Wayne Bulpitt, who is also chairman of the Association of Guernsey Charities, headed up a group of stakeholders that included representatives from bodies such as the Sports Commission, Arts Commission, Health Improvement Commission, Chamber of Commerce and Public Health to review the centre’s future.
He said the review had outlined the social value of Beau Sejour as a ‘place to go’ for islanders of all ages, as well as its civil contingency benefits – such as its use as a vaccination centre during Covid. However, there were concerns surrounding the under-use of areas including the main sports hall, which was unused 75% of the time.
‘The challenge around the utilisation of the sports hall is that it’s larger than just about every other leisure centre in the UK, and so that means that actually, while a third of it may be being used, the whole court isn’t,’ Mr Bulpitt said.
‘On the other hand, I was there during the Island Games and there’s just an amazing atmosphere in that large facility, so it’s a bit of a trade-off there.’
To address the issue of under-usage, Mr Bulpitt said the potential for co-location of States services, particularly wellbeing services, to Beau Sejour was one option being looked at.
The review said discussions between stakeholders had taken place around how services such as screening, lifestyle checks, prehab and rehab services could be better integrated into the leisure centre.
One participant suggested replacing the cars on display in the centre’s foyer with a health kiosk where people could get flu jabs or blood pressures taken.
Mr Bulpitt said another idea which the Association of Guernsey Charities was ‘very keen on’ was the commissioning of a future operator.
‘That doesn’t mean outsourcing, it means looking at people in the community or off-island interested in running the facilities for the island,’ he said.
‘That could be a community body, it could be a corporate entity, or could equally be a continuation of what is there at the moment. A number of sports in the island are looking for their own home, could they perhaps be accommodated in Beau Sejour?
‘Effective commissioning in-house, or externally, would be the basis for moving forward.’
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