When The Sport and Leisure Consultancy was formed two years ago we had a simple business objective for the first two years which was to survive! The good news for us is we have not only survived but are proud to have won contracts with high profile sports agencies, governing bodies and a host of local authorities to become an established part of the consultancy landscape.
Despite the tightening (or should that be throttling!) of the public sector purse, we go into 2010 full of optimism and confidence for the year ahead. Grounds for a happy disposition may initially appear weak but stem from our belief that:
- Sport, active leisure and culture services continue to be highly valued by the public if not always by politicians
- The golden decade for sport will not be cancelled – indeed 2010 will see a large number of ‘piggy back’ projects connected with major events starting to take shape
- The renewed focus on demonstrating impact and the government drive to improve services both North and South of the border will create a need for expert evaluation and external support
- Agencies with a remit for addressing social problems exacerbated by the recession will continue to look to our sector for solutions and become an increasingly important source of funding.
In addition to our consultancy work, in 2010 we will continue to make our voice heard and campaign on industry issues. This year we have met with a MSP to explore the practicalities of introducing a Sports Act in Scotland and had letters published on the issue in Sports Management, ISPAL e-zine, The Scotsman and Holyrood Magazine.