The Lenton Centre

The Lenton Centre is at the heart of an increasingly vibrant community in Nottingham.  They offer health, well-being, educational and social activities and facilities.

Established: 1979
Contributor: Carl Towner (Chief Executive)
Location: Lenton, Nottingham
Website: www.thelentoncentre.org.uk 

Since 1979, the Lenton Community Association (LCA) had been working and providing community services in Lenton – the heart of an inner-city area of about 5,000 people one mile to the west of Nottingham city centre.

In 2004, as the Association was celebrating its 25th anniversary, a decision was made by Nottingham City Council to close Lenton Leisure Centre which occupied part of their building. In response, the Association formed itself into a Trust, “The Lenton Centre” (TLC) and asked to run the whole building. TLC has come a long way since then, and one key element of its success so far has been its ability to embrace [community] enterprise as a model for operating the Trust.

The reopening of the swimming pool was a key moment in that journey, turning a derelict complex into a sustainable community organisation. But local people had to overcome several obstacles along the way to make the enterprise succeed. TLC ended up buying the Centre for just £10, and managed to re-open the complex in 2006; but it wasn’t until two years later when the pool was ready for use again that the prospect of breaking even became possible.

Facilities like this are difficult to run because of the high costs involved in heating, maintenance and maintaining a team of staff. Cultivating Enterprise stepped in to provide the expertise around marketing and pricing.

“We understood the mechanics behind the pool,” explains chief executive Carl Towner. “The unknown was going to the public and keeping people coming through the door. Cultivating Enterprise has helped us accelerate the efficient management of the pool. ‘Opening the pool has given us enough business to make the whole centre sustainable. The DTA have been brilliant. They’ve provided lots of support, they’ve been a shoulder to cry on, and they’ve been a critical friend.”

Financial support of £4,500 helped the complex publicise the opening of the pool through leaflets and new signs.

For Carl Towner, “the problem was people would walk past and not know there was a pool there;” But he now believes the centre is a vital facility in an area where obesity is a problem and can play a role in improving the health of local people.

Impact

Before opening the pool:
Earned income -  £57,000

One year after opening the pool:
Earned income - £100,000