About Renfrewshire Leisure
Renfrewshire Leisure is a vibrant and ambitious culture and leisure charitable company which delivers cultural and leisure services and experiences across Renfrewshire. Originally established in 2003 to manage and deliver sport and leisure services in 9 venues on behalf of Renfrewshire Council, in 2015 the charity was expanded to include the delivery of cultural facilities and services, increasing our asset base to 64 venues and over 20 outdoor recreation sites.
We employ approximately 850 staff and over 500 volunteers annually based across 64 facilities and over 20 outdoor locations. We have an annual turnover of c.£20m. The charity is currently focused on: increasing our operating income to maintain the charity’s financial health; progressing a programme of cultural infrastructure development to fully grasp the opportunities stimulated by Paisley’s bid for UK City of Culture 2021; a review of our corporate branding, values and communications and; ensuring we are playing a full role in developing customer and community needs-led services in collaboration with key partners.
Renfrewshire Leisure delivers a year-round programme of cultural and leisure activities and services to c. 3 million customers visiting our libraries, museums, community centres, swimming pools and leisure facilities. Renfrewshire Leisure is also responsible for the stewardship and care of objects and archives in Renfrewshire’s civic Museum Collections and Historical Archives, and the development and delivery of Renfrewshire’s Cultural and Sports Strategies.
Following Paisley’s bid for City of Culture 2021 and the local authority’s subsequent financial commitment to the cultural-led regeneration of Paisley, we are on an exciting journey to redevelop our major cultural assets. Renfrewshire Leisure will drive a number of significant cultural opportunities over the next few years, as part of the culture-led regeneration of Paisley and Renfrewshire. We will be instrumental in positioning Paisley as a new cultural centre. Following Paisley’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2021, a £100m programme of renewal of the cultural infrastructure and public realm is being implemented, with nearly £75m investment in venues we manage.
The capital programme will transform Paisley Town Hall, Paisley Museum, Paisley Arts Centre and create a new Paisley Central learning Hub. Our intent to be bold is evident in our plans, including working on the Paisley Museum Reimagined project with internationally acclaimed AL_A architects, and OPERA Amsterdam. We are taking forward the opportunity to rethink our services and develop our cultural ambitions to operate on a completely new level. At the same time, our challenge will be to ensure we can deliver sustainable and meaningful services for the long-term benefit of Renfrewshire residents.
At the same time, we are working hard to ensure greater financial sustainability for the charity through the development of our commercial activities. By ensuring the strong performance of our operating income, we are able to provide essential services to support individual and community wellbeing across the region. The Board has eleven directors providing a wealth of business, community, cultural, leisure and sport experience comprising of: six independently appointed directors; two staff directors and; three appointments by Renfrewshire Council. RL delivers a range of public services in return for an agreed management fee from the Council which is the sole member of the company.
Further detail:
- More information on Renfrewshire Leisure be found on our website at https://www.renfrewshireleisure.com/