Study shows North Northamptonshire Council leisure facilities provide significant social value

26 November 2024

A study of North Northamptonshire’s leisure facilities found that they provide significant social value to residents and local communities.

North Northamptonshire Council provides and commissions a range of leisure facilities such as swimming pools, gyms and sports halls.

A study of these facilities was carried out throughout 2023. An industry recognised model developed by Sheffield Hallam University was used to measure social value ensuring a reliable and comparable set of outcomes.  The level of social value provided by leisure facilities was quantified, so as to better understand the social value benefits provided to local communities.

The following four areas were assessed:
•    Physical and mental health
•    Subjective wellbeing
•    Individual development
•    Social and community development

The social value benefits were then quantified financially, allowing service providers to understand more about the benefits of services relating to their cost. This method also allows comparisons to be made with other areas of the country and service providers, allowing for more effective benchmarking too.
Measuring social value is important. It allows for a balanced view of the benefits leisure facilities provide over and above the cost and revenue of the service.

The study carried out showed that leisure services provided and commissioned by North Northamptonshire during 2023 yielded a social value benefit of £16.6m.  This equates to an average social value of £126 per service user, placing North Northamptonshire’s leisure facilities in the top 25% of leisure facilities in the country in terms of social value benefit provided.

The study provides clear evidence that we are doing something really positive in North Northamptonshire regarding leisure services. The fact that we are in the top 25% in terms of the social value our leisure services provide is very encouraging. I have to say that looking at the quality of some of our facilities, services and the dedicated staff, this is not surprising.
The positive impact in terms of the social value measured is important. It helps provide a balanced view of the benefits our leisure services provide over and above the cost and revenue of the service alone. I feel that it is vital that we not only take into account financial return on investment of our leisure services, but also look at the broader picture of how they benefit our local communities.Councillor Helen Howell, Deputy Leader for North Northamptonshire Council and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism

The results of this study provide a fascinating insight into our leisure facilities and highlight the incredible impact they have on the lives of our residents. I am incredibly proud of what this study has revealed. The results clearly highlight the incredible work that is taking place in North Northamptonshire’s leisure facilities and that the services are making a significant contribution to the social value for our residents.
I would like to congratulate and thank both our in-house staff and those in contract managed facilities for their hard work and dedication.Jason Smithers, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council

The study, which ran through 2023 from January to December, used a widely valued approach acknowledged by the sector.  The social value model developed by Sheffield Hallam University (SHU). This approach uses measurements which include live participation data collected from the leisure facilities.  A user, either a member or a casual participant, generates social value when they participate in an activity. The amount of value depends on demographic factors such as age, gender and postcode, as well as measuring how long they are active for.

The value generated is broken down to the per-person level and divided into four key indicators: physical and mental health; subjective wellbeing; individual development; and social and community development. 

Over 132,300 participants were recorded for the study during the time period from 12 Leisure Facilities, both in house and contract managed. These facilities included: Corby East Midlands International Pool, Lodge Park Sports Centre and Priors Hall Golf Course in Corby, Kettering Swimming Pool, Desborough Leisure Centre, Corn Market Hall and Arena Sports – Kettering Leisure Village in Kettering. Also included were The Nene Centre, Pemberton Leisure Centre and Splash Leisure Pool in East Northants, as well as Redwell Leisure Centre and Waendel Leisure Centre, in Wellingborough.

The £16.6m Social Value Benefit across the 12 Leisure Facilities can be broken down into four areas:

Physical and mental health £2,707,031
Subjective Wellbeing £9,434,385
Individual Development £177,600
Social and Community Development £4,313,166