Member Article

North-west campaign to boost community wellbeing message of leisure trusts backed by national industry leader

Warrington-based Community Interest Company, LiveWire is supported by Community Leisure UK – formerly Sporta – as it launches campaign to raise awareness of it’s not-for-profit status

*Driven by insight commissioned by Community Leisure UK, LiveWire’s new year campaign aims to boost understanding around how leisure trusts operate including their ethos on protecting services and serving the community *

LiveWire Warrington has gained the support of national body – Community Leisure UK (formerly Sporta) – as it launches a campaign to raise the profile of its community trust status.

The campaign, #LoveLiveWire, will launch on December 27th with the strapline ‘Your Town, Your Wellbeing, Your LiveWire’. The campaign aims to broaden awareness of the fact that LiveWire is a community interest company (CIC) - which works to improve the physical and mental health of Warrington residents of all ages and backgrounds with any revenues generated re-invested back into services and community priorities.

Fuelled by research commissioned by Community Leisure UK, insights found that vast swathes (76 per cent) of the Warrington community wrongly believe LiveWire to be an arm of the local authority.

Research also discovered that only three per cent of Warrington residents knew their local LiveWire-run leisure facility or library was run on a not-for-profit, and 37 per cent said they’d be more interested in taking up a membership knowing this.

In order to raise greater awareness around how LiveWire operates as a CIC, the campaign will focus on the people behind its array of services including customers, staff and direct beneficiaries of the raft of programmes delivered by LiveWire.

Emma Hutchinson, LiveWire Managing Director, said: “As a Community Interest Company, we are driven by local needs, but not everyone knows or understands that. This is why the #LoveLiveWire campaign is such an important one. We need to generate more noise locally and nationally about what leisure trusts like LiveWire are achieving and how we operate.

“Whether its an arts and craft library group that supports social isolation, or a community fitness bootcamp, the investments we make are always centred on the needs of our communities – and this is something more people need to be aware of when they’re choosing a preferred lifestyle provider. The research from Community Leisure UK shows how much of an important driver being socially conscious can be for people.

“Leisure trusts like ourselves are there to deliver high quality services, link health and lifestyle services together, support local priorities, invest for communities not shareholders and generate millions of pounds of savings for the public purse. That’s an incredibly positive force for good.”

Cate Atwater, Chief Executive of Community Leisure UK, said: “On a national level, LiveWire is regarded as a shining light in terms of leisure trusts and how they work, so we’re delighted to be supporting their campaign to raise awareness like this.

“There is a genuine need, right across the country, to raise the profile of not-for-profit trusts like LiveWire and how they are a sound choice for people looking for options to support their leisure and lifestyle needs.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by News Desk .