GLL takes positive action on the Environment
GLL - the charitable social enterprise behind Better leisure centres - takes its responsibilities to the environment extremely seriously.
One of our 6 core values is 'Respecting the Planet' - it's significant prominence in our 5 Year Corporate Plan 2023-2027 will support 500m million sustainable visits and raise £2bn in Social Value.
Development plans put the environment at the heart of what we do and engage staff, partners and customers in our journey towards net zero.
We've committed to spending £15m on spend to save projects, retrofitting energy and carbon saving technologies in our pools and leisure centres.
In newbuilds, we have some of the best examples of solar power on public buildings anywhere in the UK. At Rivermead Leisure Centre (BREEM Excellent rated) in Reading, 1890m2 of solar panels generate 250,000kWh of electricity per annum.
Solar panels, recycling and carbon and energy reduction were included in a video highlighting GLL's commitment to the Environment via investment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q55yAM6xoMw watch at 3 mins 10 secs.
GLL is committed to increasing recycling and reducing waste/plastics and energy use and educating colleagues across a business of 11,000 employees about our shared responsibilities to save energy and make our business sustainable.
Starting 'at home', managers recently completing in-house practical environmental training on the plant, equipment and operating procedures in their own centres so they can 'walk the walk' as well as 'talk the talk' on the environment and set an example to colleagues, customers and the wider sector.
CIMPSA were so impressed with the hands-on, practical training they have accredited 10 points to GLL's environment initiative: https://communityleisureuk.org/news/glls-response-to-carbon-reduction-is-personal-practical-and-pool-based/
Public sector news outlets Municipal Journal and Local Government Chronicle have both profiled GLL's green agenda which has seen significant CO2 reduction in the last two years of 8% (and 28% since 2019).
https://www.themj.co.uk/gll-force-change
https://www.themj.co.uk/greening-public-services
GLL is the largest charitable social enterprise leisure provider in the UK with 248 leisure centres/gyms and 120 pools under our operation. As such, we see ourselves as a leader in this space and are happy to develop and share our knowledge with others in the leisure sector - acknowledged to be a big user of energy - to hasten the pace of change towards net zero 2050.
With rising costs, such careful husbandry makes economic sense too - reducing overheads helps keep pools open at a time when they are under thrreat. This has allowed swimmers in some of the poorest neighbourhoods experiencing health inequality to remain active.
Recent green initiatives include solar panels on our Corporate HQ roof in Woolwich (powering our Customer Service Centre) and at Charlton Lido (powering the gym) https://www.gll.org/b2b/newsitems/gll-s-green-gym-is-a-first