GLL

What we can do for you
Our purpose is to improve the physical, mental and social wellbeing of local communities.

As the UK’s leading provider of both leisure centres and libraries we operate nearly 400 locations all helping to make a real difference to local communities and local people.

Every penny that GLL makes is reinvested back into the business to support our social purpose. www.gll.org

Background/History
GLL was formed as a ‘spin out’ from Greenwich Council’s Leisure Department in 1993 – starting with just seven leisure facilities.

We are a staff owned charitable social enterprise – a leisure provider that follows a different, fairer and better way of doing business.

We are proud to be accredited by the Living Wage Foundation.

Key products and services
GLL operates over leisure, health, libraries and sports and legacy development.

GLL’s position as sport and leisure’s leading charitable social enterprise is built upon a solid foundation of services we provide to partners, key stakeholders and customers.

GLL helps build active and sustainable communities through partnership working. We work to a social agenda and are committed to providing accessible community facilities for all. We believe in offering value for money.

Our services are wide ranging and offer current and potential partners a range of solutions and options for enhanced service delivery, increased value for money and tangible added value through social value measurement and reporting.

We’ve been operating leisure centres since 1993 – since 2014 under our customer facing brand “Better” www.better.org.uk, and it’s probably what we’re best known for.

We are the UK’s largest public pools and public libraries provider – and the biggest provider of school swimming lessons.

USPs
We are the largest charitable leisure social enterprise in the UK, celebrating 30 years in 2023.

We operate the UK’s largest independent athlete support programme – The GLL Sport Foundation https://www.gllsportfoundation.org/ Celebrating 15 years in 2023 under our Patron Sally Gunnell, the Foundation has supported 24,000 athletes on their sporting journey since its inception in 2008, resulting in dozens of medals at international competition including Commonwealth Games, Olympics and Paralympics.

We are the UK’s largest public libraries operator – in 2023 celebrating 10 years of offering some of the best-used libraries in the country.

We are rooted in local communities, at the heart of health and wellbeing.

We produce impressive amounts of social value (£350m in 2022) – across a range of measures from physical and mental health to subjective wellbeing, to individual development and social and community development.

We operate some of the most iconic legacy facilities in the UK including the Manchester Aquatic Centre, London Aquatic Centre, Copper Box Arena and since 2022 – the London 2012 Olympic venues of the Lee Valley Regional Park.
Plans for the next 12 months
Continue the strong bounce back from Covid, growing membership and sales.

Reducing barriers to participation by maintaining our concessions and Kids for a Quid scheme.

Partnering with UK Active, Community Leisure UK, the LGA, RLSS, Swim England and SEUK lobbying central and local government for financial support to meet the ‘existential threat’ to public leisure operators from utility price rises.

Testimonial
“We made the decision to begin supporting the GLL Sport Foundation in 2015, and it is a pleasure to announce the renewal of our sponsorship with this incredible institution.

"Many bright and talented athletes throughout the United Kingdom are unable to chase their dreams of sporting glory due to lack of funding. We are passionate about helping GSF give equal opportunities to all young people and achieving their dreams of competing on the international stage.

"Our partnership enables both our brands to share the success of the UK’s most aspiring athletes who we are proud to have heard speak in such an inspirational way at our internal Sales Conferences and who have supported our marketing and brand development goals through representation and storytelling both in person and via social media”.
– Rod Tonna-Barthet, chief executive, Annodata