The report presents Fusion Lifestyle’s Annual Service Plan for the management of the Council’s leisure facilities for 2014/2015.

The Board is asked to endorse the plan.

The Head of Leisure and Parks submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) that presented for endorsement Fusion’s Annual Service Plan for the management of the Council’s leisure facilities for 2014/2015.

Ian Brooke, Head of Leisure and Parks, presented the report to the Board and provided some background and context to it.  He drew the Board’s attention to the notable increase in usage (40%) of the Council’s leisure facilities, along with significant savings. Usage by target groups has also increased pleasingly. There is a challenge to maintain the uplift in usage, which has now reached a plateau. Free sessions for young people at the Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre have proved successful, and are now being widened to include a cultural aspect.

Tim Sadler, Executive Director Community services, added that there was a reward scheme for the young called “Bounce” through which participants can gain points for attendance which can then be spent on various goods and prizes. The Council wanted to encourage more young people to take part in this.

Councillor Mike Rowley, Board Member for Leisure, commented that the Fusion contract was important for the future of the Council’s leisure services, and in particular its aspiration to produce a world class leisure service for everyone. He intended to meet with all leisure service user groups and to look at ways by which leisure participation could be increased. He thanked Officers for all their hard work on this matter, and for facilitating useful meetings with Fusion.

Councillor Susan Brown observed that there were weaknesses in the ways by which feedback on service was received, and that there should be greater clarity around the whole feedback process. Fusion should be encouraged to do everything it could to increase and obtain feedback.

Councillor Rowley proposed the following amendments to the submitted report which he felt would strengthen the Council’s commitment to continued improvement to its leisure services:-

(1)  Add new paragraph 1.3 to read “Nevertheless, the Council remains committed to continuous improvement in order to maintain Oxford’s leisure facilities as a word-class affordable public leisure service for the people of the City”;

(2)  Add to paragraph 2.1 the following sentence: “The Council will look at ways to encourage and increase user participation in the Board [Leisure Partnership Board]”;

(3)  Add new pargraphs 4.2 and 4.3 which will say:-

“4.2: The Council will step up its regular programme of unannounced inspections of all leisure facilities managed by Fusion and will ensure regular Council attendance at all user groups”

“4.3: Working with Fusion, the Council will seek to ensure that scheduling is optimised in order to avoid any capacity issues as usage continues to increase, with particular focus on activities aimed at target groups”

Resolved to endorse Fusion Lifestyle’s Annual Service Plan for 2014/15, with the amendments to the report detailed above.