Gold company profile
GLL
As the UK’s leading provider of both leisure centres and libraries we operate 379 locations in partnership with local authorities and other organisations.
Find out more about GLL here...
Find out more about GLL here...
GLL: News and press releases
PRESS RELEASE: Strength of GLL's partnerships across leisure, libraries and culture celebrated at House of Lords
18 Jun 2026
This week (17 June) saw charitable social enterprise GLL bring together invited guests from
across Parliament, local government, national sector bodies, cultural organisations, the
literary community and sports bodies at a celebration to mark the successful first year of
the GLL Literary Foundation.
PRESS RELEASE: GLL joins National Year of Reading as research reveals books beat social media for post-exercise recovery
09 Jun 2026
GLL, the charitable social enterprise operating Libraries and Leisure Centres across the UK,
has today (9 June 2026) announced that it will be supporting the National Year of Reading as
a major campaign partner alongside national organisations, including BBC Sport, Audible, DC
Thomson and Tesco.
PRESS RELEASE: GLL highlights the importance of drowning prevention to kids nationally as summer holidays near
08 Jun 2026
School assemblies and water safety messages as part of swim lessons. The UK's largest
public pools and swim school operator, GLL, is providing timely activities during Drowning
Prevention Week (13-20 June 2026) to raise awareness of water safety ahead of kids breaking
up for the summer holidays.
PRESS RELEASE: GLL Sport Foundation announces largest ever awards
07 May 2026
Picture caption (left to right): At Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park's Copper Box Arena - GSF
Legacy Amabassador Ellie Simmonds OBE, GSF Programme's Louise Smith & Tony Wallace, and GSF
2026 Cohort athletes Autumn Eke, Sidonie Cleave, Mohammed Belbouab,
PRESS RELEASE: GLL partnership with PlayFootball grows to 45 facilities
29 Apr 2026
11 new GLL venues added this April are a 'win:win' Pitch booking solutions company
PlayFootball have added a further 11 GLL venues which can now be conveniently hired online
on their platform - keeping more local communities across the UK active, with mor
PRESS RELEASE: First six months of free food with Felix!
24 Apr 2026
Last year, charitable social enterprise GLL embarked on a new partnership with The Felix
Project, London’s largest food redistribution charity.
03 Apr 2026
Team England is delighted to announce a new partnership with GLL, the UK’s largest
charitable leisure social enterprise, as preparations build toward the Glasgow 2026
Commonwealth Games.
31 Mar 2026
Fundraising challenges took place in 87 GLL pools as part of Swimathon 2026 - from Cornwall
to Cumbria, Belfast to Basingstoke.
PRESS RELEASE: Richmond Refurbishments at Pools on the Park
26 Mar 2026
Better colleagues, customers and councillors from the London Borough of Richmond came
together yesterday for the unveiling of new, upgraded facilities at the Pools on the Park
leisure centre.
19 Mar 2026
Social enterprise and leisure operator GLL is once again teaming up with leading health
charity Diabetes UK to help thousands of people get active for a great cause in 2026.
PRESS RELEASE: Lewisham extends partnership with GLL to manage leisure service for a further 13 years
17 Mar 2026
Charitable social enterprise leisure provider GLL will deliver Lewisham Council's leisure
service for a further 13 years from 1 April 2026, building on the work of the past five
years. New contract award will deliver increased community participation and £7m of capital
investment
16 Mar 2026
GLL - the charitable social enterprise that operates Better leisure centres in Gateshead –
has announced that it will take over the running of Birtley Leisure Centre from Gateshead
Council on 1 April 2026.
GLL: featured in our publications
Talking point: Everyone's talking about ... Generation Alpha
Health Club Management 2026 issue 1
The fitness industry has Gen Z pinned as a sober-curious, wellness-seeking, gym-loving bunch, but now
there are baffling new kids on the block. How do we
engage with Gen Alpha? asks Kath Hudson
Environment: Cutting carbon
Health Club Management 2025 issue 11
With skillful management and investment, it’s possible
to cut running costs in swimming pools, while also
reducing their carbon footprint, as Abi Harris reports
About GLL
Daryll Neita, GLL Athlete who secured a bronze in the women’s 100m and a silver in the 4x4 100m relay at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games / GLL
We are sport, leisure and culture’s leading charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op founded on our purpose and values to provide a different, fairer and better way of doing business. Our purpose is to improve the physical, mental and social wellbeing of local communities.
As the UK’s leading provider of both leisure centres and libraries we operate 379 locations in partnership with local authorities and other organisations.
Product range and services
Operating across leisure, health, libraries and sports development, GLL works with partners, stakeholders and customers to build active and sustainable communities and provide accessible facilities for all.
We believe in offering value-for-money and creating fully inclusive, affordable and accessible spaces.
Our services are wide-ranging and offer current and potential partners a range of solutions and options for modernised service delivery, value for money and tangible added value.
USPs
GLL is the UK’s largest provider of public swimming pools, school swimming lessons, athletics facilities and public tennis courts, and GP referral programmes. We are the largest single provider of public libraries in the UK.
Our GLL Sport Foundation is the UK’s largest independent athlete support programme – which has helped over 31,000 athletes on their sporting journey since 2008, resulting in opportunities for young local sporting talent and dozens of medals at international competition including Olympics, Paralympics and Commonwealth Games.
In 2025 we launched our GLL Literary Foundation to support childrens’ authors with bursaries and mentoring.
Our Gold Investor in People Award and Living Wage Foundation accreditation recognise our positive commitment to fair treatment of our employees. We are rooted in local communities, at the heart of health and wellbeing, producing £1.63 bn of social value annually.
GLL
Address:
Middlegate House,
The Royal Arsenal,
London,
SE18 6SX,
UK
Peter Bundey, chief executive
HCM SUMMIT
Watch Peter Bundey, CEO, GLL, speak at HCM Summit 2025
GLL video gallery:
Key personnel
Peter Bundey, chief executive
Phil Donnay, deputy chief executive & CFRO
Phil Donnay, deputy chief executive & CFRO
Key customers
Companies we work with include:
• Annodata,
• Physical Company,
• Technogym,
• Change Please, and
• Divine Chocolate.
Local Authorities and Agencies we work with include:
• Greenwich Council,
• Belfast City Council,
• Cardiff City Council,
• Lee Valley Regional Park Authority,
• LLDC,
• ukactive,
• SportsAid,
• SportsAid Wales,
• Mary Peters Trust,
• Swim England, and
• Sport England.
• Annodata,
• Physical Company,
• Technogym,
• Change Please, and
• Divine Chocolate.
Local Authorities and Agencies we work with include:
• Greenwich Council,
• Belfast City Council,
• Cardiff City Council,
• Lee Valley Regional Park Authority,
• LLDC,
• ukactive,
• SportsAid,
• SportsAid Wales,
• Mary Peters Trust,
• Swim England, and
• Sport England.
Plans for the next 12 months
Our 2026 strategies and roadmap are
already well-shaped and are based on
our Five-Year Plan, launched in 2024.
With our positive performance and improved social outcomes during 2024, GLL is well placed to be at the forefront of societal, economic and environmental change.
The future will see us focusing on excellent customer service alongside our social enterprise values and growing our social impact, while new partnerships with Government Departments, NHS, National Agencies and numerous National Charities will support individual wellness and economic outcomes.
With our positive performance and improved social outcomes during 2024, GLL is well placed to be at the forefront of societal, economic and environmental change.
The future will see us focusing on excellent customer service alongside our social enterprise values and growing our social impact, while new partnerships with Government Departments, NHS, National Agencies and numerous National Charities will support individual wellness and economic outcomes.
Testimonial
“We made the decision to begin supporting the GLL Sport Foundation in 2015, and it is a pleasure to announce the renewal of our sponsorship with this incredible institution.
"Many bright and talented athletes throughout the United Kingdom are unable to chase their dreams of sporting glory due to lack of funding. We are passionate about helping GSF give equal opportunities to all young people and achieving their dreams of competing on the international stage.
"Our partnership enables both our brands to share the success of the UK’s most aspiring athletes who we are proud to have heard speak in such an inspirational way at our internal Sales Conferences and who have supported our marketing and brand development goals through representation and storytelling both in person and via social media”.
– Rod Tonna-Barthet, chief executive, Annodata
"Many bright and talented athletes throughout the United Kingdom are unable to chase their dreams of sporting glory due to lack of funding. We are passionate about helping GSF give equal opportunities to all young people and achieving their dreams of competing on the international stage.
"Our partnership enables both our brands to share the success of the UK’s most aspiring athletes who we are proud to have heard speak in such an inspirational way at our internal Sales Conferences and who have supported our marketing and brand development goals through representation and storytelling both in person and via social media”.
– Rod Tonna-Barthet, chief executive, Annodata
Testimonial
"I am so thankful for the support I have received from GLL Sport Foundation. My first individual medal ever is extremely special, and I would not be here if it wasn’t for the support, I have received from the GLL ‘family’.”
– Daryll Neita, Birmingham Commonwealth Games bronze and silver medalist, GLL Athlete
– Daryll Neita, Birmingham Commonwealth Games bronze and silver medalist, GLL Athlete
Testimonial
"This exciting new chapter cements the future of our six key sports venues and is part of our commitment to the many communities we serve far and wide. We have carefully structured this partnership with GLL to ensure that visitors will continue to enjoy the very best in these stellar, highly popular venues. We look forward to together creating exciting new programmes and activities that draw on the strengths of both organisations.
“These venues are part of the Lee Valley visitor experience and will continue to be so with some of the best facilities and most inspiring settings to be found anywhere. As part of the partnership Lee Valley Regional Park Authority will continue to invest to ensure that they go from strength to strength, delivering real impact for communities.”
– Shaun Dawson chief executive, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
“These venues are part of the Lee Valley visitor experience and will continue to be so with some of the best facilities and most inspiring settings to be found anywhere. As part of the partnership Lee Valley Regional Park Authority will continue to invest to ensure that they go from strength to strength, delivering real impact for communities.”
– Shaun Dawson chief executive, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
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