Teams from Cardiff Council’s leisure services are preparing to enter the Dragon’s Den next week.
Assistant managers from several of Cardiff’s leisure facilities will present a business plan of how to improve service delivery to a panel of four judges in a Dragons’ Den-style competition on Thursday September 23, before one is chosen to win the £2,000 prize to help turn their plan into a reality.
The Dragon’s Den idea was formed to develop the management and leadership qualities of assistant managers working in the council’s leisure centres.
This year, Cardiff Council is pleased to announce an exciting partnership with Sport Wales who expressed a particular interest in the scheme. They are promoting it as an exemplar of best practice and are looking to Cardiff Council to help develop a similar model for other local authorities across South Wales.
Sport Wales Chief Executive Laura McAllister is a welcome newcomer to the panel, who will judge the successful applicants. She will be joined by Chief Officer for Direct Services, Martin Hamilton, Operational Manager for Leisure and Play, Barbara Beedham, and Direct Services Operational Manager for Customer and Service Development, John Pearse.
The initiative is now in its third year and invites over 40 assistant managers from across the city’s leisure facilities to attend a series of training sessions run by council representatives. They cover topics such as change management, partnership working and community engagement as well as presentation skills to assist them when delivering their plan to the ‘dragons’.
Candidates are given a brief for their business plan, and working in groups, they have 6 weeks to produce their ideas before presenting them to the panel at the final event held at St David’s Hall.
Last year’s winners from Fairwater Leisure Centre established the ‘Goodies in Hoodies’ initiative. The project was set up in February 2009 after it was recognised that a solution was needed to tackle the increasing anti-social behaviour in the area.
The winning programme sets local young volunteers the challenge of improving the lives of youngsters in the area as well as reducing the barriers between older and younger people in the community.
The project has contributed to cleaning up Fairwater and Pentrebane as well as providing young people with the skills needed for future employment.
Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport, Nigel Howells said: “The Dragon’s Den initiative continues to be an effective way to maintain the high standards of service throughout Cardiff’s leisure facilities. It demonstrates the importance of giving the people who work in them the opportunity to channel their ideas to help develop the centres and benefit their surrounding areas.
“Successful initiatives like the Goodies in Hoodies’ scheme have proved essential in improving local communities all across the city.”
