Parkwood Leisure – The key to solving council challenges? Data-driven action

Parkwood Leisure, which operates more than 70 leisure and culture sites across the UK in partnership with Lex Leisure, Legacy leisure and 1Life, is playing a key role in helping local authorities improve the health and wellbeing of people from underrepresented groups. These include individuals with disabilities, long-term health issues and those living in deprived areas. By working closely with councils and using data to make informed decisions, Parkwood is making a real difference in communities that face the biggest health challenges.

• £74.9 million in social value, with £13 million coming from improvements in physical and mental health, helping reduce healthcare costs for local authorities.
• 1.8 million visits from people with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
• 2 million visits from residents in the most deprived areas (IMD 1-3), thanks to targeted in centre and outreach programmes.
• 9% increase in participation from the most deprived areas, showing the effectiveness of Parkwood’s community engagement strategies.
• An average customer satisfaction score of 84%, with a growing Net Promoter Score (NPS) showing high levels of customer appreciation.

The work of Parkwood and their partners, supports the UK Government’s Levelling Up Agenda and local strategies focused on reducing health inequalities. By increasing physical activity in deprived areas and offering targeted health programmes, they are helping local authorities achieve their public health goals, reduce healthcare costs and boost social mobility.

To engage residents from the most deprived communities, Parkwood and their partners implemented targeted outreach and partnership programmes, with a focus on engaging people with health conditions or disabilities in physical activity, including:

• Implementation of MSK Hubs in 30 sites, including additional staff training and development of health care practitioner and self-referral routes to enable access to the services for local communities with MSK conditions;
• Targeted activities, such as autism friendly swim lessons, multi-sport clubs for disabled children, dementia friendly sessions, Battle Cancer rehab sessions and inclusive and walking activities with NGB partners;
• Reduced-cost and zero cost memberships and classes in IMD 1-3 regions, making physical activity more accessible despite rising living costs.

These efforts have led to a measurable increase in attendance from IMD 1-3 communities and from people with disabilities or long-term health conditions - a significant achievement given the longstanding barriers these communities face in accessing leisure and health services. 

An example of success is the Tarka Leisure Centre in North Devon, which underwent a £14 million redevelopment and reopened in June 2022. Since then, the centre has seen a 43% increase in visitor numbers, welcoming over 33,800 visitors in August 2022 alone. The Centre is managed in partnership with Lex Leisure CIC. 

The centre was designed with community feedback in mind and now includes a 100-station gym, two swimming pools, a tennis centre, and an endless ski slope. Accessibility improvements, such as Pool Pods and accessible changing places, have made it much easier for people with disabilities to use the facilities. The Tarka Centre has become a vibrant hub for the community, offering something for everyone.

The centre has lead the way in developing targeted interventions to support community physical activity and has piloted programmes such as MSK Hubs, Bumpboost for Pregnant Women, mobility & disability gym and swim sessions, arthritis action coffee mornings and partnerships with local colleges to encourage physical activity and workforce development. 

According to Ken Miles, Chief Executive of North Devon District Council:

"Tarka Leisure Centre is thriving and even busier than its predecessor. It’s a first-class facility that will provide sport and leisure opportunities for generations to come."

Using data and benchmarking participation rates and analysing user demographics, Parkwood has identified areas where more support is needed and developed programmes to meet these needs. Examples include:

• Implementation of Sunflower Hidden Disabilities accreditation and roll out of NHS Make Every Contact Count training to ensure a welcoming environment for all users and their carers / families;
• Engagement of Thomas Pocklington Trust to undertake audits from the perspective of customers with visual impairments, leading to improvements in both facilities and service delivery;
• Expansion of the Steps to Health / Exercise Referral programmes to support more people into being more physically active – this engaged over 11,000 people in Q1 2024 alone;
• Partnership working with organisations such as WALX, delivering wellbeing walking sessions, and Battle Cancer, delivering rehabilitation support in 9 sites.
• Nutrition courses to support fundamentals of wellbeing, menopause, immunity and MSK conditions – 16 courses have been delivered in 2024, with feedback suggesting 95% of people have made wellbeing changes since attending a course. 

Parkwood has also teamed up with UK Active to create MSK Hubs, which offer rehabilitation services for people with musculoskeletal issues. Key achievements include:

• 1,885 new referrals, helping people improve mobility and reduce pain.
• 242 staff members trained to provide specialised support.
• £981,000 of social value generated
• 62.5% of participants have seen improvements in their wellbeing
• The hubs also offer social activities, such as coffee mornings, which help people dealing with isolation and mental health challenges.

At Tarka Leisure Centre, the MSK Hub has helped local residents not only recover physically but also improve their social wellbeing through the community activities.

It’s a safe space. Sessions are totally personalised to you, so you don’t feel embarrassed about where you’re starting at. You start at your level.”

 

I’ve only done two classes and for the first time in seven months I haven’t got pain in my hip.”

Parkwood’s programmes are not only improving health but also saving money for local authorities. The Moving Communities social value calculator estimates that Parkwood’s initiatives contributed to generating £13.26 million in physical and mental health savings in 2023. By preventing conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, these programmes reduce the burden on local healthcare services.

The approach taken by Parkwood Leisure and their partners to improving community health, offers a clear example for other local authorities and leisure providers to follow. By aligning their programmes with local health strategies and focusing on reaching vulnerable groups, Parkwood shows how partnerships with local governments can create real, lasting change.

As local councils face continue to grapple with rising healthcare costs and health inequalities, Parkwood’s success highlights a practical way forward - investing in inclusive, accessible health and wellbeing services is not only beneficial for public health, but it also makes good financial sense.