North Ayrshire Leisure recently hosted the first procurement seminar for senior managers from Scottish Leisure Trusts.

Held at the Magnum Leisure Centre in Irvine, the event was organised in conjunction with the Key Alliance purchasing consortium.

Key Alliance approved suppliers are already working with around 45 SpoRTA trusts, but the event marked the launch of procurement initiatives in Scotland.

A spokesperson for the event said: “Making informed decisions about crucial areas of spend such as energy, buildings and facilities maintenance, insurance, vending and catering can be difficult even for the most experienced and well-resourced SpoRTA member and can dramatically affect the financial health of a trust.

“Meeting and evaluating potential suppliers, negotiating competitive terms and monitoring them thereafter to ensure that product quality and performance continue to match the changing needs of a trust can easily occupy time and effort which could otherwise be far more effectively deployed to focus on the provision of leisure services to the community.” Details: Libby Cairns, head of business services, North Ayrshire Leisure, +44 (0)1294 313772 or Cedric Peachey, Key Alliance, +44 (0)1753 714373