Oldham’s Big Society tonic

London is calling on Oldham to show how managing the area’s pools, gyms and leisure facilities is an example of the Big Society in action.

Oldham Community Leisure chief Ian Kendall is in the capital today for a House of Commons event to explain its success.

He said: “It’s about what Oldham has achieved in terms of the mutual society concept. We are being held up as an example of good practice in the third sector.

“I think it’s a tremendously good news story for Oldham.”

Mr Kendall goes back again in two weeks to speak to an all-party parliamentary group looking into how leisure will unfold in the current economic climate.

OCLL took over the running of leisure facilities in the borough from the council in 2002. It’s a not-for-profit community benefit society with employee representatives on the board.

Any money made stays in the company to improve facilities.

It fits in with the Government’s so-called Big Society agenda of giving more power to people and outsourcing facilities to the third sector.

Ministers have been told how OCLL has increased its turnover from £3million to £7million and improved employment and sickness rates.

Mr Kendall will attend a parliamentary reception today on creating successful employee-owned mutuals, with keynote speakers including Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude MP and The Mutuals’ Taskforce chairman, Julian Le Grand.

It will launch new guidance on how public services can become mutuals with Mr Kendall answering questions on how OCLL has performed and the challenges it’s faced.

On March 18, Mr Kendall will give a speech to the all-party parliamentary group, describing how Oldham has improved it’s leisure facilities since the transfer.

OCLL has invested £2million in facilities over the last eight years, regardless of Oldham Council facing reduced budgets over the years and its grant remaining at the 2002 level, despite increased costs, with new gyms recently installed at Saddleworth and Glodwick.

Mr Kendall added: “I think it’s fantastic the fact that the staff’s hard work has been recognised. They have been pushed and pushed and responded to the challenges all the time. I’m delighted for them. It’s the staff that have delivered — I’m just the mouthpiece.

“The people of Oldham are responding to the challenge of improving health and all the messages we have been putting out. It’s testimony to the way they realise that health is important and want to invest in it and that’s why we have been successful as we have given them a product that they want.”