Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.    Relevant Background Information

1.1    Active Communities (AC) is a Sport Northern Ireland (SNI) programme, delivered from April 2010 to March 2015, through 11 council groups/ consortia including BCC. 

1.2    After a period of consultation Sport NI wrote to Council on 6 October 2014 advising that they were prepared to continue with an Active Communities investment from April 2015 for 12months.

         Their contribution will no longer provide support for management costs, which have been 10% of overall costs (approx £75,000 in 2014/15). They asked that Council signals its intention to proceed on this basis.

1.3    Parks and Leisure Committee in August 2014 agreed the response to Sport NI’s consultation and for officers to develop an affordable and value for money delivery model.

1.4    Committee considered 4 options at its meeting in October 2014 and asked officers to examine budgets with partners to determine a way forward.

1.5    Sport NI issued a letter of offer to Council detailing the targets to be achieved and the budget allocations. Council is required to return their Form of Acceptance to secure the offer for the 2015 – 2016.

2.      Key Issues

2.1    The AC programme has proved to be a valuable coaching and community resource, which has led to high levels of participation in the city including under-represented groups, whilst providing opportunities for partnership working. 

         The Council currently contributes up to a maximum of £50,000 per annum.  This is currently managed in one of 3 ways:

-       Sub-contract to Belfast Community Sports Development Network (BCSDN);

-       Sub-contract to Disability Sport NI (DSNI); and

-       Directly employing coaches through Leisure Services (now GLL).

         Quantifiable benefits include the delivery of 40,419 sessions, 44,500 coaching hours, involving 67,286 participants with 587,148 participations realised. 

2.2    Discussions are not fully concluded with partners and Sport NI to identify an appropriate delivery model.

         Four Referral coaches will continue to be managed by Leisure Services at no additional cost.

         Three Disability coaches will continue to work within DSNI supported by a management fee of £7,000. Discussions are ongoing with BCSDN for employment of the remaining 18 coaches and are subject to an affordable management model.

2.3    Further to the options presented to Committee in October, these have been narrowed to:

         Option 1: Continue ‘as is’ with a reduced management contribution including £7,000 to Disability Sport NI for management of three coaches; an affordable contribution to BCSDN to a maximum of £50,000; and Referral coaches managed at no cost by Leisure Services.

         Option 2: Continue to employ three coaches through DSNI with a contribution of £7,000 for management fee. All other coaches managed through Parks and Leisure.

2.4    It is proposed that Council returns Sports NI’s Form of Acceptance, indicating its intention to continue the programme in 2015-16.  However, further work is required to examine budgets with partners to determine which of options 1 or 2 the council will implement.   

2.5    An affordable and value for money delivery model will be presented to Committee for its consideration in February.

3.      Resource Implications

         Financial: Option 1 has additional costs of £7,000 for management of the programme which is not allowed for in existing estimates.

         Human Resources: Option 2 will involve the management up to 22 coaching staff on fixed term contracts

         Asset and Other Implications: None

4.      Equality Implications

         There are no equality and good relations implications at this stage.  Screening of any emerging proposal will be undertaken in the future.

5.      Recommendations

         Committee is asked to agree:

-       that Council advises Sport NI of its intention to accept its letter of offer for the delivery of the Active Communities programme

-       that Council advises Disability Sport NI of its intention to support their management of three specialist coaches

-       that officers conclude discussions with BCSDN and SNI, to present a final recommendation on the delivery of the programme to a subsequent committee.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.