growth and community priorities, our Insight and Engagement team at Alliance Leisure can help councils to develop a clearer picture of where investment could have the greatest impact.

Case Study Examples

Across the sector, CIL is already helping councils turn development contributions into tangible community assets.

One example is the Golden Lane Leisure Centre in the City of London, where more than £10 million of CIL funding has been committed to the refurbishment of the facility. The project demonstrates how developer contributions can be directed towards improving existing community infrastructure and creating a more modern facility that responds to the needs of residents, workers and other users.

For Alliance Leisure, this sits within a wider portfolio of projects demonstrating how different sources of capital investment can be brought together to deliver ambitious leisure and wellbeing infrastructure.

In Caerphilly, the new £38 million Leisure and Wellbeing Hub demonstrates how councils can combine Community Infrastructure Levy funding with other capital investment sources to unlock transformational projects. The development brings together CIL alongside external government funding and council investment to create a major community asset incorporating swimming, fitness, sport, active play, wellbeing and community spaces.

The project highlights how developer contributions do not need to work in isolation. When aligned with wider regeneration objectives and supplemented by other funding streams, CIL can play an important role in bringing forward ambitious infrastructure that might otherwise struggle to proceed.

The Opportunity for Councils with Unspent CIL

For councils with CIL balances that remain unallocated or unspent, there is an opportunity to take a fresh look at what those funds could achieve.

That doesn’t necessarily mean committing immediately to a major capital project.

It could start with a strategic review of:

  • Where development is creating additional demand for community infrastructure
  • Which existing facilities are reaching the end of their useful life
  • Where there are gaps in leisure, sport and wellbeing provision
  • How population growth will change future demand
  • Which projects align with wider regeneration and place-making priorities
  • Whether existing CIL, Section 106 contributions and other capital or external funding sources could be combined
  • What operating model could make a proposed facility financially sustainable

This process can help councils move from “we have funding available” to “we have a clear investment opportunity.”

Turning Opportunity into Delivery

Having access to funding is only one part of the equation. The real challenge is ensuring investment delivers infrastructure that meets community need, supports local priorities and remains sustainable for the long term.

Achieving that requires a robust evidence base and careful planning from the outset. Key considerations include understanding who the facility will serve, assessing existing provision, identifying future demand and ensuring the proposal is both affordable and operationally sustainable.

By addressing these questions early, councils can create a stronger business case, align investment with wider strategic objectives and reduce the risks associated with capital delivery.

At Alliance Leisure, we work with local authorities to bridge the gap between funding availability and project delivery, combining insight, development expertise and practical delivery experience to help transform investment opportunities into successful community assets.

Community Infrastructure Levy funding offers a valuable opportunity to reinvest growth in the places where it is happening. Whether the ambition is a new leisure and wellbeing hub, improvements to an existing facility, enhanced outdoor provision or part of a wider regeneration programme, the starting point remains the same: understand local need, build a robust case for investment and establish a clear route to delivery.

To explore how available CIL and other sources of capital funding could support your community infrastructure ambitions, reach out to Tom (TFairey@AllianceLeisure.co.uk) for more information.

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When a Brand Becomes Bigger Than a Logo – Durham Case Study

When a Brand Becomes Bigger Than a Logo

Jazz Holverson, Strategic Account Manager

A successful brand should do more than identify a service. It should connect places, communications and experiences, while giving people a reason to engage.

That thinking has shaped the development of thrive by Alliance Leisure’s Insight & Engagement team, in partnership with Durham County Council.

What began as an identity for the county’s leisure service has grown into a complete platform for communicating with residents – thrive now connects major campaigns, digital advertising, social media, websites, apps and customer communications, while giving individual facilities and services the flexibility to promote their own offers within one recognisable brand.

Our Insight & Engagement team have been central to that evolution, combining audience insight, creative development and ongoing performance analysis to understand not simply what people respond to, but how the brand can remain relevant to different communities.

That approach came to life through Together We Move. Rather than leading with facilities or traditional fitness messages, the campaign used real people and lived experiences to show the many different reasons people choose to be active. The flexible platform could become Together We Swim, Together We Play or Together We thrive, allowing individual services to speak directly to their audiences without losing the connection to the wider brand.

Here is an example of a Sky TV advert that we produced with the client, along with some still assets:

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The results provide strong evidence of the branding and campaign’s impact. The thrive active membership base increased by 11%, more than 4,000 new Leisure users were welcomed and overall visits increased by more than 366,000. Soft play visits increased by 17% and casual swimming by 31%.

The thrive case study shows what is possible when insight, creativity and consistent delivery turn a visual identity into something much bigger: a brand people recognise, understand and increasingly choose to be part of.

Could your brand be doing more?

Talk to Alliance Leisure’s Insight & Engagement team about turning your brand into a platform for greater engagement.

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How Leisure Developments are Transforming Community Health and Wellbeing

How Leisure Developments are Transforming Community Health and Wellbeing

Sarah Watts, CEO

Local authorities are facing increasing pressure to tackle widening health inequalities, ageing leisure facilities, tightening budgets and ambitious net zero targets. Against this backdrop, simply refurbishing an existing leisure centre is no longer enough. Today’s leisure development projects need to deliver far more than upgraded buildings—they must create healthier communities, improve wellbeing and provide lasting social value.

Across the UK, councils are embracing a more holistic Active Wellbeing approach to leisure centre development. Rather than measuring success solely through participation figures, local authorities are placing greater emphasis on the wider outcomes that modern leisure facilities can generate. Alongside increasing physical activity, there is a growing focus on supporting mental health, reducing social isolation, encouraging healthier lifestyles and creating inclusive spaces where communities can connect.

Leisure centres are uniquely positioned to help local authorities achieve multiple strategic objectives from a single investment. Well-designed leisure and wellbeing hubs can improve public health, provide opportunities for children and young people to be active, support healthy ageing, encourage community engagement and contribute to wider regeneration ambitions.

The key is ensuring facilities continue to evolve with the needs of the communities they serve. Ageing leisure centres that no longer meet expectations can become increasingly expensive to maintain while delivering diminishing value. In contrast, thoughtfully designed leisure centre refurbishments and new-build wellbeing hubs can create long-term health, economic and environmental benefits that extend well beyond the building itself.

Alliance Leisure has seen this transformation first-hand through projects delivered across the UK. At Clay Cross Active in North East Derbyshire, a modern health and wellbeing hub has broadened participation, attracted new users and become an important part of the area’s wider regeneration programme. Similarly, Brandon Leisure and Health Hub in West Suffolk demonstrates how integrating leisure facilities with NHS services and community wellbeing support can make preventative healthcare more accessible for local residents.

Sustainability is now another defining factor in successful leisure development. Rising operational costs and ambitious carbon reduction commitments mean councils must consider whole-life value rather than upfront capital costs alone. Facilities such as the all-electric Cath Thom Leisure Centre in Hyndburn illustrate how sustainable leisure centre design can reduce energy consumption, lower operating costs and support local authorities on their journey towards net zero.

As expectations of public services continue to evolve, leisure has the opportunity to become one of local government’s most valuable preventative assets. Modern leisure centres are no longer simply places to exercise—they are community hubs that improve health outcomes, strengthen social connections and support economic resilience.

For local authorities planning the next generation of leisure investment, the opportunity is clear. By treating leisure development as a strategic investment in community health and wellbeing, councils can create facilities that deliver measurable benefits for residents today while remaining resilient for decades to come.

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5 Top Tips for Launching a New Build Leisure Centre

5 Top Tips for Launching a New Build Leisure Centre

Neil Harrison, Head of Engagement

Launching a new build leisure centre is a proud moment for any local authority, operator, project team and community. It represents significant investment, creates new opportunities for participation and provides a platform to support health, wellbeing and community connection for years to come.

However, a successful launch does not happen by chance. It requires early planning, a proactive marketing approach with a structured marketing plan, clear objectives, strong implementation and a commitment to ongoing development once the doors are open.

A useful way to structure this is through our PROUD framework:

Plan, Reach, Objectives, Unveil and Develop.

 

1. Plan: Start Early and Build the Foundations

A strong launch begins long before the centre opens. The planning phase should bring together all key partners, including the client, operator, project team, marketing team, customer service teams, sales teams and community stakeholders.

At this stage, it is important to agree the overall vision for the centre. What role will it play locally? Who are the priority audiences? What makes the facility different? What customer needs is it designed to meet? How will the new centre support wider health, wellbeing, social value and participation outcomes?

The launch plan should map out all key milestones, from brand development and community engagement through to pre-sales, recruitment, staff training, operational readiness, open days and the official opening. It should also identify key risks, such as construction delays, system issues, programme changes, pricing decisions, customer migration from an existing facility or confusion around opening dates.

Planning should also include a clear customer journey. From the first time someone sees the centre advertised to the moment they join, book, visit or take part, every stage should feel simple, joined up and positive.

The earlier this work starts, the easier it is to build momentum, manage expectations and avoid the launch feeling rushed.

 
2. Reach: Create a Proactive Marketing Campaign

Launching a new leisure centre is not just about promoting a building. It is about reaching the right people, building excitement and helping the community understand how the centre can support their lifestyle, health and wellbeing.

The marketing approach should be proactive, phased and planned around three key stages: pre-sale, opening and post-opening.

During the pre-sale phase, the focus should be on building awareness, generating interest and creating a strong pipeline before the centre opens. This may include teaser campaigns, construction updates, behind-the-scenes content, countdown activity, lead generation forms, early access membership offers, community engagement, PR, PPC advertising, social media campaigns and email journeys for people who have registered their interest.

This stage is about creating momentum early. By the time the centre opens, there should already be an engaged audience ready to join, visit, book or take part.

The opening phase should convert that interest into action. This is the moment to maximise visibility through launch events, open days, facility tours, founder member offers, local media coverage, partner activity, outdoor advertising, digital campaigns and clear calls to action across all channels.

Messaging should make it easy for people to understand what is available, how to join, how to book and why they should visit. The customer journey at this stage is critical. If the joining, booking or enquiry process is unclear, it can quickly reduce the impact of the launch campaign.

The post-opening phase is equally important. Once the initial excitement has passed, marketing should continue to build momentum, support retention and drive participation across the full facility mix. This may include targeted campaigns for health and fitness memberships, swimming lessons, soft play, sports clubs, junior activities, community programmes, wellbeing services and casual use.

Customer testimonials, success stories, feedback, usage data and case studies can help demonstrate the value of the centre and encourage new audiences to engage. Ongoing digital activity, CRM journeys and local outreach should continue to move people from awareness through to enquiry, trial, joining and long-term participation.

 
3. Objectives: Set Clear Targets from the Start

 

Every successful launch needs clear objectives. These should be agreed early and linked to the wider aims of the project.

Objectives may include building awareness, achieving a specific membership target, increasing swim lesson enrolments, driving attendance at open days, engaging local clubs, supporting health and wellbeing outcomes, creating positive community sentiment or successfully transitioning existing customers into the new facility.

Targets should be realistic, measurable and understood by everyone involved. These could include membership sales, number of leads generated, website visits, enquiry volumes, email sign-ups, social media reach and engagement, open day attendance, swimming lesson occupancy, programme bookings and customer feedback scores.

Clear targets help focus activity and give the project team a shared definition of success. They also ensure marketing is not seen as a standalone task, but as a key part of the wider launch strategy.

Objectives should be reviewed throughout the campaign, not just at the end. This allows the team to understand what is working, where more support is needed and whether activity needs to be adjusted before opening.

 

4. Unveil: Deliver a Strong Opening Experience

 

The opening of a new leisure centre is a key moment. It is the first real opportunity for many people to experience the facility, meet the team and decide whether the centre feels right for them.

A successful unveil should feel professional, welcoming and well organised. This means ensuring staff are fully briefed, the customer journey is clear, signage is in place, systems are working, launch offers are understood and all customer-facing teams know how to answer common questions.

Open days, preview events, tours, partner visits and official opening activity should be carefully planned. These moments are not just operational events; they are part of the wider marketing and customer experience strategy.

Every touchpoint matters. Is the arrival experience clear? Are customers welcomed confidently? Can people easily understand the membership options, activities and programmes? Is there a simple route to join, book or register interest? Are follow-up communications in place after the visit?

The unveil stage should turn interest into confidence. People should leave feeling excited, informed and motivated to return.

5. Develop: Keep Improving after Opening

The launch does not end when the doors open. In many ways, this is when the next phase begins.

Once the centre is live, the focus should shift to developing the customer base, improving the experience and building long-term momentum. This means regularly reviewing campaign performance, membership sales, customer feedback, usage data, programme uptake, enquiry trends and retention.

The first few months are a valuable learning period. If a particular audience is not engaging, the marketing approach may need to be refined. If enquiries are high but conversions are low, the sales process may need reviewing. If customers are asking the same questions, website content, FAQs or staff briefing materials may need improving.

Development should also include ongoing engagement with the community. Local clubs, schools, health partners, community groups and residents can all play a role in helping the centre become embedded locally. A strong launch creates momentum, but ongoing development turns that momentum into long-term success.

 
Final Thoughts

Launching a new build leisure centre is about much more than opening a new facility. It is about creating confidence, building relationships and helping the local community understand the value of the investment.

By using our PROUD framework — Plan, Reach, Objectives, Unveil and Develop — project teams can create a clear, practical and memorable approach to launch planning.

Done well, a new leisure centre launch can generate excitement from day one, support strong early performance and create a lasting positive impact for the community.

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Our Reflections from the Green Goals Conference 2026

Green Goals Conference 2026

Greg Walker, Alliance Delivery Manager

I recently attended the Green Goals Conference which brought together leaders from sport, leisure, public health, local government, planning, energy, nature recovery and the built environment. Its purpose was to move the sector from strategy and policy language into practical delivery. Across the day, the same message repeatedly surfaced: climate action, public health, participation, equality and community regeneration are interconnected. The task is not simply to lower carbon; it is to protect and improve the places that enable people to move, meet and belong.

1. Climate change impacts and why adaptation is essential – Olivia Shears, Climate Change Committee

Olivia Shears’ keynote established the scale and urgency of the challenge. Her slides showed global temperatures continuing to warm at a record pace and the need to plan for approximately 2°C of warming by 2050 and 4°C by 2100. These increases will have significant impact on how we exercise and play sports in the future.

UK heatwaves are expected to become more frequent, longer and more intense, while flooding, drought, reduced river flows and wildfire risk will all place greater pressure on communities, infrastructure and public services.

For sport, these risks are operational rather than abstract. Flooded pitches cancel fixtures and reduce participation; extreme heat places players, staff and spectators under health pressure; water stress threatens grass and playing surfaces; and repeated disruption can make activity less accessible. The implication is that adaptation must be built into facility design, maintenance, emergency planning, programming and capital investment. The Climate Change Committee’s wider message is equally clear: damage is already occurring, early action is cheaper, and leadership is required to deliver adaptation at sufficient scale and speed.

2. Nature, access and prevention – Dave Bell, Natural England

Dave Bell positioned nature as essential public-health infrastructure. Access to good-quality green and blue space supports movement, mental wellbeing, social connection and prevention, while also helping towns and cities respond to poor air quality, overheating and flood risk. Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework gives local authorities and partners practical standards and mapping tools to identify gaps, connect habitats and target investment where health inequalities and environmental pressures are greatest.

The conference’s “participation–climate change–inequalities” jigsaw captured this neatly: action in one area affects the others. Better active-travel routes, nature-rich corridors and inclusive outdoor spaces can increase participation while improving biodiversity and climate resilience. Local Nature Recovery Strategies, community co-design and partnerships with Wildlife Trusts, clubs and local authorities provide a route from broad ambition to locally owned outcomes.

3. From sustainability strategy to community outcomes – Denise Ludlam, Sport England

Denise Ludlam translated Sport England’s Every Move strategy into a 2050 vision for the sector: active design as the norm; zero-carbon and climate-resilient facilities; thriving, accessible nature; and sports venues operating as community hubs alongside health and other essential services. The ambition is regenerative rather than merely “less harmful” – facilities and organisations should help restore nature, strengthen local systems and create wider social value.

Sport England’s Regenerative Ladder provides a practical route from Starting and Progressing through Sustainable and Restorative to Regenerative. Organisations move from basic knowledge and internal actions to measured outcomes, external projects, shared resources, partnership leadership and innovation. Its maturity tool asks organisations to assess six linked themes: carbon emissions, circular economy, blue-green environments, biodiversity gain, inequalities and organisational enablers.

4. People, planet and greener practice – Dr Katrina Davies, Greener Practice

Dr Katrina Davies connected planetary health directly to everyday healthcare. Her slides illustrated a broad chain of impacts: heat-related illness and deaths; flooding that interrupts care; air pollution and respiratory disease; changing patterns of vector-borne and diarrhoeal illness; food and water insecurity; displacement; and mental-health consequences. The NHS is also part of the problem as well as the response, accounting for roughly 4–5% of the UK’s carbon footprint.

The key opportunity is prevention. Physical activity, cleaner air, active travel, healthier food, greener neighbourhoods and stronger communities can reduce demand on healthcare while improving quality of life. Greener Practice’s principles emphasise prevention, patient empowerment, efficient care pathways and lower-carbon clinical alternatives where these maintain or improve outcomes. The People’s Emergency Briefing reinforced the need to communicate climate and nature risks clearly, collectively and without specialist jargon.

5. The future leisure facility: lower carbon, higher social value – Community Leisure UK and GLL

Jennifer Huygen and Jeremy Gould highlighted a difficult cycle across public leisure: ageing buildings create maintenance backlogs and high energy use; high bills reduce the money available for investment; and operators often have limited control over capital decisions. Swimming pools are particularly energy-intensive because water and air must be continuously heated, treated and circulated. Conference data showed maintenance and energy costs as the most prominent operating pressures, with decarbonisation competing against urgent repairs for scarce capital.

The scale of renewal is significant. The conference cited £15.5 billion of investment required in Scotland alone over 25 years to address condition and ageing infrastructure, retrofit for net zero and improve accessibility and inclusion. The Sport Scotland estate review confirms that many facilities are already beyond their design life and that long-term planning, better data and cross-sector partnership are essential.

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme projects have demonstrated what can be achieved, but the discussion also raised the question of what happens when grant programmes end. Successful projects require landlords and operators to work together, an investable business case that captures whole-life savings, and clear social-value outcomes. The future leisure facility is therefore not simply an efficient building: it is a resilient community asset that supports prevention, inclusion, participation and local regeneration.

6. Greener Game, stronger communities – The FA and E.ON Next

The Greener Game programme provided the day’s clearest example of turning sustainability into a scalable delivery pathway. Grassroots clubs face rising costs from floodlighting, heating and ageing clubhouses. The programme combines simple online guidance, energy support packs, free audits and funded upgrades such as solar panels, battery storage, LED lighting and insulation.

The conference reported hundreds of clubs moving through this journey, with more than 120 audits completed. Early results included energy-consumption reductions of around 25%, substantial bill savings for individual clubs, money reinvested into grassroots activity and greater confidence to discuss energy use. E.ON’s public update confirms that more than 400 clubs were already making savings and efficiencies by June 2026. This makes the programme more than a carbon initiative: it helps clubs remain open, affordable and rooted in their communities.

Overall conclusions and practical implications
  • Treat climate adaptation and decarbonisation as core business continuity, asset management and safeguarding issues – not optional sustainability extras.
  • Start with evidence: assess climate risks, energy use, estate condition, accessibility, participation gaps and the organisation’s maturity level.
  • Prioritise “no-regrets” measures that cut costs and improve resilience now, while building longer-term capital plans for heat, flooding, water, energy and ageing assets.
  • Design every project around combined outcomes: lower emissions, healthier lives, reduced inequalities, stronger biodiversity and greater community value.
  • Work in partnership. Local authorities, operators, clubs, health bodies, funders, nature organisations and energy specialists each hold part of the solution.

The lasting message from Green Goals 2026 was one of practical optimism: the sector understands the challenge, workable models already exist, and sustainability can strengthen rather than constrain sport. The next step is disciplined implementation – moving from isolated projects to a regenerative approach in which facilities, spaces and organisations actively create healthier, fairer and more resilient communities.

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LGR is a Once-in-a-Generation Reset for Leisure, Health, Culture and Sport

LGR is a Once-in-a-Generation Reset for Leisure, Health, Culture and Sporting Infrastructure

James Foley, Commercial Director

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is often framed as a structural exercise; changing boundaries, simplifying governance and consolidating services. But for those of us working across leisure, health, culture and place, it represents something far more significant. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink the community infrastructure that supports people’s everyday lives.

The Government has been explicit that LGR is intended to simplify local structures, improve accountability and support better service delivery, particularly in areas where responsibilities are currently split across two-tier arrangements. It’s an ambitious challenge, but also a real opportunity to create places that work better for communities – recognising this is no easy ask or task! 

A Moment to Rethink  

For leisure, health and wellbeing, culture and sporting infrastructure, this matters enormously. Because, when new unitary authorities are formed, they do not inherit a blank sheet of paper. They inherit a mix of facilities built at different times, managed in different ways and shaped by varying levels of investment. 

LGR brings those fragmented estates into a single conversation for the first time. That is not simply an operational challenge. It is an opportunity to take a fresh look at what communities need and how services can best support them with provision across a wider area, shaped around place, prevention and long-term prosperity. 

Instead of asking how to sustain every existing building in its current form, authorities can ask more fundamental questions: what outcomes are we trying to achieve across this new geography? Which assets are fit for purpose? Where are the gaps in provision? How can leisure, culture and sport work alongside health, regeneration and education to deliver wider public value? That strategic shift is exactly the kind of whole-place thinking the devolution agenda is designed to encourage. 

Managing Disruption Without Losing Momentum 

Of course, there is no point pretending transition can occur without short-term disruption. Decision-making requires time to embed as new governance structures change. Internal capacity is often stretched as authorities focus on transition as well as delivery. But the real risk is not just LGR itself – it is inertia. 

The most effective authorities are already using this period to reassess and refine their approach to place. Some projects will need to evolve to reflect larger catchments or more integrated service models. Others may need to be reprioritised against emerging evidence of need. That is a positive process. The key is to keep moving forward so communities see the benefits sooner. Authorities that keep planning and refining projects during the transition will be ready to deliver quickly when new structures are in place. 

The Case for Investment Becomes Stronger, Not Weaker 

Councils remain the largest public funders of sport, leisure, culture and health related services in the UK and are responsible for thousands of facilities and assets that communities rely on every day:  

  • Health and Wellbeing: Modern ‘leisure’ facilities play a critical role in prevention, physical activity and reducing pressure on health services. 
  • Economic Vitality: Cultural and leisure anchors drive footfall, support town centres and create viable, vibrant places. 
  • Social Cohesion: Shared community spaces help bring together newly merged populations and build a sense of identity. 

The sector’s value is increasingly understood not only in terms of activity levels, but in terms of prevention, social prescribing, reducing inequalities and supporting wider public service outcomes. Larger, unitary authorities will face increased expectations and well-planned investment in leisure, sport, health and cultural facilities, services and programmes are essential to delivering wider public value. 

Balancing Scale with Local Identity 

One of the defining challenges of LGR is finding the right balance between efficiency and local responsiveness. Rationalisation is inevitable. Larger authorities will look to standardise where it makes sense. On the other hand, communities do not suddenly become uniform because governance boundaries change.  

Needs and expectations will continue to vary significantly across urban, rural and coastal settings. Successful strategies will recognise this, often through hub-and-spoke models or tiered provision that combines strategic consistency with local relevance. The best outcomes will come from authorities that embrace scale without losing sight of place. Done well, LGR allows authorities to create a coherent ‘estate’ without losing the character and relevance that drive local engagement.  

Data and Evidence will Increasingly Drive Decisions 

LGR will bring more comparison across assets, so decisions will need stronger evidence. Councils will need a clear picture of building condition, lifecycle cost, participation trends, catchment demand, demographic need, accessibility, energy performance and financial sustainability. They will also want to see how facilities support wider goals such as better health, regeneration and community impact. 

Tools like Active Places and Moving Communities already help councils and operators understand demand, benchmark provision and show impact. With larger areas and more stakeholders involved, this insight, backed by specialist expertise, will become even more valuable. 

Within our projects our Insight and Engagement team have seen an increasing demand for stakeholder engagement and consultation with local communities, and it is this local insight which will help steer the future needs of leisure, culture and sporting facilities. 

Delivery Models that Keep Pace 

This also increases the importance of development partnerships and outcome-led approaches.

Authorities will be looking for partners who can help build business cases, secure funding, manage risk and connect investment to strategic goals. Strong partnerships help turn ambition into practical, deliverable programmes as we are already doing with many of our local authority partners.  

Efficient procurement and delivery models become even more essential in helping authorities keep projects moving and build confidence during change.

Frameworks such as the UK Leisure Framework, alongside strong partnerships, can provide a level of certainty and pace that is difficult to achieve through traditional methods alone. The authorities that succeed will be those that continue to align strategic ambition with a clear, deliverable route to market, ensuring that plans translate into visible outcomes. 

Integration is No Longer Optional 

One of the most positive implications of LGR is the huge opportunity and in many cases, the necessity, for greater integration. ’Leisure’ can no longer sit in isolation from public health.

‘Culture’ cannot be disconnected from regeneration. Community services and wellbeing must all align more closely with infrastructure planning. Unitary structures can create the conditions for this to happen, allowing for joined-up strategies, co-located services and shared assets that deliver multiple outcomes from a single investment. For leisure and culture, this strengthens their position, embedding them more firmly within the core mission of the authority.

LGR Creates a Window of Opportunity for Those Gaining the Early-Mover Advantage 

Perhaps the most immediate challenge authorities face is the transition period itself while structures bed in and strategies are rewritten. This is inevitable and presents both opportunity and risk. Those that move early will be in a stronger position to secure funding, show progress and build trust with residents and stakeholders. Most importantly, they can turn reorganisation into real benefits for local communities. From a delivery perspective, clarity and confidence in pipeline planning will be critical. Experienced partners and proven delivery routes can help authorities move from strategy to action with confidence. 

LGR is a chance for a fresh start. For leisure, health, culture and sport, it creates an opportunity to align investment with local priorities and build places that are healthier, better connected and ready for the future. The authorities that recognise that and act on it, will set the pace for the next decade. 

If you would like to explore this further or discuss how Alliance Leisure can support your LGR journey, please email James at James@allianceleisure.co.uk or speak to another member of the team. 

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What ProcureX Told Us About Where Procurement is Heading

What ProcureX Told Us About Where Procurement is Heading

John Leaver, Marketing & Frameworks Director

I spent some time at ProcureX recently, and what struck me most wasn’t any single keynote or supplier pitch, but the consistency of the conversation across the whole event.

Look across the agenda, the panels, even the conversations on the stands, and you start to see a very clear direction of travel. Procurement isn’t being talked about as a buying function anymore. It’s being repositioned as a strategic tool to deliver outcomes.

There were five themes that kept coming up again and again.

The first is the Procurement Act and wider reform.
There’s still a lot of focus on what has changed since the new regime came into force and, perhaps more importantly, what hasn’t. The interesting shift is less about compliance mechanics and more about behaviour. Procurement teams are being challenged to move quicker, engage earlier and think more strategically. The language is moving from “did we follow the process?” to “did we achieve the outcome?” That sounds simple, but it fundamentally changes how markets are engaged and how suppliers are evaluated.

Social value and community impact is the strongest thread running through everything.
It’s no longer a bolt-on or a scoring line in a tender. It’s becoming the lens through which projects are judged. The recurring question wasn’t “what’s the cheapest option?” but “what difference will this make locally?” Whether that’s local jobs, healthier communities or wider regeneration, the expectation is that procurement should actively contribute to place. That’s a big shift, and one that feels particularly relevant to the work we do.

AI and digital procurement is clearly accelerating, but in a practical way.
There was plenty of talk about AI, but not in a futuristic sense. The focus is much more grounded. How do we reduce admin? How do we analyse suppliers more effectively? How do we identify risk earlier? It feels like procurement is moving away from being document-heavy and towards being intelligence-led. The tools are there, but the conversation has now moved to how they are actually embedded into day-to-day workflows.

Value for money has evolved into something much more outcome-led.
Given the financial pressures across the public sector, that’s not surprising. What is changing is how value is defined. It’s less about lowest cost and more about what return is delivered over time. Whole-life cost, performance of assets, and preventative investment are all coming into sharper focus. In reality, it’s a recognition that cheap decisions often become expensive ones later on.  You can read a little more about our views on affordability here.

And finally, collaboration.
There’s a noticeable shift away from the traditional, linear procurement model towards something more joined-up. Early engagement, co-design and longer-term partnerships were all common themes (and in a shameless plug, something the UK Leisure Framework is build upon). The idea that better outcomes come from working with the market, rather than simply testing it through competition, feels like it’s gaining real traction.

What This Means in Practical Terms

If I had to summarise the whole event in one line, it would be this:

Procurement is moving away from buying things cheaply and compliantly, towards delivering measurable public value.

That has a few immediate implications. Social value isn’t going away; if anything, it’s becoming more central. Digital tools will continue to reshape how procurement teams operate. And outcome-based thinking will increasingly drive decision-making.

For Alliance Leisure, that’s an encouraging place to be. Regeneration, community wellbeing and long-term partnerships have always been at the heart of what we do. In many ways, the procurement conversation is starting to catch up with the language our sector has been using for years.

And that alignment matters. Because if procurement is the route in, then those priorities will increasingly shape what gets delivered on the ground.

And Finally

At the end of a long day in Liverpool at the ProcureX conference, I joined colleagues from Denbighshire Leisure to celebrate at the GO awards.  Whilst we didn’t bring home any trophies we were thrilled to be finalists in the Supplier of the Year and Collaborative Procurement Initiative categories.

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Beyond the Leisure Centre: New LocalGov Special Report

Beyond the Leisure Centre

New Special Report in Partnership with LocalGov

Read the full report here
read here

The relationship between local government and leisure provision is changing.

A new special report produced in partnership with LocalGov, Beyond the Leisure Centre: How to make the case for active wellbeing investment, explores why leisure should now be viewed not as a discretionary service, but as essential prevention infrastructure.

Bringing together voices from across local government, public health and the leisure sector, the report examines how councils are using leisure investment to tackle health inequalities, support regeneration, strengthen community resilience and reduce long-term pressure on public services.

As Sarah Watts, our CEO, explains:

Leisure is one of the few universal assets local authorities have that can support multiple priorities at once, from prevention and public health to tackling inequalities, supporting children and young people, enabling active ageing and strengthening community cohesion.

The report highlights how modern leisure environments are increasingly being designed as integrated wellbeing hubs — places where physical activity, health services, social connection and community support come together within trusted and accessible civic spaces.

Examples featured throughout the report, such as Warsop Health Hub, demonstrate how this approach is already delivering measurable impact across the UK.

The report also explores how Denbighshire Leisure Ltd (DLL) is using the UK Leisure Framework to support long-term reinvestment and regeneration across North Wales communities.

Owned and managed by DLL and delivered in partnership with Alliance Leisure, the framework provides local authorities with a specialist route for leisure development while generating surplus that is reinvested directly back into community facilities and services.

As Jamie Groves, Managing Director of Denbighshire Leisure Ltd, explains in the report:

What the UK Leisure Framework has demonstrated is that all sorts of leisure operating models can be both financially resilient and socially impactful.

Alongside practical case studies, the report also explores the broader policy and funding landscape shaping the future of leisure investment.

Julie Russell, Convenor of the Active Wellbeing Leadership Network, argues that modern leisure facilities should be understood as ‘essential prevention infrastructure’.

Her contribution outlines how Active Wellbeing Hubs can help tackle inactivity, reduce inequalities and support healthier lives while also creating social and economic value within communities.

Meanwhile, our Commercial Director James Foley examines how councils can build stronger business cases for investment by focusing on prevention outcomes and long-term system value rather than short-term affordability alone.

As the report explains, the question councils are increasingly asking is no longer simply “Can we afford to invest in leisure?” but instead “What could this investment prevent?”

Ultimately, Beyond the Leisure Centre makes the case that leisure facilities are no longer just places people visit to exercise. Increasingly, they are becoming community anchors that support wellbeing, belonging, prevention and resilience.

Read the full report here
read here

10 Top Tips for Elevate 2026

Celebrating 10 Years of Elevate

10 Top Tips for Attending Elevate 2026

This June marks 10 years of Elevate – a decade of bringing together the people who keep the UK moving.

It’s hard to believe we’ve been attending for ten years already! Elevate remains one of the highlights of our events calendar, not only for the insightful speaker sessions and industry trends, but also for the opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new people across the sector.

If you’re heading to Elevate 2026, we’ve pulled together our top tips to help you make the most of your time at the show, from planning your day and networking effectively to making the most of the evening socials.

Are you heading to Elevate this year? Take a look at the tips below and get in touch here if you would like to arrange to meet up at Elevate on 17th-18th June 2026. We’re sponsoring the networking lounge so definitely pop by and say hello!

  • Plan Your Day in Advance

    Leave with outcomes – the show is free, but your time isn’t. Make sure you plan the seminars and panels you want to attend in advance. Without a plan, you’ll end up missing some great and thought-provoking content. Download the Elevate app for easy access to the schedule on the day, or take a look at the agenda online.

    And if you are attending as a team, use the time to energise one another. Also use the time between you well. Who’s covering what?

  • But Don’t Over-Book Yourself!

    On the flip side don’t book too many meetings before the event. You bump into so many people on the show floor that if your diary is too blocked out, you either miss loads of valuable chats or end up running late. Allow yourself personal time for coffee catch ups or just a reset.

  • Charge Up Before You Arrive

    A busy event day can quickly drain both your phone battery and your energy levels. Bring a portable charger, keep a water bottle handy and don’t skip breakfast. You’ll get far more from the event if you stay energised throughout the day.

  • Travel Arrangements

    Get there early, when it’s a little quieter, and wear comfortable shoes (and your fitness tracker) as you’re going to do a lot of walking!

    Uber is widely available in the docklands, but the best way to travel is on the DLR or Elizabeth Line.  Customs House is probably your best stop (for the Western Entrance) but if the show is in one of the more easterly halls then it’s Prince Regent.

  • Learning is Key

    If you don’t choose your sessions wisely and plan for that, the loudest thing in the room will choose for you. Work the floor with a take-in lap, then spend time wisely where it will add most value.

    Familiarise yourself with the floor plan here.

  • Don’t forget to eat

    It can be easy to let the day run away with you, but there’s plenty of options for food and refreshments.  You can grab a coffee from the networking lounge in the centre of the hall (this is where you’ll find our team too!) or you can head out to the foyer where there are plenty of food outlets.

    For something a little more formal, but still quick and accessible, we’d recommend Tapa Tapa situated along the walkway to Customs House station (Western entrance).

  • Be Active on Social Media

    Share your experience while you’re there. Posting highlights from sessions, tagging exhibitors and connecting with people on LinkedIn during the event is a great way to extend conversations beyond the show floor. Plus, it helps you keep track of useful insights and new contacts after the event.

    #Elevate26

  • Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

    It’s easy to stick with familiar faces, but some of the best opportunities at Elevate come from unexpected conversations. Introduce yourself to someone new, attend a session outside your usual area of expertise or explore stands you wouldn’t normally visit. You never know where a fresh conversation could lead.

  • Plan an Evening Social

    For a post-event drink, The Fox pub (across the road from the arena) is where everybody heads. This is great to carry on conversations as most industry people go there, but it does get very busy.  Keep your ears open for evening parties!

  • Follow-Up Like a Pro

    Turn notes into actions while they are fresh – what better way to spend the train journey home! Feedback to colleagues and give thanks to those who gave you their time.

     

See you at the arena!
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ABOUT US

We are the UK’s leading leisure development partner, supporting local authorities that want to improve or expand the leisure, heritage and cultural facilities and services provided to their local communities.

CONTACT

Alliance Leisure
2430/2440 The Quadrant
Aztec West
Bristol
BS32 4AQ

Tel: 01454 877558
Email: info@allianceleisure.co.uk

Visit our contact page to send us a message

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