|
Leisure Industry Leader Recognised in New Year’s Honours
05 Jan 2022
Mark Sesnan, the co-founder and Chief Executive of GLL (Greenwich Leisure Limited) the Social Enterprise and UK’s largest operator of municipal leisure facilities, has been awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in this year’s New Year’s Honours List, by Her Majesty the Queen. The award is for services to the UK Leisure Industry, in particular during Covid-19.
In 1993 Mark co-founded what was to become one of the first and most successful not-for-profit leisure trusts operating in the UK. Today inspired by GLL’s success there are more than 120 leisure trusts operating across the country, managing around a third of all public leisure centres.
Under Mark’s direction, GLL operates over 300 public leisure centres, libraries and children centres and has an annual turnover of nearly £300million. GLL works with over 50 local councils, public agencies and sporting organisations and employs a diverse workforce of over 10,000 people.
In 2008 Mark was instrumental in founding the GLL Sports Foundation: created to provide financial and practical support to talented young athletes across all Olympic and Paralympic disciplines. Since its launch the Foundation has invested over £10 million, helping the nation’s next generation of sporting talent.
Mark has also played an important role in the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Working with the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) GLL operates both the London Aquatics Centre and the Copper Box Arena on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with a remit to provide community use, cater for schools, clubs and families as well as being sites for elite, international sporting events. GLL is soon to begin a new partnership with Lee Valley Regional Park Authority that will see it operate a number of facilities including the Lee Valley Velodrome and White Water Centre.
He has been at the forefront of the leisure industry’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic in his role as GLL’s Chief Executive and also as a board member of both UKActive and Community Leisure UK. He has lobbied for Government support for the industry and highlighted the crucial role that public health must play for the physical and mental recovery of the nation.
Even during the most challenging periods of lockdown, when leisure facilities were forced to close, GLL, under Mark’s leadership, introduced free online exercise classes and activities via a dedicated app and when allowed offered free outdoor exercise classes to encourage everyone to stay active. GLL leisure facilities, always at the heart of local communities, have been used as Food Banks, Nightingale Hospitals and Vaccination Centres.
Commenting on his award Mark Sesnan said: ““This is a great honour not only for me, but for my colleagues, for GLL, for the leisure industry and for the wider Social Enterprise movement within the UK.”
Peter Holbrook Chief Executive of Social Enterprise UK said: “Of course I’m delighted that Mark has been recognised with an OBE. His leadership of GLL since the start, his investment in social enterprise more broadly and his commitment to society are admired by so many in and out of the sector. Very much deserved.” Gareth Kirk, GLL Society Chair added: “Mark has dedicated his life to GLL and the social enterprise movement in the UK. He is known by every GLL society member and has a strong personal connection with staff across all corners of the UK.
“Mark leads the team with the same socially driven purpose and goals in today’s business environment that he did 28 years ago, when the organisation was founded. While the core values of the organisation have remained strong and stable, the level of growth and diversification has been ground breaking. “On behalf of all GLL society members I’d like to congratulate Mark for this well-deserved achievement.”
In addition to being GLL’s CEO, Mark Sesnan has held and continues to hold a number of key positions including: • Board member GLL Sports Foundation • Board member UK Active • Honorary Secretary of Community Leisure UK • Former Chair of Social Enterprise London • Former board member of Social Enterprise UK
back
|
Latest member news |
|
|
Edinburgh Leisure Appoints New Chief Executive
Edinburgh-based physical activity charity, Edinburgh Leisure, has announced the
appointment of a new Chief Executive.
read more...
Withington Baths Receives Sports England Grant to Accelerate its Carbon Footprint Reduction Efforts
Love Withington Baths, the non-profit organisation that operates Withington Baths
and co-working space Withington Works, has announced exciting plans to
significantly reduce its carbon footprint and enhance energy efficiency thanks to
a £105K grant secured from Sport England under the Government’s Swimming Pool
Support Fund.
read more...
GLL Celebrate £140k Arts Council Funding
VR headsets, IT hublets and improved seating, shelving and flooring are on their
way to Lye Library, Dudley thanks to funding from the Arts Council.
read more...
Much-Loved Library to Receive Grant Funding of Nearly £400,000
One of Redbridge's most popular libraries will benefit from a significant
modernisation programme after being awarded nearly £400,000 in grant funding.
read more...
Horizon Leisure Scoops Prize at Portsmouth Business Awards
Horizon Leisure, which operates Havant leisure Centre and Waterlooville Leisure
Centre, was crowned Community Business of the Year at the Portsmouth Business
Awards earlier this year.
read more...
Portsmouth Tennis Centre celebrated for bringing tennis to all
Portsmouth Tennis Centre has been recognised by the LTA Tennis Awards for bringing
tennis to under-represented groups and communities throughout the city.
read more...
Wellness Hub Breaks Down Barriers to Tackle Health Inequalities in North East Lincolnshire
A new report on Lincs Inspire’s Wellness Hub has revealed the difference it is
making to community health.
read more...
|
|
Grant from Parkinson’s UK Gives Green Light to New Cycle Classes
Everybody Health & Leisure has launched a dedicated group cycling classes for
people living with Parkinson's Disease.
read more...
Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust score partnership with Club Doncaster
Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust (DCLT) and Club Doncaster have agreed a
partnership that will see DCLT as an official sponsor of the Dons RLFC and sponsor
of two Belles players.
read more...
BPL Achieves Swim England’s Water Wellbeing Accreditation
AWARD winning community leisure trust BPL has achieved Swim England’s Water
Wellbeing accreditation.
read more...
Edinburgh Leisure Scale New Heights Following £100,000 Boost
Edinburgh Leisure’s flagship climbing arena at Ratho has benefitted from a major
funding investment from sportscotland’s Sport Facilities Fund.
read more...
78-year-old George’s marvellous weightlifting medicine
Almost an octogenarian, George Travis is still hammering out kettle bell classes
as an Active Tameside fitness instructor.
read more...
Cefn Hengoed Leisure Centre Gets Massive Makeover
A Swansea leisure centre has been totally revamped with a £7.5 million investment.
read more...
GLL Starts 10-year Deal to Operate Newham Leisure Centres
The UK’s leading leisure and cultural charitable staff-owned trust, which runs
services under the Better brand, has begun a new 10-year partnership with Newham
Council that promises to increase physical activity levels and improve the
customer experience for residents in one of London’s fastest growing boroughs.
read more...
|
Business partner news |
|
|
|
|
09 Apr 2024
Oxygen Consulting deep dives into padel with forthcoming report
Oxygen Consulting is about to launch its first UK Padel Report, which
investigates this fast-growing sport.
read more...
05 Apr 2024
Ronaldo crashes the app store with launch of new wellness, fitness and health app, Erakulis
Portugese footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, has launched a health and wellness app that harmonises
advice on fitness, nutrition and mental wellness in one seamless experience.
read more...
04 Apr 2024
New research shows BMI fails as a measure of childhood obesity, leading to flawed policy
Waist circumference-to-height ratio is a more reliable measure of obesity in children and
adolescents than BMI according to a new study, published in Pediatric Research.
read more...
28 Mar 2024
4Global and UK Active launch private sector health club benchmarking
The first annual Private Sector Benchmarking report was released today (27 March). A
collaboration between UK Active and 4Global, the aim of the research is to provide accurate
insight into the state of UK-based private sector health clubs.
read more...
|
|
27 Mar 2024
Egym snaps up Hussle as it moves to dominate the corporate wellness market with its Wellpass product
Egym, has signalled its intention to become a dominant force in the corporate wellness sector
with the acquisition of UK-based aggregator, Hussle.
read more...
26 Mar 2024
Total Fitness turns a profit as it beats pre-COVID membership
Total Fitness has released results for its most recent financial year (to June 23), which saw a
return to pre-COVID membership levels following a year-on-year uplift in membership numbers
of 5 per cent.
read more...
25 Mar 2024
Entrepreneurs share secrets of building a fitness business at PerformX
Enjoy building your business because the journey can be as good or better than the destination
was one takeaway of the industry titans’ panel on empire building, comprised of three industry
entrepreneurs.
read more...
22 Mar 2024
Myzone removes the hardware barrier with launch of MZ-Open, making its system available on smart watches
Myzone is now available on smart watches, allowing Android and AppleWatch wearers to record
workouts without an additional device, and taking the tech company into the multi-billion dollar
smart watch market.
read more...
|
|
|
|
General Meetings |
|
|
CLUK General Meeting
15 May 2024: Glasgow
|
Special Interest Groups |
|
|
Social Value
16 April 2024
|
Volunteering
24 April 2024
|
Finance
2 May 2024
|
For more information about Special Interest Group and regional / national members meetings, please contact [email protected]
|
|
Job vacancies |
|
|
Duty Manager
Salary: £30,000pa + local Govt pension + attractive benefits package
Location: Kirkwall, UK
Company: The Pickaquoy Centre
Read more and apply
|
Team Leader (Harrow School Fitness Club)
Salary: £13.71 per hour
Location: Harrow on the Hill, Harrow, UK
Company: Harrow School
Read more and apply
|
Centre Manager (Leisure)
Salary: £40,221 - £42,403pa + pension + benefits
Location: Exeter, UK
Company: Exeter City Council
Read more and apply
|
Director of Operations
Salary: £61,000 - £64,000 + exceptional pension + excellent benefits
Location: Luton, UK
Company: Active Luton
Read more and apply
|
Membership Manager
Salary: £29,605 - £32,982pa + pension + benefits
Location: Coventry, UK
Company: University of Warwick
Read more and apply
|
Chief Executive Officer, Mount Batten Centre
Salary: c£65,000pa + pension + benefits
Location: Plymouth, UK
Company: Mount Batten Group
Read more and apply
|
|