Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL) Appointed
Sport England and the London Development Agency (LDA) today announced that a new facility management contract for Crystal Palace Sports Centre has been signed with Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL).
The deal reflects the strong level of commitment to the future of Crystal Palace. It follows Sport England’s £1.5m investment in the stadium, including the new athletics track, and comes ahead of the LDA’s large-scale consultation process on the future of the park and its sports facilities, which will begin on 18 September.
Roger Draper, Chief Executive of Sport England said:
“GLL is a very innovative organisation and has demonstrated its ability to engage with local communities. These skills complement our regional plan for sport in London, helping Sport England to increase sports participation and success in the area.”
“Sport England also looks forward to maintaining our ongoing partnership with Leisure Connection who will continue to manage our three other national sports centres at Lilleshall, Bisham Abbey and Holme Pierrepont.”
LDA Executive Director for Regeneration and Development Tony Winterbottom said:
“This is the first step, following the Mayor’s intervention, to put Crystal Palace park on a firmer footing. The next step is consultation will be hearing what people want for the future of sports facilities in the park when the consultation begins next week.”
Mark Sesnan, Managing Director of GLL said:
“We are hugely excited to be invited to work in partnership with Sport England and the LDA managing Crystal Palace. Our vision is to promote community health and well being through grass roots participation alongside the very peak of sporting excellence”.
The management contract for Crystal Palace was put out to tender following the expiry of Leisure Connection’s contract in March 2004. The new contract with GLL is for a term of four years starting in October 2004.
Sport England will be responsible for the lease of Crystal Palace until 2006 when the LDA will take over responsibility for the sports centre and the whole of Crystal Palace park.
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Notes to Editors
- If you would like more information, please contact Sarah Shore, Sport England on 020 7273 1590 or Oliver Roberts, London Development Agency on 020 7954 4206.
- Sport England provides the strategic lead for sport in England. Since 1996, Sport England has invested over £2 billion of Lottery funding into sporting projects across the country.
- The London Development Agency is the Mayor's agency for business and jobs. The LDA prepares the Mayor's business plan for London and mobilises the support and resources of hundreds of partner organisations to help build a thriving economy for London's people, businesses and communities. The LDA is dedicated to improving sustainability, health and equality of opportunity for Londoners.The LDA is running a consultation on the future for the sports centre and the park as a whole will from 18-26 September. Details of the consultation can be found at www.crystalpalacepark.org.uk.
- Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) is an employee owned society that exists for the benefit of the community. Based on charitable objectives, GLL is a non-profit distributing organisation, which manages forty public leisure centres within the M25 area in partnership with seven London Boroughs, Epsom & Ewell Council Borough and Bellingham Community Project.
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