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O&S 114
The
Committee considered a report that provided Members with a
performance review summary for last year from Fusion Lifestyle in
the management of all six leisure centres across West Devon and
South Hams.
As
part of the presentation that was delivered to the Committee,
reference was made to the following future priorities:
-
The
aim for Parklands Intencity studio to
attract new clientele from a wider catchment area;
-
To
Improve links with existing clubs and organisations via Partnership
Working with Okehampton Community Recreation Association (OCRA),
particularly in Tavistock;
-
To
Introduce a GP referral scheme at Meadowlands;
-
To
improve links with schools to provide sporting facilities for their
needs (including sports days, swimming galas and one-off events);
and
-
That,
in accordance with their Key Performance Indicators:
o
To increase total participation, membership and swim
school figures by 10-15%;
o
To increase target group participation by 10-15%
for: Under 16s, those aged over 60, disabled users and
females;
o
To increase the customer satisfaction score by 3-5%;
and
o
To maintain the Quest Accreditation at each Leisure
Centre.
During the ensuing
debate, reference was made to:-
(a)
the partnership working with OCRA. When
questioned, the representatives confirmed that they were wholly
committed to continuing to work with OCRA and proceeded to pay
tribute to the work undertaken by that organisation;
(b)
the future focus for Fusion. In addition
to increasing participation levels, the representatives informed
that the future focus for Leisure was on rebuilding confidence and
trust within the local communities within West Devon;
(c)
use of apprenticeships. Having been
informed that Fusion was particularly keen on the employment of
apprentices, a number of Members welcomed the initiatives that were
being used by the organisation;
(d)
the potential conflict between increasing outreach services and
increasing leisure centre participation. Whilst acknowledging the potential conflict, the
representatives advised that the overriding mantra of Fusion was:
‘more people, more active, more
often’. In response to a
specific query, the representatives confirmed that they were very
happy to engage and develop an improved outreach service in
Chagford;
(e)
the competitive nature of the leisure industry. The representatives confirmed that they welcomed
non-aggressive competition, as it led to a lack of complacency and
an improvement in service standards;
(f)
the
moveable floor at Parklands Leisure
Centre. The Committee received an
update on the moveable floor and was assured that the organisation
remained committed to developing the centre (and swimming pool) at
Parklands Leisure Centre. The
representatives also acknowledged that it was now timely to re-open
dialogue with Swim England.
In conclusion, the
Committee thanked the representatives for their informative
presentation and responses to Member questions and looked forward
to seeing how the contract evolved in the next few
years.
It was then:
RESOLVED
That the content of the Annual
Report for 2018 and the proposals for 2019 be noted.