Stockport Council has established a new Community Interest Company, Stockport Active CIC, which will take over responsibility for Stockport Sports Trust’s leisure’s operations in Stockport, operating under the Life Leisure brand.
Stockport Sports Trust, trading as Life Leisure, has provided a valuable service for Stockport residents for almost 20 years. Its operation of 12 local leisure centres and delivery of active communities programmes – including youth Satellite Sports Clubs, I Wish I’d Tried, SMILE and Active Aging – have made a real difference to people’s lives.
The impact of COVID 19 on many sectors, including the leisure sector, has created financial uncertainty and has also emphasised the importance of services and initiatives that promote health, wellbeing, and which make fitness more accessible. Bringing responsibility for Life Leisure’s services in Stockport under new control will help ensure services can continue to provide a positive impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of local people in the future.
The new Community Interest Company (CIC) will maintain Life Leisure’s ethos, principles and activities. It will also continue to use the Life Leisure trading brand; customers should see no difference to their experience of using sites and facilities.
As part of the change, Stockport Sports Village in Woodley and Houldsworth Village in Reddish will be incorporated into the portfolio of Stockport Council’s leisure assets, with Life Leisure staff in Stockport brought into the CIC.
Stockport Active CIC will take over operations of Life Leisure as soon as necessary banking and financial arrangements are in place.
In an update on the move posted to the Stockport Council website, the council stated:
Life Leisure has a great reputation in the community and has worked hard over the years to support the people of Stockport. We are committed to building on this legacy and preserving the Life Leisure name, so that local people can enjoy the fantastic facilities and great level of service they have come to expect for years to come.”