Member updates
GLL’s response to carbon reduction is personal, practical and pool-based
Charitable Social Enterprise Leisure and Cultural Services provider GLL has committed to become Carbon Neutral by 2050 with an ambition to achieve this earlier in response to feedback from customers and staff, and partners.
Following the launch of GLL’s new Sustainability Strategy that sets out the leisure trust’s longer-term ambitions and targeted actions between 2023 to 2027, staff training on business sustainably was made a priority for the in-house management development programme during 2023/2024. ‘Respecting the Planet’ is one of GLL’s 6 Core Values underpinning its 5 Year Corporate Plan.
Now, following a review of skills gaps with managers at the UK’s largest operator of public pools (and plant rooms), GLL has designed the ‘Managing Your Business Sustainably’ module.
The practical training was designed and piloted by GLL’s in-house experts Chris Hebblewhite (Director of Standards and Compliance) and who has previously advised on pool operations for both London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, Jeremy Gould (National Sustainability Manager) and Lee Franklin (National Facilities Manager).
In recognition of the importance of this topic, The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) will now endorse 10 CIMSPA points to those that complete this module from September 2024.
Comprising of online learning, a practical workshop and classroom work, the one-day module covers all aspects of efficient pool plant operation and housekeeping.
General Managers and Partnership Managers stand to benefit most from the training as GLL underpins and strengthens is commitment to sustainability throughout its business which employs 11,000 people and creates in excess of £440m in social value each year.
50 Managers have been trained across three pilots at Rivermead Leisure Centre in Reading, Britannia Leisure Centre in Hackney and The Sands Leisure Centre in Carlisle.
Chris Hebblewhite, Director of Standards and Compliance, GLL said:
“Sustainability is embedded in GLL’s DNA. We must do all we can to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption for the benefit of the communities we serve.
“Training our people to both ‘talk the talk’ and ‘walk the walk’ is hugely important to us. We are determined to make a real difference and we can already see the results coming through in real terms in our Carbon emissions.
“So I’m delighted that 100% of learners felt their knowledge of sustainability issues has improved as a result of this highly practical training intervention.”
GLL aims for all General Managers to attend this training over the next 12 months.
Clare Dunn, Associate Director of Business Engagement at CIMSPA said:
“It’s fantastic to see that GLL has pledged to become carbon neutral, with a powerful declaration of their commitment through their CPD module.
Sustainability is such a vital topic – becoming more sustainably aware is everyone’s responsibility and it’s one that as a sector we need to be leading on. It’s great that GLL are instilling this knowledge into their workforce in order to benefit their current communities and future generations.”
For further information on sustainability training or other modules that form part of the management development programme, please contact LearningandDevelopment@gll.org
