New research finds leisure services in Enfield deliver £14.2m in social value

Leisure services delivered by charitable social enterprise GLL, in the London Borough of Enfield, generated an estimated £14.2 million in social value in 2025/26, up from £11.5 million the previous year, according to new research by ukactive’s Research Institute.

The GLL Enfield Interim Impact Report examines the contribution of five leisure facilities: Albany Leisure Centre, Arnos Pool, Edmonton Leisure Centre, Southbury Leisure Centre and Southgate Leisure Centre, to residents’ health and wellbeing.

The estimated social value represents a rise of around 24% year on year, alongside an increase in the number of residents using their local leisure facilities up by 11,000 from 51,546 to 62,953. The findings highlight the potential for accessible local leisure services to contribute to healthier communities and support efforts to address health inequalities.

In 2025/26, the five facilities recorded more than 1.27 million visits – around 3,500 per day and over 1.5 million hours of activity. The report also found that of users whose postcodes could be matched to national deprivation data, 40.5% live in the most deprived quintile of English households, demonstrating the reach of these services into communities facing the greatest disadvantage.

The findings also highlights the importance of physical and mental wellbeing as reasons for using leisure facilities. Physical fitness was the leading motivation for participation, followed by mental health benefits, while the proportion of respondents citing a long-term health condition as a reason for choosing to visit their local leisure centre increased from 8.8% to 9.4%.

Cllr Edward Smith, cabinet member for council assets and culture said:

“These findings demonstrate the important contribution Enfield’s leisure centres make to the health and wellbeing of our residents. The continued growth in participation, including amongst residents living in some of our most deprived neighbourhoods, is particularly welcome.

The evidence linking regular use of leisure facilities with improved wellbeing reinforces the value of accessible local opportunities to be active. We will continue working with GLL to break down barriers to physical activity, encourage participation and ensure our leisure facilities support healthier, more connected communities across Enfield. “

Andy Bindon, Deputy CEO of GLL, said:

“When we took on Enfield’s leisure centres at the end of 2024, we made a simple commitment: get more people active, more often - especially in the communities that need it most. This research shows that is exactly what is happening. Eleven thousand more residents in a single year means eleven thousand more people building their fitness, looking after their mental health and staying connected to their community.

As a charitable social enterprise, we reinvest every penny of surplus back into our services, so seeing four in ten of our users coming from some of the country’s most deprived neighbourhoods tells us we are in the right places, doing the right things. Leisure centres are not a nice-to-have – they are frontline prevention, keeping people well and easing the pressure on local health services. We are proud of what we have achieved with Enfield Council so far, and there is much more to come.”

Clemency Lion, Director of Research, Policy and Communications at ukactive, said:

“The findings paint a powerful picture of the value GLL’s leisure facilities deliver to communities in Enfield, supporting physical and mental wellbeing and social connection. At a time when preventative health has never been more important, it is vital that leisure services remain accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. By understanding what motivates people to be active and how facilities meet their needs, our sector can help tackle health inequalities and support healthier communities.”