Swale Community Leisure

What Swale Community Leisure does

Swale Community Leisure (SCL) is an Exempt Charity and Registered Society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 (Registration Number: IP031132R) that manages four leisure and community facilities across Kent, England: Swallows Leisure Centre in Sittingbourne, Sheppey Leisure Complex, Meopham Leisure Centre, and Hermitage Park Community Centre in Maidstone. The organisation operates a registered office at Central House, Central Avenue, Sittingbourne, and is headquartered in the United Kingdom. Its stated mission centres on managing leisure facilities and delivering physical activity and community programmes for residents of Swale, Maidstone, Gravesham, and surrounding areas.

The company's service portfolio spans fee-paying leisure access (gym, swimming, sports hall, Shapemaster sessions), paid holiday childcare at £15-28 per child per day via the BookWhen booking platform, and a significant portfolio of publicly and charitably funded community programmes. Core programme lines include the government-funded Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme (currently in its 10th school holiday delivery since Summer 2021), the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust NEET youth partnership (9 years, 1,000+ beneficiaries), Get Out Get Active (GOGA) inclusive physical activity, Walking Football with Age UK Kent Rivers, and school partnership programmes including the KSENT Games. The technology stack is conventional — standard leisure management systems and community programme delivery infrastructure with no disclosed proprietary platform, no mobile app, and no API surface.

SCL's revenue model blends subscription/recurring income from leisure centre memberships and usage fees, transactional holiday club fees, managed-services income from government and charitable programme contracts (notably Kent County Council and The Education People for HAF), and professional-services income from school partnerships. Marketing relies on community-based channels, partner referrals, the swaleleisure.org website, and a Facebook presence. Customer segments include children aged 5-12 and families, NEET youth, older adults, children with SEN/AEN, and general community members. The organisation measures social impact using NICE guidelines for Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY).

Name

Swale Community Leisure

Legal name

Swale Community Leisure

Website

https://swaleleisure.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Swale Community Leisure is a Kent-based exempt charity and community benefit society managing four leisure centres and delivering government-funded HAF holiday programmes, NEET youth development via the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, school partnerships, and inclusive wellness programmes for children, older adults, and underserved communities across Swale, Maidstone, and Gravesham.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Leisure Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Sport Complexes & Community Sports Parks (MPAKAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Entertainment Centers & Indoor Amusement (Arcades, Trampoline Parks, Indoor Play) (THAAAAAD)

Keywords

• Community leisure services
• Holiday childcare programmes
• Inclusive fitness facilities
• Youth development programmes
• Charity leisure operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Sittingbourne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Leisure Centre Memberships and Usage Fees: Revenue from individuals using leisure facilities including gyms, swimming pools, and sports halls at Swallows Leisure Centre, Sheppey Leisure Complex, Meopham Leisure Centre, and Hermitage Park Community Centre.
2. Holiday Club Fees: Paid holiday childcare programme for children aged 5-12 years (school years 1-7) at Swallows Leisure Centre and EKC Sheppey Secondary School. Full-day and half-day options available.
3. Government and Charitable Programme Funding: Funding from partnerships with Kent County Council, The Education People, and other public bodies to deliver community programmes including HAF Programme, Dame Kelly Holmes Trust programmes, and Get Out Get Active initiatives.
4. School Partnerships: Revenue from hosting school activities including KSENT Games, swimming galas, gym sessions, badminton, and the Active Zone weekly sessions for Meadowfield School and Borden Grammar School.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Swale Community Leisure manages and operates four leisure and community facilities across Kent (Swallows Leisure Centre, Sheppey Leisure Complex, Meopham Leisure Centre, Hermitage Park Community Centre), offering gym memberships, swimming, sports halls, and fitness facilities to local residents. The organisation also delivers paid holiday childcare clubs for children aged 5–12 and runs funded community programmes including the government HAF Programme, Dame Kelly Holmes Trust youth development for NEET young people, Get Out Get Active (GOGA) inclusive physical activity sessions, and Walking Football in partnership with Age UK Kent Rivers.

Product overview

Swale Community Leisure (SCL) operates as a community benefit society managing leisure and community facilities across Kent, including Swallows Leisure Centre, Sheppey Leisure Complex, Meopham Leisure Centre, and Hermitage Park Community Centre. The organization delivers an integrated portfolio of community services comprising holiday clubs for children, inclusive Get Out Get Active (GOGA) programmes, the Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme, youth development through the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust partnership, school partnership initiatives, and recognition awards. SCL also partners with Age UK Kent Rivers and Shapemaster Studios to extend community reach, focusing on health, wellbeing, and social inclusion for residents of Swale, Maidstone, Gravesham, and surrounding areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Swallows Leisure Centre A leisure centre in Sittingbourne managed by Swale Community Leisure offering gym facilities, sports activities and community event hosting for the general public.
• Sheppey Leisure Complex A leisure complex in Sheerness, Kent, providing fitness and recreational facilities for the local community.
• Meopham Leisure Centre A leisure centre in the Meopham, Gravesham area, offering fitness and sports facilities managed by SCL.
• Hermitage Park Community Centre A community centre in Maidstone operated in partnership, providing community activities and services.
• Swale Holiday Club A holiday childcare service for children in school years 1–7, offering physical games, arts and crafts, and swimming at Swallows Leisure Centre and EKC Sheppey Secondary School, with full-day and half-day paid sessions bookable online.
• Get Out Get Active (GOGA) An inclusive physical activity programme designed to help inactive people become more active through welcoming, adaptable sessions suitable for all fitness levels, delivered as part of SCL's community outreach.
• Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme A government-funded programme running during Easter, Summer and Christmas school holidays, providing free activities, meals and nutritional advice for children aged 5–12 across multiple Kent locations.
• Dame Kelly Holmes Trust Partnership Programme A long-running partnership programme working with world-class athletes to support young people not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), focusing on personal development, employability skills, mental wellbeing and physical activity.
• Schools Partnership Programme Partnerships with local schools providing facilities for PE sessions, swimming galas, sports events, KSENT Games and the weekly Active Zone sessions for children with SEN/AEN.
• Shapemaster Membership Sessions Specialist equipment sessions delivered in partnership with Shapemaster Studios, focusing on mobility improvement and social engagement for members with mobility issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 Young People helped through Dame Kelly Holmes Trust programmes
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dame Kelly Holmes TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner9-year partnership delivering programmes with world class athletes to help young people not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). Over 1,000 young people benefited from programmes supporting personal, social and emotional development, employability skills, mental wellbeing and physical activity levels. During COVID-19, 8 programmes were delivered via Zoom. Latest programme with Claire Bennett (Former GB Fencer) and Trey Whyte (Former GM BMX Rider) worked with 20 young people.
• Age UK Kent RiverscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Walking Football at Swallows Leisure Centre and Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme. Provided over 20,000 meals to HAF children since Summer 2021. SCL and Age UK are exploring development opportunities to grow collaboration and benefit local people.
• The Education PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in delivering the HAF Programme across Kent, running every Easter, Summer and Christmas school holiday.
• Serco LeisurecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in HAF Programme delivery across Kent locations including Swallows Leisure Centre, Sheppey Leisure Complex, Maidstone Leisure Centre, and Meopham Leisure Centre.
• Kent County Council (KCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner supporting community leisure and outreach programmes across Kent.
• Meadowfield SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual KSENT Games organised at Swallows Leisure Centre with schools from across the country. Weekly Active Zone sessions for Meadowfield School children who show improved behaviour and social interactions.
• Borden Grammar SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUses Swallows Leisure Centre for gym sessions, badminton and sports hall use.
• Sport EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational sports authority partner supporting leisure and community sports initiatives.
• Kent SportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty sports partnership supporting SCL community programmes.
• Maidstone Leisure TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated leisure trust partner in Kent region.
• InvolveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity engagement partner.
• AK&MminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation supporting community initiatives.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Better Health – Essex (Fusion Lifestyle): Fusion Lifestyle's Essex operations provide a regional benchmark for charity-run multi-site leisure delivery, adjacent geography to Kent and overlapping community programme profiles.
• Maidstone Leisure Trust: Maidstone Leisure Trust operates leisure facilities and community programmes in the Kent region alongside SCL, sharing the same geographic catchment and county-level council relationships.

Direct peers

• Fusion Lifestyle: Fusion Lifestyle is a charitable leisure trust managing gyms, pools, sports halls, and community programmes across the UK on behalf of local authorities — directly comparable community-benefit operating model.
• Serco Leisure: Serco Leisure operates public leisure facilities and delivers community programmes (including HAF delivery alongside SCL) under local-authority contracts, providing a direct parallel in operating model and customer base.
• Legacy Leisure: Legacy Leisure is a non-profit leisure trust operating gyms, swimming, and community health programmes on behalf of local authorities — closely comparable mission, structure, and service mix.
• Better (Greenwich Leisure Limited): GLL operates the Better brand as the UK's largest charitable social enterprise for leisure, running public leisure facilities, gyms, swimming pools, and community programmes on behalf of local authorities — directly comparable operating model to Swale Community Leisure.
• Everyone Active: Everyone Active manages more than 200 leisure and cultural facilities on behalf of local authorities across the UK under a community leisure trust model, with a similar mix of memberships, community programmes, and holiday activity provision as SCL.
• Active Tameside: Active Tameside is a charitable leisure trust delivering fitness, swimming, and community health and wellbeing programmes — directly comparable as a local-authority-aligned community leisure operator.
• Places Leisure: Places Leisure is a charitable leisure trust operating fitness, swimming, and community programmes across the UK, with comparable local-authority contract management and community health outreach to SCL.

Broad incumbents

• PureGym: PureGym is the UK's largest low-cost gym chain and a primary commercial competitor to SCL's membership and casual-pay leisure revenue across the Kent catchment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/swaleleisure
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swale-community-leisure

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Swale Community Leisure