PRESS RELEASE

Strategic Leisure appointed to deliver Cultural Strategy

Strategic Leisure has been appointed by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council to deliver a Cultural Strategy for the period 2010-2015.

The new strategy will build upon the Council’s previous strategy, which set out a number of key aims for the improvement and greater realisation of cultural opportunities within the West Midlands local authority. The strategy will deliver on core corporate objectives, such as protecting and supporting vulnerable children; using cultural opportunities to support lifelong learning; using culture to improve the health and well-being of residents; and maximising tourism potential.

The aim of the strategy will be to demonstrate how culture impacts positively on local people and supports and delivers community objectives; and illustrates how culture contributes to the wider health improvement agenda and the Council’s new corporate priorities.

The Strategic Leisure team will work closely with colleagues in the Council’s cultural services team and other partners to strengthen the case for wider support of cultural activities and facilities, in terms of capital and revenue funding. The study process will involve extensive consultation to ascertain the key areas for development and critical success factors – where things are going right, and wrong – and how to move forward together.

The creation of the new strategy presents an opportunity to highlight the evidence of strong partnerships and put in place benchmarks and targets to make self-assessment straightforward and robust. The consultation exercise will include meetings with all key stakeholders and will secure their buy in and support.

Rachel Fowler, Managing Director of Strategic Leisure said: “We are delighted to be working with Sandwell MBC and key partners in the cultural sector to deliver this strategy. We have significant experience producing work of this nature, but every project is unique and offers new challenges, and we are looking forward to tackling such issues here in Sandwell.”

For more information please contact:

Rachel Fowler, Managing Director, Strategic Leisure: 07711 029 759

Lisa Berry, Senior Consultant, Strategic Leisure: 017717 200 131