ASSET TRANSFER
Sport England is the government agency which is responsible for promoting community sport. Sport England advises, invests in and promotes community sport to create an active nation. They aim to get two million people more active in sport by 2012.
One of the ways in which this aim can be achieved is through the transfer of public assets and facilities to community organisations which have the capacity and enthusiasm to put them to good use. Transfer can include either the transfer of ownership (freehold or leasehold) or the transfer of the management of the facility – or both.
The Quirk Review and Opening the Transfer Window
In 2007 Barry Quirk, Lewisham Council's Chief Executive. published a report commissioned by Government – entitled ‘Making Assets Work’. It found that community organisations can realise tremendous potential by taking on the management and ownership of community assets. It recommended that Public Sector Organisations take a proactive approach to asset transfer including the use of powers to transfer assets at much less than full market value.
In response, Government published a report called ‘Opening the Transfer Window’ which accepted all of the Quirk recommendations. As a result of the Quirk Review Public Sector Organisations are being encouraged and supported by Government to take a proactive approach to asset transfer as part of the development of their Asset Management Strategies and in the development of plans to deliver their local strategies and plans.
Public Sector Organisations
The next five pages of this resource are designed specifically for Public Sector Organisations (PSO) considering transferring a sports facility, or a facility that has the potential to be used for sports, into the community.
You will be taken through the process of examining the types of voluntary or community organisation you might find yourself working with and their perspective on the transfer, the potential risks to your own organisation – as well as the very real benefits that asset transfer can provide.
As well as reading this section, PSOs might find it useful to read the whole resource to gain an understanding of the asset transfer process from the point of view of voluntary and community groups.