The Leisure Review: news in brief

Edition number 85; dateline 26 September 2014

IoH adds a royal charter
The Institute of Horticulture has completed its journey to chartered status and marked the occasion with a garden party at Hatfield House hosted by the Marchioness of Salisbury, the newly chartered institute’s patron. Lady Salisbury and the institute’s trustees were joined by some 200 members and colleagues from across the horticulture sector to celebrate the granting of the royal charter. The first six chartered horticulturalists – Leigh Morris, Andrew Gill, Heather Barrett-Mold, Dennis Clarke, Owen Doyle and John Whetman – were announced at the event, creating a select group that the institute expects to expand in the near future. As president-elect, Gill explained that chartered status represented the culmination of a long-term strategy for recognition of horticulture. “There is a long way to go on our journey to raise the professional status of horticulture and a lot more hard work to be done,” he said. “But today is a day of celebration and, in the words of Sir Winston Churchill, we may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing.” An announcement will be made at the Chartered Institute of Horticulture’s AGM on 11 October 2014, advising on the timelines, fees and detailed arrangements for applying for individual chartered status.

High Line at the Rail Yards
New York’s most popular public attraction, the High Line, has recently opened a new section, extending its length to include the Rail Yards. First opened to the public in 2009, this former elevated freight rail line has become a thriving public park that runs through Manhattan’s West Side from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th and 12th Avenues. The Rail Yards section is the third section of the High Line to open and completes the project fifteen years after the Friends of the High Line was founded. Find the High Line online at www.thehighline.org

Recruitment process begins for 2015 Leading Learning cohort
Managers working in the leisure and culture sector can now apply to join the 2015 Leading Learning Programme. The application process runs until 15 December and the programme is open to senior staff working within in local government, agencies, companies and trusts to deliver culture and leisure services and opportunities. Now recognised as one of the most prestigious management qualifications available within the leisure and culture sector, the Leading Learning Programme is supported by all the organisations in membership of the National Culture Forum and provides invaluable learning opportunities for managers looking to pursue a career at the very highest level. Full details of the application process are available via the 'about the programme' page on the Leading Learning Programme website, which can be found at www.ncfleadinglearning.co.uk. A limited number of bursaries are available and potential applicants can contact the programme director for an informal discussion via leadinglearning@artsdevelopmentuk.org

It’s all happening at the zoo
Five animal charities have written to the director of the Zoological Society of London urging an end to the Zoo Late events held at the zoo on Friday nights during the summer. These events, promoted by London zoo as a “wild night out”, have regularly attracted thousands of people to the Regents Park site but the noise and the behaviour of some visitors has raised concerns regarding the welfare of the animals. The charities’ letter points to research that shows visitors can have a detrimental effect on animals even during normal opening hours and argues that Zoo Lates, which take place when animals would ordinarily be resting, could be even more harmful. The events raise some £800,000 annually but stories of animals being bothered by drunken revellers has not helped the zoo’s reputation as responsible custodians. A petition to end the events raised 75,000 signatures and Westminster council are reviewing the licensing arrangements.

£800m a year for diabetes treatment
Medication prescribed for the treatment of diabetes in England was running at £2.2 million every day, more than £800 million a year, according to figures from the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre. The statistics, which cover the period 2013-14, show a 56% increase in such diabetes treatments since 2005-06. In the UK 6% of the population, around 3.2 million people, are diagnosed as diabetic and 70% of the treatments prescribed are for lowering blood glucose. The figures prompted the Local Government Association to reiterate its proposals for the next government to invest a proportion of the VAT raised from high-sugar products to be used to combat obesity across the country.
.• The NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre document Prescribing for Diabetes, England - 2005-06 to 2013-14 is available via www.hscic.gov.uk

Big numbers for big names
Tate Modern’s exhibition of the cut-out works of Henri Matisse attracted 562,622 paying visitors, making it the most popular of the gallery’s special events by some distance. The previous record was the 467,166 people who saw the Matisse Picasso exhibition in 2002, closely followed by the 463,087 who saw the Damien Hirst retrospective in 2012. However, when it comes to metaphorical bums-on-seats gallery statistics, the Royal Academy’s Hockney exhibition brought in 600,989 in 2012.

Southbank says skaters are safe
The undercroft of the Southbank Centre on the south bank of the Thames in London will remain a haven for skateboarders, BMX-ers, graffiti artists and general urban culture types following a decision by the Southbank to review its proposed redevelopment. An agreement has now been reached between the Southbank and campaigners who had sought to prevent the undercroft being lost as part of a £120 million scheme that would have turned the undercroft into retail space. Alan Bishop, the Southbank’s chief executive, said that while they are still committed to a scheme to improve the arts and cultural spaces, the agreement was a reflection of the strength of support for retaining the undercroft as free space.

AD:UK 2014: now booking
The 2014 AD:UK conference takes place 16-17 October at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. The programme promises a lively mix of keynote presentations, breakouts, study tours, skills and knowledge exchanges, and discussion groups. The full conference brochure and booking form in both English and Welsh can be found online via artdevelopment.org/2014 and delegates can also make use of the booking service provided by Eventbrite to book and pay by credit card. Find them online at www.eventbrite.co.uk

STA and Sporta: new partnership
The Sports and Recreation Trusts Association (Sporta) has appointed the Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) as their the preferred aquatic training supplier. Through this partnership, which has been initially agreed for 12 months, the STA will provide products and services to Sporta members, sharing experience and helping trust to achieve national standards and financial efficiencies. STA operations director Theo Millward welcomed the opportunity the partnership represents. “We feel we can add real value to Sporta members,” he said, “and in turn raise standards, giving more people the opportunity to learn how to swim and enjoy life-long aquatic activities.”

GLL in Manchester
Manchester City Council has a awarded GLL a new management contract to operate nine leisure centres in Manchester, including the Manchester Aquatics Centre, Moss Side Leisure Centre and Wythenshawe Forum. The partnership will begin 1 October 2014 and will run for three years, with provision for a possible two-year extension. The new partnership has a strong focus on increasing physical activity and sports club participation, reducing health inequalities and improving social inclusion. GLL has also committed to introducing a standardised leisure card scheme and concessionary pricing structure, including discounts for students and disabled users. Talented athletes across Manchester will also be able to access funding from the GLL Sport Foundation. GLL managing director, Mark Sesnan, commented: “As a ‘not for profit’ charitable social enterprise, our objective is to increase sports, health and physical activity in Manchester by at least 2% per year, and to bolster the levels of sports club participation in each of these leisure centres.” GLL plans include new leisure centres, including Hough End Leisure Centre and East Manchester Leisure Centre, to provide affordable leisure and sporting facilities under the ‘Better’ brand.

Pitch-perfect partnership
England Hockey has appointed Notts Sport as their first official facilities partner. The arrangement also includes the company sponsoring the nationwide Club Weekender event which encourages people to give the sport a try and enhance the relationship between clubs and their communities. Jonathan Cockcroft, England Hockey’s commercial and membership director, welcomed the partnership. “Having worked together with Notts Sport to improve hockey facility provision over the past two years, we have been impressed by their extensive knowledge and collaborative approach.

Crime figures show record decline
As usual the latest crime figures from the Office of National Statistics have given much food for thought for those prone to poring over the numbers that might provide some insight into the best way to build, develop and protect communities. Figures from the crime survey for England and Wales for the year to March 2014 (based on a survey of 10,000 people about their own experience of crime) show a record fall in crime of 14%, which takes crime figures to their lowest level for 32 years. While in the midst of an economic depression, the survey suggests that crime has fallen in most categories of offence, with a drop of 20% in violent crime, 17% in criminal damage and 10% in theft. These falls have also taken place in the context of a continuing drop in the number of police officers, falling by 1,674 to 127,909 over the year studied; this brings the total number of officers lost since 2010 to 15,825. The overall police recorded crime figures (the crimes actually reported to police) showed no change for the year, the first year to show no fall after 11 years of decline. This levelling off of offences is attributed to a 20% increase in sexual offences, largely a result of historical cases coming from Operation Yewtree.
• The crime statistics document can be found on the Office of National Statistics website at www.ons.gov.uk

Stirling work for sport, leisure and culture buildings
Whatever one might think of the Stirling prize, it remains one of architecture’s most prestigious awards and over the years it has included an impressive number of cultural buildings among those schemes short-listed. This year continued the recognition of culture’s architectural achievements, with the London Aquatics Centre, the Manchester School of Art, the Everyman theatre in Liverpool and the Library of Birmingham among the six schemes selected for the final round of judging.

Labour looks for sports support
With a general election looming large on the political horizon, the Labour party has launched a consultation document on sport that includes proposals for a levy on all sports betting to help fund community sport, a obligation for the Premier League to contribute 5% of its television revenue to grassroots football, the reintroduction of a commitment to two hours of school sport within the weekly school curriculum and a new focus on women and girls participating in the playing and running of sport. The document, More Sport for All, includes a ten-year plan for sport and was launched by shadow culture secretary Harriet Harman and shadow sports minister Clive Efford.
• The consultation document More Sport for All can be found at www.yourbritain.org.uk

Speaker speaks out in pursuit of equality
The speaker of the Commons, John Bercow, chose the eve of the Commonwealth Games to point out that 80% of the nations that compose the Commonwealth have laws that criminalise homosexuality. “Shamefully, it is estimated that rout out of every five countries in the Commonwealth criminalise homosexuality,” he said. “Surely it is time for the Commonwealth to do more to support, lesbian, gay, transsexual and bisexual people, to ensure they are not discriminated against, no matter where they live.” Equal rights campaigners welcomed Bercow’s comments, pointing out that article seven of the constitution of the Commonwealth Games Federation prohibits all discrimination.

Kim persuaded by power of leisure
The economic power of leisure and tourism has come to the attention of North Korea. A recent announcement from authorities in Pyongyang reveals that the coastal city of Wonsan is to be the site of an extensive development to create a “tourist city”. Attractions within the plan include an “underwater hotel, flower park, international meeting hall, exhibition and exposition hall”. There will also be a stadium and extensive “towers and other modern-style buildings”. While the UN World Food Programme has been critical of North Korea’s investment in food aid programmes within the country, it seems that Kim Jong-un is determined to invest heavily in the transformational power of leisure.

Nordic walking comes to Bristol
This summer British Nordic Walking hosted Britain’s first dedicated Nordic walking race in Britain. Some 80 people competed over an off-road course in Ashton Court, Bristol, racing over five, ten and 20km distances. The race was run under the International Nordic Walking Federation competition rules (INWA) and attracted men and women ranging in ages from 20 to 76. Further details at http://britishnordicwalking.org.uk/

NIBs: news in brief

Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure has taken its exercise referral scheme online with help of software supplier Refer-all. Virgin Active is working with the STA to provide members and non-members with access to swimming teaching qualifications. Work has begun on the new Tadworth leisure and community centre and youth centre, a partnership between Reigate and Banstead borough council and Surrey county council. RLSS UK and Ferno have launched a new design of pool extraction board. Precor has appointed James Moffat to the post of sales director EMEA, with Steve Shaw to the role of senior group account manager for the UK/EMEA. Danielle De Cruz has been appointed as the courses coordinator at Tonbridge and Malling Leisure Trust.