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Watching the pennies and the people - how volunteer led sport facilities have transformed services for local communities

Lookup NU author(s): Deborah Forbes, Gordon Macfadyen

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This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by Routledge, 2018.

For re-use rights please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.


Abstract

This paper shows how the transfer of public sport facilities to management led by volunteers has increased the responsiveness of services to local needs; while at the same time reducing running costs. It provides a contrast to previous research on transfer to large leisure trusts. It draws on interviews with key personnel at 8 sport facilities transferred to small volunteer led community groups.Running costs have been cut because of the greater attention to detail and flexibility of volunteer managed services. The service has become more sensitive and flexible to the needs of the local community because volunteers are their own marketing information system, rooted in that community. The positive outcomes are driven by needs to attain economic sustainability; and to renew volunteer effort by changing the public perception of the facility to an asset created by the community, rather than just as a public service consumed by it.The paper shows the progressive potential of the small trusts in meeting local leisure needs, making a case to support this type of sport facility delivery. These small leisure trusts retain advantages of the large leisure trusts, established in the 1990’s, but with further advantages derived from local production.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Findlay-King L, Nichols G, Forbes D, Macfadyen G

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Managing Sport and Leisure

Year: 2018

Volume: 23

Issue: 4-6

Pages: 277-292

Online publication date: 29/11/2018

Acceptance date: 16/11/2018

Date deposited: 05/12/2018

ISSN (print): 2375-0472

ISSN (electronic): 2375-0480

Publisher: Routledge

URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/23750472.2018.1550369

DOI: 10.1080/23750472.2018.1550369


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