The UK government’s renewed commitment to family services, through the expansion of Family Hubs, marks a transformative moment for how we support children and families. With up to 1,000 Best Start Family Hubs planned across every local authority by 2028, the opportunity to rethink how and where these services are delivered is immense. One particularly promising avenue is the co-location of Family Hubs with public sector leisure centres—spaces already embedded in communities and aligned with the goals of wellbeing, access and inclusion.

This blog explores how leisure centres can become vital partners in the Family Hubs ecosystem, offering not just physical space but also a platform for engagement, prevention and community resilience.

The Vision Behind Family Hubs

The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme is designed to provide a “one-stop shop” for families, offering integrated support across health, education, and social care. The latest framework for 2025–26 outlines a model that is:

• Accessible: With clear branding, multi-channel access (in-person, digital, phone) and targeted outreach to seldom-heard groups.
• Connected: Encouraging co-location, shared governance and joint commissioning.
• Integrated: Promoting digital maturity, data sharing and alignment with safeguarding reforms.
• Relational: Focused on whole-family practice, co-production and workforce development 

The government’s ambition is clear: to break the link between a child’s background and their life chances by ensuring every family has access to the right support, at the right time, in the right place.

Why Leisure Centres?

Public sector leisure centres are already trusted, accessible and widely used. They are often located in the heart of communities, particularly in areas where other public services may be sparse. This makes them ideal candidates for co-location with Family Hubs.

Here’s how the synergy could work:

1. Co-Location and Outreach

Opportunity: Leisure centres can serve as satellite or “spoke” venues for Family Hubs, especially in rural or underserved areas.

Impact: This increases the visibility of family services, reduces stigma and leverages the existing footfall and familiarity of leisure facilities. Families who might not walk into a council building for support may feel more comfortable accessing services in a leisure environment.

2. Community Integration and Engagement

Opportunity: Leisure programmes such as swimming lessons, youth sports, or fitness classes, can act as informal entry points for family engagement and early intervention.

Impact: These activities promote physical and mental wellbeing, foster peer support and align with the whole-family approach. For example, a parent attending a toddler swim session could also access parenting advice or mental health support in the same building.

3. Digital and Data Collaboration

Opportunity: Integrating leisure centre data (e.g. attendance, engagement, outcomes) into Family Hub systems can support more holistic, data-informed service delivery.

Impact: This enhances coordination, enables better tracking of family outcomes, and supports the government’s push for digital maturity and interoperability.

4. Workforce Development and Volunteering

Opportunity: Leisure staff, particularly those working with young people, can be cross-trained in safeguarding and family support.

Impact: This builds capacity across the system and broadens the role of leisure professionals as community connectors and early help providers.

5. Partnership and Commissioning

Opportunity: Leisure services can be part of joint commissioning frameworks focused on health, wellbeing and early intervention.

Impact: This opens up new funding streams, supports sustainability and embeds leisure services within the wider public health infrastructure.

6. Young Futures Hubs

Opportunity: As the government pilots Young Futures Hubs for older children and teens, leisure centres can play a foundational role.

Impact: These hubs can bridge recreation, education and targeted youth support, thus offering safe, engaging spaces for adolescents to access mentoring, mental health services and skills development.

Capital Investment and Co-Location Potential

Whilst any capital funding is yet to be detailed, the Family Hubs transformation programme does allow for investment in physical infrastructure. This includes:

• Refurbishing or upgrading hub spaces
• Improving co-location facilities
• Enhancing digital infrastructure
• Establishing new outreach or spoke venues 

This opens the door for leisure centres to be considered as viable co-location sites. Many already have underutilised rooms, community halls or office spaces that could be adapted for family services. With modest investment, these spaces could become vibrant, multi-use hubs that serve both recreational and support functions.

Breaking Down Silos: A Cultural Shift

Co-locating Family Hubs with leisure centres is not just a logistical decision, it represents a cultural shift.  It challenges the traditional silos between health, education and leisure, and embraces a more holistic, community-based model of support.

This aligns with the government’s broader strategy to restore fairness and rebuild early years services. As Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson noted, “It’s the driving mission of this government to break the link between a child’s background and what they go on to achieve”.  Embedding support in everyday community settings is a powerful way to make that mission real.

Case for the Sector: Leisure as a Strategic Partner

For the leisure sector, this is a moment to step forward, not just as service providers, but as strategic partners in public health and early intervention.  By aligning with the Family Hubs agenda, leisure services can:

• Demonstrate their value beyond sport and fitness
• Secure new funding and commissioning opportunities
• Build stronger relationships with local authorities and health partners
• Contribute to long-term outcomes for children and families

Next Steps: Making It Happen

To realise this vision, several steps are needed:

1. Mapping Opportunities: Local authorities and leisure providers should jointly identify sites with potential for co-location or outreach.
2. Building Partnerships: Establish multi-agency governance boards that include leisure representation.
3. Piloting Models: Test co-located or integrated service models in a few areas, with robust evaluation.
4. Training and Development: Invest in cross-sector training to build a shared understanding of family support and safeguarding.
5. Advocacy and Awareness: Promote the role of leisure in family wellbeing through national networks and policy forums.

Conclusion: A Shared Mission for Stronger Families

The expansion of Family Hubs is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine how we support families. By co-locating with leisure centres, we can create welcoming, inclusive and effective spaces that meet families where they are, both literally and figuratively.

This is not just about buildings. It’s about building trust, relationships and resilience. It’s about recognising that a swim lesson, a football match or a yoga class can be the first step toward a stronger, healthier family.  So let’s seize this opportunity to join the dots—and build a future where every family has the support they need to thrive.