Enable

What Enable does

Enable Leisure and Culture is a not-for-profit charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales (company number 09487276, charity number 1172345). It was formed in 2015 when Wandsworth Council transferred health, leisure, parks, bereavement, and community services to a newly established charitable entity operating from Battersea Park, London. Enable delivers an integrated portfolio of community services through dedicated operational divisions: Health and Wellbeing (physical activity programmes, social prescribing, specialist health coaching); Bereavement Services (Putney Vale and North East Surrey crematoria, plus cemetery management); Events and Venues (Battersea Park Fireworks, weddings, venue hire); Filming (the Wandsworth Film Office for location permits); Leisure and Sport (gyms, athletics tracks, swimming, rowing, courts across multiple centres); Parks and Greenspaces (40+ parks, allotments, biodiversity); Public Halls (five community venues); Putney School of Art and Design (since 1883, offering courses across drawing, painting, ceramics, digital design); and the Pump House Gallery in Battersea Park.

Enable's business model combines subscription revenue (gym memberships at £27-£33/month), transaction-based fees (venue hire, filming permits at £137-£897/hour, bereavement services, art courses), and council-funded managed services for parks and greenspace maintenance. The Access for All scheme provides 50%+ concessions and free off-peak access for eligible Wandsworth residents on means-tested benefits. National partnerships with Sport England, Macmillan Cancer Support, and Mind extend its health intervention programmes. All profits are reinvested locally to strengthen community services. The technology stack is standard — WordPress CMS, Microsoft 365, Xero, Mailchimp, Google Analytics — with no proprietary AI/ML components documented. Marketing operates across website, email newsletters, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, press releases, and direct community outreach. Enable employs 101-250 staff and is led by Chief Executive Ian Mitchell (joined 2018) under Chairman Chris Baillieu and a Board of Trustees.

Name

Enable

Legal name

Enable Leisure and Culture

Website

https://enablelc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Enable Leisure and Culture is a Wandsworth Council-partnered not-for-profit charity delivering health, leisure, parks, bereavement, events, filming, and arts education services to London borough residents through multiple facilities and subsidised access programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Battersea, London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Leisure and Sport Services: Revenue from gym memberships, sports facility access, and leisure program fees. All-inclusive membership ranges from £27-£33 per month, with free off-peak and weekend gym access for eligible Wandsworth residents through the Access for All scheme.
2. Events and Venue Hire: Revenue from hiring out venues including Battersea Park spaces, Civic Suite, community halls, and hosting events such as Battersea Park Fireworks. Events team facilitates hundreds of events yearly including weddings, conferences, and community bookings.
3. Filming Permits and Location Services: Charges for filming and photography on council property in Wandsworth, ranging from £137.40-£897 per hour depending on production type (photography, TV, commercial/feature film). Daily rates also available.
4. Bereavement Services: Revenue from crematoria and cemetery services including cremated remains sanctums, memorial options, grave ownership, and related bereavement services.
5. Arts Education: Revenue from Putney School of Art and Design courses covering drawing, painting, digital design, photography, printmaking, ceramics, and sculpture. Course fees vary by program type and length.
6. Parks and Greenspace Management: Services funded through partnership with Wandsworth Council including grounds maintenance, arboriculture, sports pitch bookings, allotments, and biodiversity programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Enable Leisure and Culture is a not-for-profit charitable organisation delivering health, leisure, and community services in partnership with Wandsworth Council. It operates leisure and sport facilities (gyms, sports centres, athletics tracks, swimming), manages 40+ parks and greenspaces, runs events and venue hire, delivers health and wellbeing programmes, provides bereavement services through two crematoria and five cemeteries, hires out public halls, and runs Putney School of Art and Design, with all profits reinvested into local community services.

Product overview

Enable Leisure and Culture is a not-for-profit charitable organisation that delivers community services in partnership with Wandsworth Council. The organisation operates a diverse portfolio of integrated services organised into distinct operational divisions: Health and Wellbeing Services (physical activity programmes, social prescribing, specialist health initiatives), Bereavement Services (crematoria, cemeteries, memorials), Events and Venues (large-scale events, venue hire, weddings), Filming Services (location coordination, permits), Leisure and Sport Facilities (gyms, sports centres, athletics, courts), Parks and Greenspaces Management (parks, allotments, biodiversity), Public Halls (community venues for hire), Putney School of Art and Design (art education), and the Access for All Scheme (subsidised access). These services are offered as a coordinated ecosystem of community-facing programmes rather than a unified software product. The organisation reinvests any profits to strengthen and enrich local communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Health and Wellbeing Services Programmes targeting health inequalities through physical activity, social prescribing, and community-based health initiatives for Wandsworth residents, including Active Wellbeing, Social Prescribing, specialist health coaching, and partnerships with Sport England, Macmillan Cancer Support, and Mind.
• Bereavement Services Management of two crematoria, three active cemeteries, and two closed cemeteries, including cremated remains sanctums, memorial options, grave ownership, and related bereavement services for families and individuals in the Wandsworth area.
• Events and Venue Hire Creation and hosting of large-scale and community events, weddings, conferences, and venue hire across Battersea Park spaces and other Enable-managed venues for individuals, corporate clients, and community groups.
• Filming Services Wandsworth Film Office providing one-stop filming location services, permits, and unit base coordination for film and photography productions across the borough, with differentiated hourly and daily rates by production type.
• Leisure and Sport Facilities Gyms, sports facilities, athletics tracks, grass pitches, tennis courts, padel courts, rowing facilities, swimming, and sports development programmes across multiple centres including Battersea Park Millennium Arena, Tooting Bec Athletics Track, and Barn Elms Sports Centre, for individual members and community sports participants.
• Parks and Greenspaces Management Management and development of Wandsworth Council parks, commons, playgrounds, allotments, biodiversity initiatives, and general greenspace enquiries on behalf of Wandsworth Council for public use by borough residents.
• Public Halls Venue Hire Affordable venue hire for private and public events including the Grade II listed Civic Suite, Wilditch Community Centre, Open Door Community Centre, Cromwell House, and Furzedown Recreation Centre, with Access for All 50% discounts for eligible residents.
• Putney School of Art and Design Art education provider offering courses in digital design, photography, drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, and family learning programmes across six studios for beginner to advanced learners including diploma students and community learners.
• Pump House Gallery Gallery space located in Battersea Park hosting exhibitions, cultural events, and community arts programming for artists, residents, and visitors.
• Access for All Concession Scheme Concession scheme providing at least 50% reduction in charges across bereavement, community halls, leisure, parks, fishing permits, allotments, and arts education services for Wandsworth residents on means-tested benefits including Universal Credit, Jobseekers Allowance, Housing Benefit, Disability Living Allowance, and Pension Credit.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 750 Wandsworth residents participated in the On Your Street biodiversity survey demonstrating community engagement
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Wandsworth CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Primary partnership since Enable's formation in 2015. Wandsworth Council contracts Enable to deliver health, leisure, community services, parks management, bereavement services, and arts education across the borough. Enable is the exclusive service provider managing 40+ parks, multiple leisure facilities, crematoria, cemeteries, and community spaces on behalf of the council.
• Sport EnglandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner working with Enable's Health and Wellbeing department on physical activity programs and community sport development initiatives. Collaboration supports delivery of Active Wellbeing and other health programs targeting specific community groups.
• Macmillan Cancer SupportmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in physical activity for health area, supporting programs that help people with cancer become more active as part of their recovery and wellbeing.
• MindmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health charity collaborating with Enable on health and wellbeing community programs, supporting initiatives that address mental health through physical activity and community engagement.
• Continental Landscapes LtdmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor running the grounds maintenance contract for Wandsworth's parks and greenspaces. Works with Enable Parks and Wandsworth Council to maintain and develop public green spaces.
• City Suburban (CSTS)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor running the arboricultural (trees) contract for Wandsworth. Provides tree maintenance and arboriculture services in partnership with Enable Parks.
• Friends of Putney School of Art and DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent registered charity providing continued support and encouragement to Putney School of Art and Design. Helps support the school's community arts education mission.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fusion Lifestyle: UK charitable leisure operator running sports centres, gyms, swimming pools, libraries, and cultural venues on behalf of local authorities; operates with the same council-PPP/charitable structure as Enable.
• Better (by GLL): Greenwich Leisure Limited operates one of the UK's largest charitable leisure trusts under the consumer-facing "Better" brand, running gyms, sports facilities, libraries, and community programmes on behalf of multiple local authorities — directly comparable operating model and revenue mix to Enable.
• Mytime Active: UK charitable leisure trust delivering health, fitness, and wellbeing services through council-leased facilities, with subscription memberships and concession programmes directly comparable to Enable's leisure and sport division.
• Places Leisure: Charitable leisure trust operating council leisure facilities across England under the "Places" brand, providing gyms, swimming, sports, and community health programmes — closely comparable service mix and contracting model to Enable.
• The Parks Trust: Independent charity managing parks and green spaces across Milton Keynes on behalf of the community, funded by a unique endowment — directly comparable as a charitable parks-management operator anchoring Enable's parks division.
• Everyone Active (by SLM): Sports and Leisure Management Ltd operates more than 200 leisure centres across the UK on behalf of councils as a charitable social enterprise, with gym memberships, swimming, sports development, and concession programmes comparable to Enable's leisure and sport offer.

Broad incumbents

• Serco Leisure: Large international outsourcing group whose UK leisure division contracts with local authorities to operate leisure facilities and cultural services — comparable council contracting model but as part of a much broader multi-sector services portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/enableLC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/enable-leisure-and-culture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Enable