Leisure Media Issue 3 2009 - Leisure Opportunities

The Primary School Sport Challengesmaller facility in the east of thecity. However, this has been met bywidespread opposition from localcampaign groups. According toHarris, the project is currently on holddue to the economic climate”.GROWTH IN VISITSWorking on delivering much of thephysical activity agenda is EdinburghLeisure – a not-for-profit companySCOTLAND’S TARGETSThe ScottishGovernment’s targetsto increasephysical activity are:to achieve 50 percent of all adultsaged over 16, and80 per cent of childrenaged 16 andwhich receives £9m a year (towards a total leisure spend of over£24m) to run the council’s 31 leisure venues. The company’sAllison Brodie says leisure visits are showing steady growth. In2002/3, there were 3.6 million annual visits to leisure centres inEdinburgh, which has a population of over 450,000. That figure iscurrently 4.1m, and the 2008/09 revenue of £16.2m from leisurevisits represents a six per cent increase on the previous year.The company now operates many targeted schemes aimedat bringing specific populations in touch with a healthier lifestyle.One, Edinburgh’s Young Sports Ambassadors, a firstfor Scotland, has seen 11 young sporting ambassadorspicked from Edinburgh schools to give young people a voiceand develop new sport and activity programmes for youth.Edinburgh Leisure also operates the BAA Youth Games, whichhas grown year on year over the past decade; this year’s eventsaw 1,600 partipants from schools across the city.For older residents unable to access services, EdinburghLeisure brings activities to care and nursing homes. For mothersdiagnosed with post-natal depression, a scheme deliveredalongside health partners gives them access to discounted leisurefacilities and fully-funded creche places.GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSSGoing forward, Harris says the council is looking to do morework with the Lothian NHS Trust. This work is really aboutunder, to meet theminimum recommendedlevels by2022. To meet thisgoal, it will needto see averageincreases of one percent a year acrossthe population“health message blitzing’ (posters,leaflets in GP surgeries, busshelter adverts, etc), particularlyin poorer pockets of the citysuch as Craigavon, Craigmillar andMuirhouse, where problems may bemasked by Edinburgh’s generallyperceived affluence. The most basicmessage – as reflected in the UK’sChange 4 Life campaign (just beingpiloted in Scotland) – advises 30 minutesof activity per day for adults and 60 minutes for children.At the time of the government’s White Paper, there were threetimes as many inactive Scots as those who were smokers. “Thedangers of physical inactivity is the most important message toconvey in public health,” says Harris. “People know smokingcan kill, but they don’t necessarily link inactivity to a greater riskof heart disease, colon cancer or mental health problems.”By 2020, the council will not have a definitive way to ‘measure’its results – the process is considered more important thanend results. Harris says one encouraging marker this year hasbeen the city’s 10K race. More than 10,000 runners registeredfor the event, which took place on 3 May – up from 6,000 to7,000 participants last year.For a more detailed health picture, the council is monitoringits achievements in line with the government’s Scottish HealthSurvey, an in-depth look at the health of the nation in privatehouseholds. Surveys took place in 1995, 1998 and 2003. Themost recent study, started in 2008, will be carried out over threeyears, with the first results to be published this summer.As for Edinburgh becoming Europe’s most active city, again,there will be no concrete markers – only, it’s hoped, a growth inreputation. “We think of Amsterdam as a healthy city becauseeverybody cycles, and we want Edinburgh to gain this kind ofreputation,” says Harris. For most in the city – leisure providersand leisure users alike – it will be the taking part that counts. ●ISSUE 3 2009 © cybertrek 2009Read Leisure Management online leisuremanagement.co.uk/digital 41