Agenda item

Agenda item

Active4Today - 2017/2018 Annual Report

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report presented by the Director of Customers and Managing Director – Active4Today, which updated Members on the performance of Active4Today for the financial year ending 31 March 2018.

 

Members were informed that the Company had traded positively in 2017/18.  Company turnover had increased by almost 10 per cent, buoyed, in particular, by growth in children’s memberships of more than 12%. The adult and children’s membership bases remained the best indicators of the underlying strength of the Company. 

 

The report provided an overview of performance which was detailed within Appendix II to the report.  An overview of finance for the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018, was reported, the financial statements which were appended to the report showed that the Company recorded a net operating surplus of £178,553.  At the end of the financial year, 2016/17, the company made a provision in its accounts, totalling £116,000, for repairs that were planned to be undertaken in the 2017/18 year. These works were not undertaken by the company in the year because of the pending review of leisure facilities in Sherwood. The commitment of £116,000 had therefore been reversed in the income and expenditure account and formed part of the year end surplus of £178,553. The operating surplus represented further, strong financial performance from the Company in 2017/18.  The Company’s earmarked usable reserves, as at 31 March 2018 stood at £377,677.  The Company had agreed a maximum level of usable reserves of £750,000.

 

The report also updated Members on Future Funding and Southwell Leisure Centre Trust.

 

In the discussion Members sought clarification on the performance data, which showed that the use of visits had fallen and whether anything could be done to improve that.  The number of GP referrals had also fallen significantly and whether there were things that could be done to rectify that.  The Equalities and Diversity section of the report also indicated that the number of attendance from children in deprived areas had fallen, which was due to the funding for the SAFE programme ending.

 

The Managing Director Active4Today confirmed that the way the data was being retrieved for the performance data had been changed and new ICT systems had been installed.  It was confirmed that the GP referrals had reduced however Active4Today could not influence the GPs; Members were informed of other schemes available.  It was confirmed that the programme that had been provided to target increasing activity in deprived areas had been funded by Sports England and had come to an end.

 

A Member commented that the report indicated that there were no equalities and diversity issues, but questioned why the number of female attendance had fallen.  Clarification was further sought whether Active4Today had a policy for equalities and diversity.

 

The Managing Director – Active4Today confirmed that the equalities and diversity section would be circulated for Members of the Committee.

 

The Committee Vice-Chairman confirmed that he would address the GP referrals with the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Health and Wellbeing Board and ask whether there was anything the Council could do.

 

AGREED           (unanimously) that:

 

(a)               the positive performance of Active4Today in 2017/18 be noted: and

 

(b)               the operating agreement between the Council and the Company is under review and any significant changes to the agreement will be brought to a future meeting of the Committee.

 

Supporting documents: