Leisure and Culture

Local authorities play a crucial role in providing, supporting and developing leisure and cultural opportunities in Wales. Leisure services keep our communities healthy and encourage active lifestyles and also support sport development. Cultural services encourage communities to appreciate their heritage, respect diversity and develop creative skills. Libraries are important in providing communities with opportunities for reading, research and reference and are also important community hubs for developing literacy and basic skills. Archive services conserve and make available important local records.

The role of local authorities
Councils provide a wide range of leisure and cultural facilities and services in the community including:

• Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities
• Sports pitches, playing fields and playgrounds
• Public parks and open spaces
• Sports development schemes
• Arts centres, venues and theatres
• Galleries and museums
• Arts development services, festivals and cultural events
• Libraries, information and mobile libraries facilities and services
• Local archives services

All local authorities operate differently, with their own structures, policies, grant-in-aid criteria and schemes. In most councils, there is typically one department that has primary responsibility for the support and funding of leisure and cultural services.

The major emphasis within local authorities’ vision for leisure and culture is the development of opportunities for all. Hence, most local authorities charge concessionary rates to encourage access to facilities and venues and work closely with the third sector to develop provision.

Local authorities as community leaders also have a key strategic role in developing leisure and cultural services to meet the needs and aspirations of the local population, and work closely in partnership with the Arts Council of Wales, the Sports Council of Wales and the Culture department at the Welsh Assembly Government.

Climbing Higher is the Assembly Government’s 20 year vision for sport and physical activity and sets out how the Assembly Government plans to increase participation in sport and leisure activities to improve the quality of life and improve the health of the nation.

The Welsh Assembly Government set out its strategy for arts and culture in the 2002 publication Creative Future. However, the strategy is coming to the end of its lifespan and a new Culture strategy is being developed during 2008. Local councils produce their local cultural strategies to support and develop cultural services in their area. Many local authorities also have leisure or physical activity plans to underpin the national strategy.

Important national challenges:

• Maintaining a high standard of leisure and cultural facilities
• Increasing participation in sport and physical activities
• Improving access to library services and maintaining library usage rates
• Providing arts and culture opportunities for all ages
• Working in collaboration on a regional level

Facts and Figures

• There are 549 local authority owned or managed leisure facilities in Wales.
• There are over 300 libraries across Wales.
• In 2005-06, local authorities in Wales collectively spent over £323 million on leisure and culture services.
• The latest survey (2006) of public satisfaction with local services showed that some of the highest levels of satisfaction were with libraries (76% of people were satisfied) and parks and open spaces (71% were satisfied)
• 80% of local authority sports facility users were satisfied with the services they used in 2006.
• To be healthy, adults should aim to complete five ‘sessions’ of 30 minutes exercise a week, whilst children should be aiming for five 60 minute ‘sessions’.
• More than four out of five people in Wales attended an arts event in Wales last year.

Further Information

Climbing Higher strategy
Wales Arts Review

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