THEME:
Leisure & Culture
VISION: To make Luton a place where people want to live, work and
socialise by expanding on existing leisure and cultural facilities to create a
vibrant urban lifestyle, and working collaboratively amongst partners to
contribute to improvements in lifestyle choices and stimulating positive leisure
and cultural pursuits.
PRIORITY OUTCOMES:
1. OUT 11 - Improving leisure and cultural opportunities for all and
promoting better access
Linked outcomes and objectives: OBJ 3 – to improve life and
learning opportunities for all and OUT 10 improving services for carers
Associated Themes: Young People and Community Involvement
Area(s) of Intervention:
 Provision of sports and leisure facilities
 Community sports and leisure activities
 Libraries Service
 Arts and cultural activities
 Museums service
Evidence of Need:
 Deprivation Indices
 JSNA
 Skills shortage
Measures of Success:
 The people of Luton are enabled to develop skills, knowledge and
understanding, and participate in activities that promote both learning
and entertainment
 A greater degree of community cohesion, and depth of understanding
of and respect for Luton’s diversity
 A better image for Luton as a centre of sporting and cultural excellence
 A greater awareness of the history, heritage and cultural richness of
Luton
Interventions Required:
 A comprehensive Libraries service, providing a high level of coverage
through a range of suitable and accessible outlets and giving access to
a wide range of media
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Accessible and affordable leisure and cultural venues offering a wide
range of activities, suitable to, and reflecting the demographics of, the
diverse communities of Luton
Facilities that promote the development of excellence in both individual
and team sports
A range of cross-cultural, cross-community, inter-faith and intergenerational activities
The safeguarding and promotion of Luton’s cultural heritage
2. OBJ 2 – To improve health and promote health equality
Linked outcomes and objectives: OUT 12 – improving the health of
children and young people, OBJ 1 – To empower, support and protect the
vulnerable and OUT 8 – supporting people to live independently
Associated Themes: Health and Wellbeing, Children and Families,
Young People, Community Involvement and Citizen Enablement
Areas of Intervention:
 Provide activities targeted at hard to reach and vulnerable groups
 Develop a programme of activities which will support equitable access
for all
Evidence of Need:
 59% of Luton residents are in the two most deprived national quintiles
compared to 40% for England as a whole.
 At least one in four people will experience a mental health problem at
some point in their life and one in six adults have a mental health
problem at any one time.
 Physical activity levels are lower than the national average with only
17.8% of residents taking part in moderate intensity sport and active
recreation for 30 minutes at lease 3 times a week (2011-2013)
 JSNA
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Measures of Success:
Increase in participation amongst targeted groups of adults
participating in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity sport and
active recreation on 3 or more days per week
Increased throughput in Leisure & Culture Facilities
Reduction in obesity/excess weight in children and adults
Improved mental health
An increase in female participation
Interventions Required:
Promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle
Provide opportunities for participation in leisure, cultural and learning
activities
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Develop close links between partner agencies to support the
development of arts and cultural, leisure and learning activities in the
communities
Promote the concession scheme
Continue to provide early intervention initiatives in relation to health
poverty
Promote performance management and improvement
Target specific groups (women, disabled and deprived) to increase
participation.
Continue to work with partners to deliver a dynamic range of health
initiatives both through facilities and outreach programmes including
new initiatives
Strengthen “Exercise on Referral” programme and increase GP and
health care professional’s awareness on benefits of exercise to prevent
and control chronic disease.
Continue to provide early intervention initiatives in relation to health
poverty
Promote the concession scheme
Offer affordable activities in areas of deprivation
3. OUT 1 – Strengthening communities: building capabilities and
resources of community, voluntary and social enterprise groups together
to work out shared solutions
Linked outcomes and objectives: OUT 16 – providing positive activities
for young people and reducing anti social behaviour, OBJ 5 – to reduce
crime, antisocial behaviour and the fear it causes and OBJ 7 – to
strengthen community cohesion
Associated Themes: All
Areas of Intervention:
 Promoting community engagement and building effective partnerships
between different sections of the communities
Evidence of Need:
 The super-diversity of Luton’s population as per the 2011 Census.
 Disproportionate impact of austerity and particularly of welfare reforms
on both groups of people and certain areas of the town – as evidenced
by welfare reform impact and evaluation workstream
Measures of Success:
 More sports and cultural clubs being formed- Belonging to a club can
provide a sense of community, bringing people together, offering
community hubs and often a support mechanism for many people
 Reduction in crime & antisocial behaviour
 Local residents feeling safe within their neighbourhood
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Interventions Required:
 Ensure services, facilities and employment opportunities are accessible
and meet the diverse needs of the community
 Provision of diversionary activities in problem areas
 Develop an extensive programme of activities which will support social
inclusion
 Work with partners to help people access taster sessions for a wide
variety of leisure and cultural activities
 Support sports clubs, arts groups and individuals helping them to
secure external funding, training and encouraging peer support.
 Encourage and support town wide community festivals and outdoor
arts programmes as a means of uniting communities and engendering
civic pride
4. OUT 7 – enhancing skills for employability and entrepreneurship and
reducing differences in achievement levels between communities
Linked outcomes and objectives: OUT 14 – supporting our children and
young people to achieve skills and experience to enhance their prospects
for the future and OUT 15 – reducing the differences in educational
achievements between ethnic groups
Associated Themes: Children and Families, Young People, Environment
and Economy and Citizen Enablement
Areas of Intervention:
 Reducing the differences in educational achievement between
ethnic groups
 Providing positive cultural & physical activities for young people and
reducing anti social behaviour
 Meeting the needs of children and young people with
disabilities/learning difficulties
Evidence of Need:
 Luton Sustainable Community Strategy
 Deprivation Indices
 JSNA
 Community Planning Outcomes
 Joint Health Analysis
 Anti-Cohesion Activity
Measures of Success:
 Increase number of people participating in volunteering
 Provide support to new arts and leisure businesses
 Number of Community leisure & cultural training programmes/projects
organised
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Number of participants taking part in and completing training
programmes/projects
Interventions Required
 Improve the employability of individuals through the provision of
activities and services which improve physical and mental health and
well-being
 Support and develop voluntary organisations to enable their capacity to
sustain learning, sport and recreation and cultural activities in the
community
 Work with Active Luton, Luton Culture and other partners in the local
arts and cultural sector, in the provision of coaching and learning
opportunities
 Develop ways for local volunteers to access training thereby improving
their chances of securing employment
 Encourage participation in team and outdoor activities and through
achievement of leadership and coaching qualifications
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