The need for leisure operators to attract external funding has never been clearer, with councils warning the cut to the Local Government Association’s public health budget – from £3.38bn to £3.13bn between 2016/17 and 2020/21 – could hamper efforts to tackle obesity.

But according to research by Leisure-net Solutions, providers are missing out on funding opportunities because they don’t understand how to demonstrate the strategic impact of their services.

For the last 10 years, Leisure-net has been surveying local authorities to rate the efficiency and effectiveness of their leisure management partners – covering all aspects from service delivery and communication to strategic issues such as unemployment and childhood obesity, as well as a Net Promoter Score (NPS).

The research highlights that the focus among these providers is primarily on service delivery for those already using the facilities, with little conversation around the strategic needs of the wider community and how these can be delivered against.

“Qualitative discussions around outcomes and impacts suggest many local authorities and their management partners don’t truly understand the issues involved,” says David Albutt, associate director of consulting for Leisure-net.

“For the physical activity sector, the benefits of working with GP surgeries and hospital departments should be self-evident, but even here not enough work is currently being done.

“This is despite the fact that external funding is absolutely available if local needs are properly met.

“Both leisure operators and their local authority counterparts need to understand local requirements so they can demonstrate to commissioners and grant issuers – such as health, education, police and employers – how the service they provide can contribute.”

But some leisure providers have been able to successfully tap into new funding streams. We talk to a selection of those who have secured extra cash to launch innovative projects…