The challenges and complexities of communities acquiring and managing a sport centre – a question of human capacity? DR. LINDSAY FINDLAY-KING DEPARTMENT OF SPORT, EXERCISE AND REHABILITATION NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY
Overview Community Asset Transfer (CAT) in sport – what and why? Human capacity and capital – what do we already know? Case studies Human capacity mobilisation and challenges Community support needs Practical implications
Community Asset Transfer - what is it? Community Asset Transfer is the transfer of management and/or ownership of public land and buildings from its owner (usually a local authority) to a community organisation (such as a Development Trust, a Community Interest Company or a social enterprise) for less than market value – to achieve a local social, economic or environmental benefit. Locality (2019) https://mycommunity.org.uk/take-action/land-and-building- assets/community-asset-transfer/
Community Asset Transfer – the sport picture? A transformation of public leisure services Large trusts, small trusts – increase in small since 2011
SPORT CAT - the picture
Community Asset Transfer – why? Strong policy thrust in UK (since the turn of the century) (Aiken et al, 2008) UK Localism act (2012) Austerity Stimulated by cuts in local govt. budgets, the enthusiasm of volunteers, and a vision of something better. Austerity and Big Society rhetoric in parallel
Community Asset Transfer – policy and promotion Policy rhetoric of CAT - positive empowerment and sustainable development ‘ empowerment, inclusion and securing of local futures’ (see Skerratt and Hall (2011a, p.172) for critique) Sport England (2018) identify multiple benefits of local sport facility transfer to community based organisations - give greater security and sustainability to local facilities, - and for communities to design and run services that make - them ‘more inclusive and responsive than state run services’.
Overview of research academic perspective: Our work: Case studies of sports facilities from 2014 Papers which focus on – the type of localism, form of associative democracy, effectiveness of this form of management Reports on Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity web site https://www.cimspa.co.uk/voluntary-transfer.html Previous papers – research link https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/our-staff/f/lindsay- findlay-king/
Insight need Process of the acquisition and subsequent management Human endeavour – voluntary and paid staff Capacity – associated challenges e.g. shortages Importance of human capacity and capital
Capacity “ Capacity refers to the ability to perform or produce and is often used in reference to potential (as in ‘maximum capacity’). Capacity is multi-dimensional. An organisations overall capacity to fulfil its mission depends on a variety of specific capacities .” (Hall et al, 2003, p.3)
Hall’s model
Human capacity “ the ability to deploy human capital (i.e., paid staff and volunteers) within the organisation, and the competencies, knowledge, attitudes, motivation, and behaviours of these people” (Hall et al., 2003, p.5) “… talents, knowledge, know-how and experience brought into the organisation by its volunteer members.” (Sharpe, 2006, p.389)
Human capacity mobilisation issues – CSOs Capacity issues in grass roots community sports organisations Scarcity of volunteers Coping with ‘professional’ demands Knowledge and skill capacity Size of club and programme – greater capacity demands (From Millar & Doherty (2016), Misener & Doherty (2009,) Sharpe, (2006) Wicker & Bruer (2011) Doherty, Minsener and Cuskelly (2014)
Human capacity mobilisation issues – CAT “ Capacity and leadership within the community, the skills and time to make an asset work, a history of voluntary and community action, and technical and community development support.” (Aiken et al, 2011, p.7). Sufficient volunteers Right skills and knowledge Composition of the community History of positive volunteering and community action Enthusiasm and common focus Technical, specialist, managerial and community building knowledge and skills/training needs Governance, decision making, strategy and leadership Skills and advice from ‘professional’ organisations Relationship and networks
Capacity gap? There may be a gap between what is required to operate a facility and the capacity communities have. We know the importance of human capacity to project feasibility, with its further effect on other capacities We know the effect of scarcity of resources and organisational capacity on voluntary sport organisations achieving their goals (Doherty, Misener & Cuskelly, 2014; Misener & Doherty, 2009, Sharpe, 2006; Wicker & Breuer, 2011). This has never been examined within asset transferred sport facilities.
Method 3 facility case studies Multiple focus groups and individual interviews with voluntary Board, general volunteers and paid employees in each case and a senior Director in the local authority that the facilities transferred from. Data collected over the last three years
Case studies Diverse county – city and contrasting surburbs and villages in (numerous of these in decline) Over 50% of the County population are living in the top 30% of deprived areas 2011 LA review of leisure portfolio (face of £1.2 million cuts) Decided they would consult on closure of 6 sports/leisure complexes across the County
Facility Outcome CAT group Most recent Type of facility Case studies CAT Remained with Council after consultation Closed and demolished after failed community campaign to save it Case study A CAT Local community 2011 Leisure complex group Charity Case study B CAT Local sports club 2011 Sport specific Charity centre Case study C CAT – sublet twice Parish Council – 2017 Sport specific sublet twice to: centre Community Interest companies Closure x 2, CAT x Community hub 2017 Leisure complex 2 Charity and other community hub programme
Acquisition phase Volunteer workforce mobilised Only one facility had financial assistance to have a Business plan written for them. Local authority support – but not deemed useful Greater support utilised from others Themes on acquisition: Motivations and engagement of community Roles, skills & knowledge, professionalism Key individuals as drivers Volume of workload Support from other organisatons
Initial motivations for action “…I think when the news came in that we were at risk…you sort of think, well it if closes, from a selfish point of view, what are we going to do? With the children?” (General volunteer, Facility B) “…the only reason we ended up taking over was because the Council was going to close it…because they said there was enough facilities within a certain area…and this one wasn’t required. We obviously totally disagreed and the nearest one is in the middle of [X] city. Well obviously that’s a bus journey and for some of our members it would be two bus journeys, from the little villages around us” (Trustee, Facility A)
Community engagement developed – CLOSE or SAVE “Yes, we put forward our case for them keeping it open, but we knew right from the start it was futile, really. It was more for publicity and campaigning as to why it should stay open and therefore you should keep it open.” (Trustee, Facility A) “Publicity so that people knew what was happening – who we were. And the fact that it was going to close if they didn’t get involved.” (Trustee, Facility B) “When the news came into us that…we might still be able to keep it going…it was then just a case of well, what can we do?... And everybody felt the same, pretty much, I think…And everybody has different things to add…” (General volunteer, Facility B)
Professional skill set? “We’ve been praised by people we spoke to after the transfer…that we were very professional” (Facility A trustee) “…you had to then put together a business package, a business plan and submit this to them and they came up with a 14-page document with 14 criteria that you had to hit and a lot of them were very difficult criteria but actually, for example, proof that you had someone in the organisation that has the ability to run a large leisure complex….it was volunteers but they expected the same standard from volunteers as they would from a professional organisation .” (Facility B Director)
Volume of workload “It was constant working…we were here trying to get the building done” (Trustee, Facility C). “I mean I would say for the six months of trying to pull the business plan together I didn’t go in the gym as a coach. I was in the gym but I was upstairs in a room working on the business plan and bringing in key people from parents who I knew had expertise in different areas just to pull this document together because I knew I couldn’t just put in two sheets of A4, it was impossible.” (Director, Facility B) ‘mucking in’ , ‘Dunkirk spirit’, ‘painting for weeks’…
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