Understanding swimming provision: from county-wide baseline to investment scenarios
By FMG Consulting on Oct 1, 2026, 2:06:56 PM
Before deciding where new swimming provision may be needed, it is important to have a clear picture of the network they already have. The National Swimming Facility Planning Model for Ireland (FPM) developed by FMG, brings demand, capacity, accessibility and facility use together into …
Developing an Indoor Sports Facilities Strategy: Why Local Authorities Need a Coordinated Approach
By FMG Consulting on Sep 24, 2026, 11:00:00 AM
Local authorities face complex decisions about sports facility investment. Which facilities require refurbishment? Where are the gaps in provision? How should limited capital resources be prioritised? Without a coordinated strategic framework, these decisions risk being reactive, inco …
Sports Facility Benchmarking: Using Data to Drive Performance and Investment Decisions
By FMG Consulting on Sep 17, 2026, 11:00:00 AM
Local authority leisure services operate in an environment of constrained resources and rising expectations. Understanding whether facilities deliver value for money, where improvement efforts should focus, and how performance compares to similar operations becomes essential for makin …
Income-Generating Innovations and Participation Trends in the Public Sector Sport and Leisure Sector
By FMG Consulting on Sep 15, 2026, 11:00:01 AM
The sport and leisure sector is undergoing a period of significant transformation, shaped by shifting consumer expectations in how people engage with physical activity, financial pressures, changes in population health, and evolving national policy.
Sport: The Beating Heart Of A Thriving University
By FMG Consulting on Sep 10, 2026, 11:00:00 AM
Higher education is facing one of the most challenging periods in its recent history, with falling student numbers, squeezed finances, and reduced staffing levels being felt across the sector. And sports departments have not been immune.
Revitalise Community Swimming Pools With Sustainable & Cost-Saving Plans
By FMG Consulting on Aug 14, 2026, 11:00:00 AM
Getting school children to swim 25 metres unaided and use a range of strokes is part of the national curriculum for PE in England. But the sad fact is fewer and fewer schools are managing to deliver this in full. Many schools no longer have on-site facilities, and the closure of commu …
Sports Facility Feasibility Studies: A Guide for Local Authorities
By FMG Consulting on Aug 13, 2026, 11:28:55 AM
For local authorities contemplating major sports facility investment, the feasibility study represents the critical first step. Far from being merely a procedural requirement, it provides the evidence-based foundation that underpins sound decision-making, secures stakeholder confidenc …
Best Practice Contract Monitoring: Ensuring Sports Facility Operators Deliver Community Value
By FMG Consulting on May 28, 2026, 11:00:00 AM
Local authorities that outsource leisure management remain ultimately accountable for ensuring facilities deliver intended outcomes. Effective contract monitoring is not just a framework but a discipline for holding operators accountable, protecting service quality, and ensuring commu …
Navigating Leisure Management Contract Procurement: What's Changed and How to Prepare?
By FMG Consulting on May 21, 2026, 11:00:01 AM
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The landscape of public sector procurement has undergone its most significant transformation in decades. The Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, fundamentally reforms how local authorities commission leisure management services, simplifying procedures whil …
How To Find the Right Funding for Local Sports Clubs and Leisure Projects
By FMG Consulting on Jan 15, 2026, 10:00:01 AM
The benefits of quality sport and leisure facilities, and access to them, are innumerable for public health and community cohesion. But we live in financially challenging times and the sector is facing one of the most difficult periods in decades.