onionbagblog
Pay to Play
As with all matters relating to local government, the answer wasn't quite so simple, and certainly couldn't fit into a Twitter friendly 140-character tweet. Still, it shows that @lambeth_council is embracing Twitter, and not just using the platform for publicity purposes.
For the record, here's the reply:
'The use of the REAL wellness memberships across all the council's leisure centres is part of the contract with GLL to manage the leisure centres. GLL keeps the income from the memberships and other activities and this helps to reduce the subsidy paid by the council to operate the centres.
[um... the REAL card image depicts a swimmer diving into a what appears to be an outdoor pool. Whoops.]
The arrangement for the Brockwell Park Lido is different. In return for a major funding investment to refurbish the Lido, Fusion were granted a 25-year lease to run it. The result of this agreement is that the Lido is run independently of the council by Fusion but under the scrutiny of the Brockwell Lido Steering Group and the council.
The council therefore has no direct control over the Lido and all the income from the Lido goes back to Fusion to help repay the investment. If the REAL Wellness membership was used at the Lido, Fusion would not receive any income from the monthly fee, as this goes to GLL, and would require the council to compensate them for this loss of income.'
So it's a case of you scratch our back, we'll scratch yours. Not quite as dodgy as manure and moats in these days of backhanders for elected representatives. But I can't help thinking that the financial arrangement benefits Fusion, and not the Lambeth electorate. Plus our local authority manages to remove any responsibility in managing another public service.
I would get angry over this, but Fusion is proving to be the perfect pool operators down in SE24. It may be making money on the Brockwell project, but in return, we're getting far better customer service than we'd ever get from Lambeth Council.
Changes have been made following feedback from BLU. The staff are the friendliest I have ever encountered in the public sector and the heritage of the lido is something that Fusion genuinely seems to respect.
So yeah, I'm resigned to be paying twice to swim in Lambeth owned pools. Coming up for air at 7am in the morning in an outdoor pool, and catching a flock of geese fly over your head tends to have this kind of effect upon you.
reply via twitter
| Thursday 14 May, 2009 |
As with all matters relating to local government, the answer wasn't quite so simple, and certainly couldn't fit into a Twitter friendly 140-character tweet. Still, it shows that @lambeth_council is embracing Twitter, and not just using the platform for publicity purposes.
For the record, here's the reply:
'The use of the REAL wellness memberships across all the council's leisure centres is part of the contract with GLL to manage the leisure centres. GLL keeps the income from the memberships and other activities and this helps to reduce the subsidy paid by the council to operate the centres.
[um... the REAL card image depicts a swimmer diving into a what appears to be an outdoor pool. Whoops.]
The arrangement for the Brockwell Park Lido is different. In return for a major funding investment to refurbish the Lido, Fusion were granted a 25-year lease to run it. The result of this agreement is that the Lido is run independently of the council by Fusion but under the scrutiny of the Brockwell Lido Steering Group and the council.
The council therefore has no direct control over the Lido and all the income from the Lido goes back to Fusion to help repay the investment. If the REAL Wellness membership was used at the Lido, Fusion would not receive any income from the monthly fee, as this goes to GLL, and would require the council to compensate them for this loss of income.'
So it's a case of you scratch our back, we'll scratch yours. Not quite as dodgy as manure and moats in these days of backhanders for elected representatives. But I can't help thinking that the financial arrangement benefits Fusion, and not the Lambeth electorate. Plus our local authority manages to remove any responsibility in managing another public service.
I would get angry over this, but Fusion is proving to be the perfect pool operators down in SE24. It may be making money on the Brockwell project, but in return, we're getting far better customer service than we'd ever get from Lambeth Council.
Changes have been made following feedback from BLU. The staff are the friendliest I have ever encountered in the public sector and the heritage of the lido is something that Fusion genuinely seems to respect.
So yeah, I'm resigned to be paying twice to swim in Lambeth owned pools. Coming up for air at 7am in the morning in an outdoor pool, and catching a flock of geese fly over your head tends to have this kind of effect upon you.
reply via twitter
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