The Leisure Review: May 2012

news, editorial and comment:

Defending and challenging the DCMS
The Leisure Review editorial
When the DCMS is in the headlines it rarely bodes well for the sport, leisure and culture sector but rumours of the department's demise are, or should be, overstated. They could and should do better.

Row Z
The Leisure Review diary
Edition 65. Sidey has a holiday, leaving us in the hands of the far less dyspeptic work experience lass. However, she still finds time to tilt at professional football, professional theatre, coaching ego and funding otiosity before getting on with her work.

News in Brief
News in Brief, issue 61. The Leisure Review's self-confessedly perfunctory approach to industry news. A 30-tonne instruction manual and Paralympic impacts. Leisure-related environmentalism and political speculation. The Grand Tour and grants explored. Broadcasters and speculators.

World of Leisure: cultural news daily
A day-by-day account of how sport, leisure and culture appears in the national press. Now with added May.

The events page
Details of events presented by The Leisure Review in association with partner organisations, plus some that we think you might find interesting.

The leisure manager's library
The Mighty Waltzer, Howard Jacobson's tale of table tennis, the Akiva Social Club and Lorna Peachey's pants. The Leisure Review's guide to literature.

The letters page
The Leisure Review letters page: a single-handed attempt to reintroduce the editorial process into an online world. And to add to the excitement some new correspondence.

features

COMPASS points for school sport and physical activity
Martin Gallagher talks to The Leisure Review about the aims of COMPASS, its place within the sporting environment and what London 2012 may mean for physical activity in schools.

The building blocks of coaching inspiration
The Leisure Review’s latest Coaching Insight asked whether it is the coach's job to inspire. An elevating and inspirational discussion ensued, offering delegates a challenging vision of a sporting future.

Thriving on chaos: an Antipodean approach to coaching
When rugby league coach Martyn Rothwell used a Winston Churchill Fellowship to look at coaching in New Zealand and Australia he found chaos reigned; and liked it.

Link me in, Scotty
One of the legacies of the Olympics has been a proliferation of schemes and initiatives with very little rationale beyond garnering headlines and getting ticks in the boxes marked ‘participation’. Mick Owen joined a LinkedIn discussion group to find out where the Community Games fitted into the bigger picture.

The Genesis of an event
Steve Hackett was playing at the Queen's Hall. James Bryce went along to see how he was getting on these days and to wonder at the merits of converting churches to leisure venues.

The High Ground
An alternative view of the Scottish landscape
Edition 12. This month MacSideliner takes colour as the theme and is also able to report on an unlikely success in the area of health campaigning.

recent features from The Leisure Review

What is the future of sport?
Andy Smith and Simon Kumar of York St John University offer four predictions for the future of sport and suggest how those involved with sport might be able to create the future they want.

Low-cost gyms: The Leisure Review round table
The Leisure Review round table took the low-cost gym market as its subject and gathered some of the most senior figures in the fitness industry to discuss the issues.

Cleanse the oil from sport – and the arts
BP’s sponsorship of the London Olympics breaches the International Olympic Committee’s code of ethics and is a stain on the name of sport, argues Nick Reeves.

Sustainable clubs in a changing climate
Wendy Sheldrick reports on a conference exploring sustainability for community clubs in East Lothian and finds food - and drink - for thought.

Another Brick in the Wall: the building blocks of coaching excellence
Kay Adkins presented and facilitated at the first of The Leisure Review’s spring series of Coaching Insightsand still had the energy to write a report.

Steamed up over ale: museum innovation on an industrial scale
When The Leisure Review heard of a beer festival with steam trains managing editor Mick Owen pulled rank and spent a happy afternoon at Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry.

A new cultural force: a Boss view of music
The keynote address at the South By Southwest festival was delivered by Bruce Springsteen, who revealed some surprising affinities with British culture. Jonathan Ives reports.

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