Councils can help residents through the cost-of-living crisis
Over the past three years, we have seen first-hand the positive contribution sport, physical activity, leisure, green spaces and parks make to the lives, health and wellbeing of our communities.
Research confirms the value placed on these services by our communities, with Sport England’s 2021 customer experience survey showing that 86 per cent of respondents prefer to exercise in a leisure centre.
Of this number, it is people living in deprived areas who most prefer exercising in a leisure centre, and when leisure centres reopened their doors following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, it was a higher proportion of people living in these areas that walked through them.
Sadly, the ongoing effects from the pandemic, rising living costs and the energy crisis is making it increasingly difficult for councils and leisure operators to sustain these vital services, resulting in closures and reduced services.
Other data show 40 per cent of council areas are at risk of losing their leisure centre(s) or seeing reduced services before the end of this March, and that 100 pools are under threat of closure or a reduction in services in the next six months.
A Sport England survey shows that 40 per cent of respondents found the cost-of-living increase was having a ‘negative impact’ on their ability to be active in August 2022, up from a third of people in March 2022.
“Building on and forging new partnerships… to deliver on wider council objectives will be crucial”
The LGA has been making a strong case to the Government for additional funding for leisure centres and swimming pools and to get them included on the list of energy intensive businesses to receive a higher level of support under the extension of the Government’s energy support scheme, announced in January.
Contrary to the extensive evidence we provided, it was disappointing to see pools and leisure centres not included on the list. This will result in closures, service reductions and widening inequalities.
We continue to lobby the Government and encourage you to raise this issue and the impact it’s having on your communities with your MP.
So, how can we keep communities active and services viable in the face of such challenges?
First and foremost, councils are unique because of the multitude of assets we have access to that can be used or repurposed to offer opportunities to be active at low or no cost – for example, leisure facilities, online classes, green gyms, GP health referral, free activities such as parkrun, pop-ups on the high street, and social prescribing.
Building on and forging new partnerships with integrated care systems (ICSs), social prescribing link workers and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, as well as internal stakeholders, such as planning departments, to integrate services to deliver on wider council objectives, will be crucial.
It is also a chance to pause and identify the behaviour changes residents are making because of the cost-of-living crisis, such as switching from cars to cycling and walking, and translating these into strategic investments in bike loan schemes, walking and cycling routes, parks and playgrounds to help sustain and encourage new, healthier and climate-friendly behaviours.
We will be discussing these issues further with leading experts and councils at the LGA’s annual hybrid culture, tourism and sport conference on 15 March in London, where delegates will also have the change to quiz the funders, if attending in-person.