entertaining your community in local government leisure management

Introduction

Leisure management in local government is varied and can range from organising sport and recreational activities and managing sports facilities, to promoting drama, music and other activities in a theatre or arts centre.
Leisure services are found in all types of councils throughout the UK.

Work Environment

The setting for the work is dependent on the nature of the job, but most local government leisure managers are office-based.  They are required to travel to leisure facilities in the area.
Local government leisure managers work around 37 hours per week, but this might include some shiftwork.
 

Daily Activities
Leisure manager is a generic job title that covers quite a varied range of positions within local government.  Different areas of responsibility might include the following:

• activity manager – developing, delivering and monitoring special activities within a leisure facility, such as children’s holiday activities or sport and leisure courses;
• outdoor activity centre manager – managing the day to day running of centres dedicated to outdoor pursuits;
• fitness manager – managing personal training and fitness instruction within a gym facility;
• community centre manager – managing the range of activities taking place within local community centres, such as clubs for older people, dance lessons, church groups and so on;
• theatre/arts centre manager – managing the day to day running of council-owned theatres, concert halls and arts centres.

Although the areas of work are varied, a local government leisure manager’s work might include some or all of the following tasks:

• managing budgets;
• carrying out consultations with service users with a view to implementing service improvements and providing new services;
• managing staff;
• overseeing publicity campaigns and promoting special projects;
• providing high quality customer service;
• organising and managing projects and programmes of events and activities.

Skills & Interests

Local government leisure managers need:

• excellent written and verbal communication skills,
• good people management skills,
• good planning and organisational skills,
• confidence and creativity,
• an interest in health, fitness and recreational activities,
• a sense of fun and an enthusiasm for involving all types of people in leisure activities.

Entry Requirements

Although there are no set entry requirements to enter leisure management in local government, leisure managers might move into the role with a range of qualifications and experience behind them.
Most people start in more junior positions and work their way up, gaining N/SVQs or an Apprenticeship, and professional qualifications as they go.  Alternatively, some people study for leisure management, sports development, recreation management or sports science related degrees.
There are now also foundation degrees available, which combine academic study with vocational experience.
Professional development and qualifications are offered by ISPAL and the Institute of Sport and Recreation Management (ISRM).
 

Estimated salary range

Local government leisure managers might expect to earn around £20,000 – £25,000.
Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

There is a clear career progression path from leisure assistant/attendant, through to leisure manager.  There may be opportunities to move into policy development roles such as leisure services development officer, or sports development officer.  Alternatively, there might be opportunities to progress into more senior management roles within the council leisure and cultural services department.
Check the Skills Active careers website for a route map illustrating how you might progress your career within the leisure industry.

Related Occupations

Follow this link to view a list of all related occuptions in Entertaining Your Community.
Further Information & Services

ISPAL www.ispal.org.uk

Institute of Sport and Recreation Management www.isrm.co.uk

English Sports Council www.sportengland.org

Scottish Sports Council www.sportscotland.org.uk

Skills Active www.skillsactive.com

Skills Active careers website www.skillsactive.com/careers

You may find further information about this area of work in your local Connexions service/careers office/school careers library – under MA or MB.

What should I do next?

Look for current local government leisure manager vacancies in the following places:

• LGjobs.com - our official recruitment website for local government.
• Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly jobs bulletins produced by local councils themselves, available from libraries, community centres, town halls/main civic buildings and central council personnel departments.
• Local council websites.
• Local newspapers
• National newspapers – The Guardian is particularly well known for its public sector job advertisements on a Wednesday.

Find out about the council and get some work experience if possible by:

• Making the most of work experience placements arranged through your school, college or university.
• Contacting councils close to your home to find out about the work experience opportunities they offer.
• Talking to someone who does the job you are interested in – ring your local council to see if someone can spare some time.
• Making an appointment to see a careers adviser for more specific information about jobs and training.