Get Active Slough: a leisure strategy for Slough · 2 Turning the tide of Inactivity - UK Active; January 2014. Get Active Slough: a leisure strategy for Slough 2 2.2 The benefits

Get Active Slough:a leisure strategy for Slough


www.slough.gov.uk 1

1 Purpose of the strategy1.1 This strategy is focused on improving the

outcomes related to physical activity andsport for people who live or work in Slough.The time horizon for the strategy is the nextfive years however the health of Sloughresidents and workers is over lifetimes andtherefore this strategy is for now and theforeseeable future and will be reviewedregularly. The strategy sets out the role thatSlough Borough Council will take inachieving a shared vision for the future1:

“To enhance the health and wellbeing ofSlough residents by ensuring that physicalactivity and sport is adopted as a habit forlife for all - more people, more active,more often.”

1.2 Throughout this strategy where services arereferred to these are the facilities andprogrammes which enable people to engagein physical activity which promotes betterhealth and wellbeing. This can take manyforms including:

• Living active lives: walking and cycling toschool and work and for pleasure;dancing; gardening; using parks andplaygrounds

• Taking part in organised group physicalactivities: playing in a football team; beinga member of a dance group;

• Leisure activities that require a specialisedbuilding to do: swimming; gym; iceskating;

1.3 All these activities can take place in a widevariety of settings, including parks and openspaces, community run clubs and leisurefacilities, school facilities, commerciallyprovided facilities and borough councilcontracted services and facilities.

2 How active are theresidents of Slough andwhy does it matter?

“Physical inactivity is known to be the fourthleading cause of global mortality and leads to37,000 premature deaths a year in England.”

2.1 Participation by local people of all ages inphysical activity and sport in Slough is verylow. Compared to the national situationSlough is the 10th least active council area inEngland2. Inactive people (defined as havingless than 30 minutes of moderate intensityactivity per week over a 28 day period) aremore likely to develop chronic healthconditions including heart disease, highblood pressure and type 2 diabetespotentially leading to premature death.

Out of 326 local authorities, Slough ranks:

• 2nd for emergency heart diseaseadmissions

• 21st for all circulatory disease deathsunder 75 years

• 26th for childhood obesity inreception

• 29th for emergency heart attacktreatments

• 36th for low birth weights amongterm babies

‘If the effects of exercise could be bottled - it wouldbe the medicine of the century’ Dr William Bird (MBE)

1 ‘Active Slough’ - A Physical Activity and Sports Strategy for Slough 2013-20152 Turning the tide of Inactivity - UK Active; January 2014


2 www.slough.gov.uk

2.2 The benefits of physical activity and sporthave been well researched. People who arephysically active reduce the risk ofpremature death by 20-30%. Physicalactivity also reduces the risk of diabetes byup to 35%, coronary heart disease by up to50% and some forms of cancer. Beingphysically active has an impact beyondpurely physical health and can contribute tothe wider aspects of health, such as mentalhealth and well-being.

2.3 Deprivation levels have a bearing on manyhealth outcomes, including participation inphysical activity and sport. Research fromthe UK sports charity StreetGames, showsthat young people aged 16-25 from areas ofdeprivation are half as likely to participate insport as their more affluent peers. They arealso almost half as likely to get involved insports volunteering, club sport or coachedactivity - all factors that lead to sustainedparticipation.

2.4 Whilst we will actively promote a populationwide approach there are identifiable groupswithin Slough where activity levels areparticularly low and our strategy will focusadditional resources on these.

• Increasing the participation of womenbecause only 31% of the adult femalepopulation take part in at least 30 minutesof exercise per week as opposed to 41% ofmen.

• Increasing the participation of childrenbecause at year 6 more than one in fivechildren in Slough is obese.

• Increasing the participation of youngpeople between the ages of 14-25 yearsbecause activity levels in adults in Sloughafter the age of 25 drop significantly; thisage group is more likely to be receptive tobehavioural change and adoptparticipation as a habit for life.

2.5 In addition we will continue to promote anddrive participation levels of all residents inSlough, targeting those groups who are ofgreater health risks including communitiesexperiencing higher levels of healthinequalities.

2.6 How much physical activity should we bedoing?

• Adults: 150 minutes per week of moderatephysical activity (raised heart beat,sweating eg brisk walking)

• Children and young people: At least 60minutes and up to several hours of intenseand vigorous activity per day (breathinghard and fast eg running)

(Tackling Physical Inactivity - All PartyCommission on Physical Activity 2014)

3 Slough as an active place- the role of the council

3.1 There are substantial facilities andopportunities for participation in physicalactivity and sport in Slough. It is clear thatthere are factors which are getting in theway of wide community involvement in anactive lifestyle. To deliver the ambition forSlough of ‘more people, more active, moreoften’ the council will:

• Provide community leadership; workingwith partners from the private, public andvoluntary sector to improve and promoteaccess to resources, quality provision andactivity programmes in localneighbourhoods targeting priority groups.

• Ensure that there is a wide offer of indoorand outdoor leisure facilities which meetthe current and future needs of the town.

• Work within neighbourhoods to deliver acomprehensive programme of sports andphysical activity sessions including the ‘GetActive’ programme, targetingcommunities experiencing higher levels ofhealth inequalities.

• Use the opportunity of the ending of theSlough Community Leisure contract in2017 to get a new offer that focuses on thepriorities of this strategy and which istargeted to achieve our key outcomes.

• Champion and promote the benefits ofphysical activity and sports participation inachieving health, community cohesionand community safety outcomes.


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4 How will we make surethis happens?• Prioritise the provision of resources,

including revenue funding, to incentiviseand facilitate activity, targeting children,young people and women to address anumber of emerging inequalities.

• Invest in a range of different types offacilities in our parks and open spaces,which will be accessible to the Sloughpopulation leading to an increase in usefor physical activity purposes.

• Establish a strong governance model thatholds to account those with theresponsibility for the implementation ofthe strategy (Cabinet, scrutiny, WellbeingBoard etc - officer and partner leadership)

• Ensure we are informed by the bestpractice on what works to achieve ourambition, learning from others andworking with the best in the sector

• Set ourselves challenging outcomes andtargets which are regularly monitored andreviewed

• Have a clear delivery programme/actionplan which details available resources andaccountability for achievingoutcomes/targets

• Bring together partners to ensureresources are maximised and duplicationis avoided.

5 Outcomes5.1 Everyone that lives and works in Slough

should be informed and able to choose toaccess physical activity and sport that meetstheir needs. That should lead to increasedparticipation in physical activity and anactive lifestyle. Success will be measuredthrough a series of key outcomes andtargets.

5.2 The outcomes that will be achieved are:

1. Long term reduction of chronic healthconditions and increased life expectancythrough an increase in the number ofchildren, young people and adults takingpart in sport and physical activity for 30minutes a week

2. A mix of formal and informalopportunities to participate in physicalactivity and sport available for the rightpeople , at the right time and in a waythat meets their needs

3. Greater co-ordination of resources andevidence between partners in the public,private, education and voluntary sector.

4. An increase in the use of physical activityand sport as a means to address localissues including health inequalities,community cohesion and communitysafety leading to better outcomes forlocal people at a neighbourhood level.

5.3 The key overarching measure for this will bean increase in the number of adults andchildren who are more physically active.Targets underpinning this measure include:

• 5% reduction in inactive adults (32.5% in2018 – 37.6% in 2013)

• 1% reduction in children who are reportedas overweight or obese in reception and atyear 6 in the highest rate wards

• 5% reduction in residents who report theirday to day activities are limited by a lifelong illness or disability


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6 The People Offer6.1 Going to the gym, football, swimming,

athletics and cycling are the most popularactivities for Slough residents. Althoughswimming is in the top five of the mostpopular activities in Slough, residents’participation is less than half the nationallevel. 65% of over 16s want to do more sport(55% national figure), of whom the largestdemand was for swimming.

6.2 Having a wide range of quality facilities thatencourages engagement and participationin all forms of physical activity is a criticalelement in getting people more active.However national and local researchdemonstrates that targeted interventionprogrammes that encourage and enableparticipation have a far greater impact thanwhat facilities are available.

6.3 Through a series of consultation exercisescarried out in February 2014 with youngpeople, the key barriers to participation wereidentified as time, cost and travel.

• Of the young people completing thesurvey a low proportion stated that theydid no form of physical activity during aone week period

• Zumba, rugby, basketball and boxing werestated as sports and activities that youngpeople would be interested in pursuing ifthey had the opportunity in the future

• Use of parks by young people for informalactivity was affected by negativeperceptions of crime, anti-socialbehaviour, personal safety and a gangculture in Slough

• Demand for formal dance classes andsessions were popular with both male andfemale

6.4 The council will prioritise encouragingparticipation through incentives andtargeted programmes for children, youngpeople and women. Programmes will bebased in local neighbourhoods and offeractivities that meet the needs of localresidents. Areas and communitiesdemonstrating high health inequalities willbe targeted as a priority.

14.0%

12.0%

10.0%

8.0%

6.0%

4.0%

2.0%

0.0%

Gym Football Swimming Athletics Cycling

Slough South East England

Top five sports in Slough, compared with regional and national participation rates


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6.5 There is an opportunity to make better useof Slough’s parks and open spaces forphysical activity. From the figures collectedas part of the Public Health OutcomesFramework Indicator 1.16 8.9% of Slough’spopulation make use of its green spaces forexercise and health reasons as compared toan average of 14.5% across the South Eastand 14% nationally3. This requiresinvestment in a range of facilities andprogrammes to encourage their use.

6.6 Slough will launch its three year ‘Get Active’sports and physical activity programme inautumn 2014. This programme will operatein four wards in the borough targeting 14 to25 year olds in multi sports activity. Theprogramme is funded by Sport England. Theprogramme will identify and train local‘sports activists’, who will deliverprogrammes related to sport and healthierlifestyles and help enable sustainability ofthe programme when funding ends. Thisprogramme will be used to test the impact ofimproved community based programmingfor leisure.

7 Facilities7.1 Current provision

In 2010 an audit was completed of sport andleisure provision in the town and theimmediate surrounding area within a 20minute car journey. The audit concluded thatSlough is well served for provision, butrecommended much greater community useof school facilities. The audit findings havebeen updated to 2014 and the findings showa largely unchanged picture (summary inAppendix 1).

7.2 Future options

The council’s approach will be underpinnedby the overarching vision; to get morepeople, more active, more often. A variety ofoptions for future provision have beenconsidered, including particularly:

1. Extensive refurbishment of existingfacilities on the Montem site

2. A centralised approach - integrated newbuild; incorporating ice with leisurecentre provision on a single (cf Appendix2)

3. A dispersed strategy - with smallerfacilities on a number of sites across theborough (cf Appendix 2)

4. Opportunities for greater use of otherexisting facilities by local people,including schools, community centresand parks and open spaces.

7.3 Dispersed model

This approach assumes that the Ice Arenawill be comprehensively refurbished and theMontem Leisure Centre would be replacedby a range of new or adapted facilitiesthroughout the borough.

7.4 This model would geographically spreadprovision and take a range of sports, leisureand recreational facilities closer to localresidents to maximise participation. It wouldbe phased over a period of five years and besupported by planned activity programmestailored to improve engagement with targetaudiences.

7.5 With investment of approximately £3.5m,the Ice Arena would be transformed. Thiswould include new external cladding, a newentrance and an active frontage onto the A4to substantially improve the internal andexternal appearance, energy performance,flexibility and usage of the facility.

7.6 In addition to the Ice Arena, the dispersedmodel would include a combination of:

• At least 1 new 25m swimming pool opento public use

• A community sports stadium withintegrated dance studios and fitnessfacilities

• Negotiating enhanced levels of publicaccess to swimming pools, sports hallsand playing fields.

3 Source: ‘Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment’ (Natural England, October 2012) - Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) 1.16


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• Investment in parks to provide wellmaintained, safe, secure and accessiblespaces that promote a range of physicalactivities for individuals and teamsincluding play space, walking, running,cycling, green gyms and team sports

7.7 Integrated or centralised model

The integrated model is based on a newflagship facility built in a central locationthat would combine ice and a general leisurefacility with pool, gym and associatedfeatures.

7.8 Conclusion

The council will implement the dispersedstrategy for leisure facilities for thefollowing reasons:

• Provides all key facilities

• Brings opportunities for leisureparticipation closer to local people, manyof whom are reluctant to travel or are putoff by a large leisure centre

• More flexible and able to respond to needsand opportunities as they arise

• Can be scaled according to availableresources

• Much stronger connection betweenfacilities and capital investment andtargeted programmes to engage localpeople and run activities in a wide varietyof venues, from parks or communitycentres to leisure centre

7.9 Appendix 3 indicates broad areas for apotential new pool, as well as the Ice Arenaretained at Montem. In addition many localvenues - parks, schools and othercommunity facilities - will form part of thedevolved strategy, with a focus on deliveringengagement and participation programmesfocused on maximising participation bytarget audiences.


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Appendix 1: Map of current leisure facilities in Slough


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Audit of leisure facilities in Slough Community based sports clubs (Slough)

• Over 120 facilities open to members drawnfrom the public

• Over 90 formally established sports clubs in thetown and the immediate surrounding area

• Clubs cater for activities from bowls to crosscountry running, martial arts, football andathletics to ice hockey, cricket and gymnastics.

Outdoor pitches and facilities

• 62 pitches with community use on 20 sites,provided by the borough council and parishes,schools and colleges and privately

• 12 pitches on five school sites with nocommunity use

• 11 multi-use games areas

• Five artificial grass pitches

• 70 courts for tennis and netball use, includingeight all-weather, floodlit tennis courts as partof the Salt Hill Tennis Centre development.

Indoor leisure and sports facilities

The indoor leisure offer in the town is providedthrough schools and community organisations,and private companies as well as by the boroughcouncil. This offer includes swimming pools,sports halls, exercise studios, gyms and squashcourts.

• Langley and Montem leisure centres (SBC)

• Ice skating rink (SBC)

• Ten pin bowling centre (SBC)

• Athletics stadium with four squash courts andlarge sports hall (Thames Valley AthleticsCentre, Eton)

• Herschel Leisure Centre (six court sports hall,studio, and outdoor all weather sports facilities)

• East Berkshire College (30 station gym and fourcourt sports hall)

• Falcon Leisure Centre (four court sports hall,studio, and outdoor all weather facilities andpitches)

• 10 private/commercial gym facilities

Profile of Slough BoroughCouncil leisure facilitiesand usage at key sitesThere are over one million individual visits madeto council run leisure facilities each year. The mostvisited facilities are swimming pools, ice arenaand gyms.

Montem Leisure Centre: The largest leisurecentre in the town. A single building with facilitiesover three floors and comprising a dated, yetcomprehensive offer of wet led (two pools) andsports hall facilities (eight court) together with ahealth and fitness suite which incorporatesaerobic classes and a spa provision. In additionthere are three squash and racketball courtsalong with other flexible activity spaces in thebuilding. The facilities are in need of significantinvestment to keep them operational for anymeaningful period beyond the existingmanagement contract. The building is notefficiently laid out and has higher than necessaryoperational and managerial staffing costs. Thebuilding itself is close to being past its useful lifewithout major investment. Its position does notmaximise the potential of the site.

Slough Ice Arena: This building shares the samesite as the Montem Leisure Centre. It is a moremodern structure but one that does not lend itselfto having the operations expanded within theexisting envelope to any significant degree. Whilstancillary uses and activities are included withinthe building the principle use is as an ice arena forrecreational ice skating with facilities foradditional team and individual ice relatedactivities. There is staged seating surrounding theice pad for spectator orientated events. The plantis in need of modernisation, including thereplacement of the refrigeration unit and thebuilding needs extensive refurbishment.


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Ten pin bowling: Formerly a tennis centre, thisbuilding is modern enough for the activity thatoccupies it. The ten pin lanes together with thebar/cafe area, pool/snooker and gamingmachine areas and soft play area are modern andhave recently been the subject of a total refit. Thisrepresents a good modern facility although it isisolated from the usual commercial leisure uses ofa cinema, family orientated restaurants and otherfamily related leisure activities that wouldnormally be adjacent to such an offer. Thebuilding is set in Salt Hill Park which offers goodquality and comprehensive outdoor rackets andball related activities. Vehicular access andsignage to the venue are very poor and in need ofsignificant upgrade to enable this facility tomaximise its potential.

Langley Leisure Centre: This is a self containedbuilding providing water led (one leisure pool),health and fitness and associated sports facilitiesto the specific area of Langley. The building is in areasonable state of repair and the offer is good.With the usual programme of generalmaintenance and management it should becapable of continuing in its present format for theforeseeable future. There is little potential forexpansion. Insufficient car parking is a continuedproblem for the centre.

The Centre (Farnham Road): A modern steelframed building in a prominent location with along frontage to Farnham Road. Designedessentially over a single floor to offer events,conferencing and community facilities it has beenwell used as a wedding venue and conferencing/meeting facility and has potential for expansion.

Slough Tennis Centre: The existing courtprovision, based in Salt Hill Park, was redevelopedusing funding from the LTA and SBC in 2011. SCLhave a formal lease for the next 20 years tomanage the facility. The facility comprises of eightall-weather surfaced courts with floodlightingand a club house. It is in very good condition.


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Appendix 2

Item Dispersed CentralisedCapital Funding The phased approach will spread costs,

reduce development risk and providegreater flexibility to invest in the rightproject, in the right place at the right timeto meet targets and outcomes.

Due to the anticipated cost and timing (upto £36m within two years) this approachsubstantially increases the developmentand financial risk and provides reducedpotential to respond to changing needand demand.

Revenue Funding Higher management costs as aconsequence of the increasedcommitment to activity programmesrather than providing all services underone roof.

Lower management costs throughproviding all services under one roof.

Significant opportunity to reduceenergy/utility costs though heatexchanges between the ice and leisureelements.

Mix of accessiblefacilities andincreasedparticipation

More people focussed by improvingaccessibility and maximising activity forlocal communities throughout theborough.

It reflects concerns expressed aboutreducing travel time and cost.

Careful consideration will need to begiven to ensure the location does not actas a disincentive for key target groups.

Whilst usage will increase, participation bykey target groups may not be maximised.

Does not respond fully to concerns abouttravel.

Children, youngpeople and at riskgroups

Increased participation amongst at riskand difficult to reach groups by providinga range of accessible activity programmesin a range of formal and informal settings.

Potential for closer working with schools,sports clubs and local community groupsto create conditions for young people tomove into mainstream sport and increaseparticipation for 16-25 year olds. Also toimprove access to school facilities inevenings, weekends and outside termtime.

A missed opportunity to work closer withschools and encourage children andyoung people to participate outside schoolhours.

Full community access throughout theday, but potential for quiet times.

Regeneration Perception of taking the cheaper option. A flagship regeneration project that willbe centrally located beside publictransport to maximise accessibility.

CommunityCohesion

The ability to strengthen the delivery ofevidenced based programmes for prioritycommunities that contribute to strategiesto improve health and wellbeing.

The centralised approach reduces theflexibility to provide facilities andprogrammes in local settings.


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Appendix 3: Emerging facilities strategy

Ice

Arena

Pool search

area

Pool

search

area

Pool

search

area


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01753 875896

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Get Active Slough: a leisure strategy for Slough

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Get Active Slough: a leisure strategy for Slough · 2 Turning the tide of Inactivity - UK Active; January 2014. Get Active Slough: a leisure strategy for Slough 2 2.2 The benefits