Mo, Feb 13, 2006Lots of money in the deep end
"...With an increasing number of pools under threat of closure, local authorities should start considering viable, alternative means of providing swimming and leisure facilities instead of closing them down. Leisure Connection has a range of solutions, which can ensure local swimming pools and centres are improved and maintained for the good of the local community and within affordability levels set by the public finances", says Graham Farrant, chief executive of Leisure Connection and himself a former local authority CEO (Barking and Dagenham).
Speaking in response to Duncan Goodhew's warning that public swimming pools are being closed at an alarming rate in a desperate plea to save money, Farrant believes that Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs), Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and outsourcing the management of leisure services, is the only solution to this row...
...PFI and PPP projects enable councils to provide and offer a brand new first class leisure and sporting facility to their local communities with affordable access. The centres enable councils to surpass the needs of their local community, giving their residents the opportunity to enjoy the benefits associated with investing in leisure. By working in partnership with Leisure Connection and our consortium will enable authorities the opportunity to focus their attention and resource elsewhere - taking advantage of the synergy effect - 2 + 2 = 5!..."
This piece of advice for accountants willing to waste public money comes from Leisure Connection.
The controversial leisure provider that after some considerable trouble signed a handsome £70 million contract with Lewisham Council for the Downham Lifestyle Centre has just got itself a new PR company and the guys at Leedex are already showing what they are made of in this fine example of corporate press release.
This little gem from Leedex's own website gives us a clue about their core values:
"What single piece of advice would you have for anyone considering a career in PR?
Be eager enough to sell your own mother..."
Unfortunately, the experience of users of Leisure Connection run facilities is not always as spotless as that suggested by Leedex.
One user of a centre managed by Leisure Connection was so unhappy about the dismal standards of service at his local swimming pool that he started collecting information about the mismanagement of the sport centres run by the same company and put them all on a dedicated website entitled Leisure Connection Watch.
He has now collated all this information into an easy to read dossier "to help councils to look harder and longer before awarding leisure contracts".
Download the dossier on Leisure Connection's past performance (Word or Pdf - internal links not working on pdf).
As the press release specifies, "we have a proven track record". ...read more...