Tower Hamlets’ 7 leisure centres are operated by GLL under a contract that will expire on 30 April 2024. The Council is reviewing how its leisure service should be run beyond that point and has also made a commitment to invest in the infrastructure it uses. This was based on a consultation process that ran from November 2021 to January 2022, followed by a report to the Council’s Cabinet in February 2022.
We are engaging with a range of stakeholders to investigate how the leisure estate can be used to improve the health and wellbeing of residents going forwards, whether through how it is run or by improving the facilities that are available. This will inform the Council’s existing thoughts for how the service will operate. In developing the model further, we also need to ensure that it is financially sustainable for the Council.
We want the leisure service to attract more residents to engage in physical exercise, improve mental wellbeing and potentially host other activities in cooperation with partners such as the NHS. We particularly want to understand how to remove any barriers that you think make it extremely difficult or put some people off using leisure centres. This could include the cost of usage, how buildings are currently configured, the range of activities supported, etc.
An initial decision on the type of operating model that will be used to run the leisure service is expected to be made by the Mayor and Cabinet in July 2022. Work will continue on developing the detail of the service offer through to autumn 2022.
We would welcome your views, either via email to sports@towerhamlets.gov.uk, or we would be happy to set up a virtual meeting to discuss any points your organisation may wish to make in more detail, or simply if you want to know more about what is proposed. Thank you in advance for your help.
