Local sport and leisure centre operator South Gloucestershire Leisure Trust has rebranded itself Circadian Trust as part of a strategy aimed at helping the organisation grow over the coming years.
The new brand was officially launched at a breakfast briefing event on Friday 8th July and comes five years after the organisation was appointed by South Gloucestershire Council to operate and manage the local authority’s leisure centres.
It marks a significant milestone in the development of the £8.9 million turnover Trust, which employs around 1,000 people in both full and part time roles. The Trust has committed to a programme of continuous development that has seen them expand their operations and take on three more sports centres in South Gloucestershire in the past 12 months.
Investment in the centres has also been significant, with more than £6 million spent on upgrading and improving the services and facilities that the Trust manages since its inception in 2005. On average, there are 1.9 million annual visits by people using the services.
The Trust says it will continue to work in partnership with South Gloucestershire Council and retain its social enterprise status, enabling it to pass on subsidised rates for activities such as public and schools swimming, concessionary groups and sports clubs.
The new name relates to circadian rhythms, which is the term for the cycle the body goes through in a 24-hour period. This includes all aspects of the body, including biochemical, psychological and behavioural.
Mark Crutchley has been Chief Executive of South Gloucestershire Leisure Trust since mid-2006 and will continue to lead the newly-named Circadian Trust into this new phase.
He said: “There has been a lot to celebrate about our offer and what we have achieved over the past five years. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported us.
“This is an exciting time for the Trust and the rebranding has really helped us look at the business as a whole and what we aim to deliver. We are now ready for a new direction to ensure our future growth and continued investment in our services and surroundings.”
“The Trust has always had an excellent working partnership with South Gloucestershire Council and we look forward to continuing this in the years to come as we are both committed to developing better quality services and outcomes for our customers and community.”
The Trust operates centres in Bradley Stoke, Kingswood, Patchway, Downend, Yate, Longwell Green and Thornbury.
The Trust continues to use the South Gloucestershire Leisure brand in its customer-facing activities.
The organisation also has a trading arm, Sphere Leisure Limited, believed to be involved in catering and the retail sale of clothing.