People : Associates

Strategic Leisure’s business model works on having a blend of direct employees and relationships with individual self-employed specialists. This means that we have access to specialist expertise but at the same time, minimize our overheads. In turn this results in a more cost-effective solution for our clients. There is often a pathway between direct employee and associate and vice versa. Many of the associates listed below have at one time been employees of Strategic Leisure. We have working with most for over 10 years.

Associate Consultants:

Phil Barefoot

Phil has over 26 years of Local Authority leisure experience across a broad range of activities and facilities including leisure centres, swimming pools, dual use sports centres, athletics tracks, outdoor play areas, playing fields, event and festival management, sports development, play schemes, community centre and public and civic hall management. Phil has experience of implementing ISO 9002 and Quest across leisure facilities. Phil has extensive strategy and audit experience and he has been involved in a number of successful bids for partnership funding from Sport England, DFEE and NOF. Strategic Leisure work experience includes the delivery of sports development programmes, service improvement, performance management, strategic planning including Sport and Recreation Strategies and Plans and Playing Pitch Strategies and feasibility studies.

Kevin Franklin

Kevin has over 30 years of leisure experience in local authority, private and voluntary sectors with the last twelve years in the sport and leisure consultancy industry. This experience covers a broad range of activities and facilities including leisure centres, swimming pools, dual use sports centres, athletics tracks, outdoor play areas, playing fields, events, sports development, play activities, community centres and public halls. Kevin has led most of Strategic Leisure’s market testing and public/private partnership projects in the last 8 years and has played a lead role in developing the company’s approach to management options and instrumental in the development of a Strategic Leisure’s pioneering best value leisure management partnership framework. Kevin’s skills include a comprehensive knowledge of the industry, cultural, sport and leisure operational issues, business planning and procurement, as well as an impressive track record in successfully delivering projects.

Paul Woodland

Paul Woodland has over 20 years management experience in the sport and leisure industry; in the private and public sector in the UK and Middle East. He has additional management experience as Head of Department in Further Education. Paul has specialised in interim and project management, feasibility studies, business planning, developing and opening new build facilities. He also has experience in recruitment and staffing assignments, marketing and due diligence projects.  Paul heads up SLI and has responsibility for overseas business development. He has first hand experience of working in the Middle East, Far East and Europe.

Richard Lewis

Richard joined Strategic Leisure as a Principal Consultant in 2009 and has over twenty three years’ experience of working in the sports and leisure industry. He has held senior management positions in local government and the private sector, incorporating project, facility management and various developmental roles. Richard has held a number of senior positions in local authority leisure management and sports development. Facility management positions held have included, Leisure Contract Manager for two local Authorities, and development roles have included Head of Sport for two other local authorities, responsible for client leisure management services, sports development, outdoor recreation and event management.

If you would like to be considered for associate status with Strategic Leisure please contact Rachel Fowler, Managing Director at rachelfowler@strategicleisure.co.uk