East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) has set up a charitable trust to run leisure and cultural services within the district and to implement a health programme to tackle the area’s growing obesity problem.
Magna Vitae, described as a ‘key strategic partner’ to the council, will operate facilities such as the Meridian Leisure Centre in Louth, Embassy Theatre in Skegness, and Horncastle Swimming Pool from January 2015. Also under its remit will be the area’s cultural programme, which features the acclaimed SO Festival, Wolds Words, a boutique festival celebrating the written word, and the summer seaside illuminations.
One of its main aims is to enhance the wellbeing of residents with a series of health improvement programmes. “We have a vision to enable more people to be more physically and culturally active, the trust’s objective is to provide and assist with the delivery of recreational facilities, particularly for those who have a need due to their age, infirmity, disability, financial or social circumstance,” said a spokesperson.
Over 30 per cent of adults and 22 per cent of children in East Lindsey are classified as obese – well above the national average. The area, which covers most of the Lincolnshire coastline, and is the fifth largest district in England, also has higher than average levels of poverty and disability, particularly in its seaside towns.
ELDC currently runs several health initiatives aimed at getting constituents more active. Heelers is a gym-based programme for GP-referred residents at four of its leisure facilities. It also employs staff known as Health Trainers who act in advisory roles for those who need to make lifestyle changes, while its Food for Life team delivers cookery courses and nutrition advice to show residents the benefits of a healthier diet.
This move shadows a growing trend among local authorities to allocate a greater part of their budget to physical activity, although there is still plenty of work to be done. Steps to Solving Inactivity,
a report by ukactive launched earlier this month, notes that 29 per cent of people in England are physically inactive, a fact that leads to one in six deaths according to Public Health England.
Mark Humphreys, who formerly oversaw the running of the now-outsourced services at the council, will head the Magna Vitae board. “We will now start to focus our time and energy on improving services to ensure all our residents can lead physically and culturally active lives,” he said.
“The Magna Vitae team are very excited about the future opportunities this decision presents and I would like to thank the council for having the foresight to entrust the future development and delivery of these services to the trust.”
The transfer of services to the trust will enable the council to reduce the amount of funding it allocates to them in the future. “In recent years the council has invested around £15m in improving leisure and cultural provision in the district,” said East Lindsey councillor Adam Grist. “The creation of the trust will enable the council to safeguard and sustain the work these services do.”
The trust, which is a non-profit distributing organisation, will eventually comprise a board of 11 and is still receiving bids from interested parties.
