Alliance Leisure has secured a four-year partnership with Leeds City Council to provide client support services across the local authority’s 14 leisure centres.

More than 300 staff have benefited so far from ALS’ training and support programme with membership sales following the New Year up more than 20 percent on the previous year.

Keen to enhance its staff expertise and customer experience, Leeds City Council appointed the Alliance Leisure team to deliver its complete marketing and training solution across its leisure portfolio after a market testing exercise.

Alliance’s client support team are nationally recognised to not only deliver commercial growth but embed cultural change in local authority leisure provision. With tough competition from the low-cost gym sector and internal budget pressures, their risk free partnership model was the perfect fit for Leeds City Council.

Between 2016 and 2020, staff will participate in the Alliance Training Academy gaining expertise in brand development, sales, marketing (with a large focus on digital), customer-service and member retention systems.

Alliance managing director, Paul Cluett comments: “We are delighted to be working with the team in Leeds. As one of the Core Cities, we realise the strategic importance of helping the Council engage with more people in the communities to increase participation in physical activity. This reflects the ambition of the new Sport England strategy and we are looking forward to helping make a big difference”.

Paul Woodford, director of marketing and partnerships at Alliance Leisure Services says: “Focusing on the culture within the organisation at site level, we are now four months into management training, front of house support, sales mentoring programmes and developing effective campaigns to drive membership sales.

“Ultimately our goal is to provide the Leeds Sport & Active Lifestyles team with the knowledge and resources to grow their income, enhance the levels of customer service and inspire their local community to enjoy regular physical activity.”

Leeds City Council, executive member for Health, Wellbeing & Adults (including Sport) Cllr Lisa Mulherin says: “Leeds City Council is delighted to be working with Alliance Leisure and looking forward to both parties and our communities across Leeds reaping the rewards of our exciting partnership. It is our aim not only to inspire our local communities to lead a healthy and active lifestyle, but also for those generations to come.”