The Team
Our team have worked for both local authorities and private sector operators and therefore have a unique knowledge of all aspects of local authorities. In relation to Service Reviews, Options Appraisals and transformation projects we have experience of working with wider council departments, ensuring that communications with members, senior officers and residents is undertaken at appropriate times and that timetables take into account the Council’s decision making processes.
Mark Steward
Managing Director
BA (Hons) Social Administration. Diploma in Management Studies (DMS).
Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Managing Director of Max Associates, Mark has over 19 years’ experience of public sector management and service delivery. This includes over 11 years’ consultancy, working for a variety of London, District, Borough and Unitary Authorities. Mark is at the forefront of investigating and demonstrating the social, economic and community benefits of sport, leisure and cultural provision.
Leisure Procurement and Contract Mobilisation
Mark has an exceptional background in this field having previously project managed, for the London Borough of Hounslow, the largest sport, leisure and culture competitive dialogue procurement process across the UK.
Mark has assisted a number of Authorities including London Boroughs of Haringey, Ealing, Enfield, Westminster and Havering, Bath and North East Somerset Council, Redcar and Cleveland Council and Middlesbrough Council in the procurement of a leisure management operator. This resulted in substantially reducing the annual management fees payable to the operator and securing long-term viability for the leisure portfolio through substantial capital investment from incoming contractors.
Options Appraisals and Feasibility Studies
Mark has completed options appraisals for: Test Valley Borough Council, East Hants District Council, Chichester District Council, Guildford Borough Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Waverley Borough Council and Derby City Council.
He also completed a strategic review and options for future delivery of sport and leisure provision across the City of Edinburgh Council leisure portfolio including leisure centres, schools and golf courses.
Recent Projects:
Leisure Procurement and Contract Mobilisation
City of Cardiff Council – Appointed to support a leisure procurement process to identify a suitable operator to manage their sport and leisure provision. Contractor appointed achieving significant revenue savings through procurement process.
Reading Borough Council – Commissioned to support the council and provide specialist leisure related procurement advice and services to procure a leisure partner to design, build, operate and maintain nominated leisure facilities for the Council within the agreed timeframe.
Exeter City Council – Following initial feasibility work with the Council, Max Associates are delivering the procurement for the Cities’ leisure facilities.
Options Appraisals and Feasibility Studies
West Oxfordshire District Council – After completing an initial feasibility study and options appraisal for the Windrush Leisure Centre, Max Associates successfully managed and supported the procurement of a new leisure management contract for all of the council’s leisure facilities. The outcome has led to significant investment into the council’s portfolio with a projected 100% increase in participation within 5 years. The contract was awarded to an established trust securing savings of over £1.3m per annum to the council over the previous contract position.
Client Testimonials:
“With the support, help and advice of Mark Steward, the outcome of the procurement process not only met the objectives but far exceeded them. I cannot over emphasise the difference Mark made to the eventual outcome. Having project managed a number of leisure management projects I have to say this one has been the pinnacle in my 35 year local government career and that is firmly due to Max Associates involvement. Described as a “game changer” for the council by the Financial Director in cabinet, the contract also exceeds the qualitative requirements set out in the specification.”
Martin Holland – West Oxfordshire District Council
“I have found their support to be absolutely first class and without their assistance this project would have been considerably more challenging. Without Max Associates involvement I am convinced the project would not have run to the timetable and the council’s position would not have been as strong as it is.”
Jonathan Sewell – Guildford Borough Council
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Lisa Forsyth
Director
BA (Hon’s) Economics. Msc Recreation Management.
Lisa has been working in the local authority leisure industry for 20 years; working as a consultant for the previous 10 years. Lisa’s career in the industry started at operational level managing local authority leisure centres. She continued to gain experience by heading up a business development department of one of the leading local authority leisure contractors in the UK. She joined Max Associates in 2008, is now a Director and is a member and board member (Treasurer) of the Chartered Institute of Management Sport & Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
Leisure Procurement and Contract Mobilisation
Lisa has significant experience of leisure procurement, having worked for both the private sector and as a consultant on all types of procurement projects from negotiated contracts through to PPP’s, PFI’s and Competitive Dialogue.
Lisa has provided full project management, financial and technical support for a number of councils in complex competitive dialogue processes. She has provided instruction documents for bidders, created bespoke specifications, drafted suitable performance mechanisms, developed shadow business plans, completed full evaluation of contractor submissions and led the council and elected members through the process including dialogue with bidders. These projects have delivered significantly improved facilities, increased service levels and substantial financial savings.
Options Appraisals and Feasibility Studies
Lisa has completed a number of service reviews and options appraisals and has specialised in the financial analysis and impact of alternative management models in the delivery of sport, leisure and cultural services.
Lisa has led a number of feasibility projects looking into the development of new facilities and also change in use of underutilised facilities.
Recent Projects:
Leisure Procurement and Contract Mobilisation
City of Westminster Council – Provided expert advice and support to the council for the procurement of a contractor to manage their sport and leisure portfolio. The outcome was to substantially improve the council’s revenue position, lever in £9m investment into the centres and ensure the council’s strategic outcomes were delivered by the operator.
Middlesbrough Council – Commissioned to support the council in developing a robust option appraisal to evidence the best route for the council to secure an alternative delivery model for leisure & golf services which would include achieving a significant saving. The council continued to commission Max Associates to lead the competitive dialogue tender due to their skills and knowledge which enabled the council to identify the best solution and award the right contract. The council now has in place a contract with £3m of capital developments in its centres also achieving the savings required.
Options Appraisals and Feasibility Studies
East Herts Council – Completion of a facility strategy for the leisure centre portfolio to meet the council’s strategic operations. The resulting outcome has secured future investment by the council of £30m into its facilities. From this, the technical and service specifications were developed, for the council’s procurement project that we were subsequently commissioned to manage.
Trafford Council – Provided expert advice and produced a comprehensive ‘Commercial Prospectus for Investment’ report reviewing the main leisure facilities operated by Trafford Leisure. Altogether four investment projects were developed, with a total facility investment of £14.3m for new and extended facilities as well as improved customer journey area. This is projected to generate a net revenue benefit of £1.4m in a mature year across the four centres.
Client Testimonials:
“I would highly recommend Max Associates for their technical knowledge, structured approach and more importantly, their ability to successfully engage with a wide range of stakeholders. Lisa demonstrated an excellent understanding of the political context and was able to provide a flexible approach to inspire confidence and deliver results.”
Claire Walker – Middlesbrough Council
“The level of detail in the financial analysis was impressive. The report has been taken forward to decision-makers and is regarded as a solid piece of work upon which implementation of leisure developments may be based. Lisa and her colleagues remained flexible, approachable and highly committed to the project throughout. I would recommend Max’s services to any other council looking for delivery of similar projects.”
Michael Walker – Trafford Council
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Kirsty Winders
Assistant Director
BSc (Hon’s) Sport & Exercise Science
Kirsty has extensive experience in producing financial and written proposals for the management of leisure and cultural facilities. Additionally, she has strong commercial proficiency, having reviewed and provided financial and quality business plans for numerous leisure contracts across the UK.
Kirsty has also led on several mobilisation processes including complex DBOM and PFI contracts involving significant investment. She has knowledge of the private sector and current industry trends in relation to bidding for local authority contracts.
Service Reviews and Management Options Appraisals
Kirsty has been involved with service reviews for Greenwich Leisure & London Legacy Development Corporation, Edinburgh City Council, Abbeycroft Leisure and Anglia Community Leisure, Chichester District Council and Hartlepool Borough Council.
Feasibility Studies
Kirsty has completed a wide range of feasibility studies reviewing the potential development of existing and new sites including corresponding business plans. These include projects on behalf of local authorities and leisure trusts, such as: Brio Leisure, Cheshire West & Chester Council, Hambleton District Council and Trafford Leisure and Culture Trust.
New Facility Provision
Kirsty has been involved in the design of state of the art leisure facilities and significant refurbishment projects, optimising the design to increase operational efficiency.
Recent Projects:
Service Reviews and Management Options Appraisals
Greenwich Leisure & London Legacy Development Corporation – Max Associates were appointed to undertake a performance review and benchmarking exercise for the London Aquatics Centre and Copperbox Arena. This included benchmarking against similar facilities and assessing overall performance. The report is now being used by GLL and LLDC in the review of the contract.
Chichester District Council – Commissioned to undertake an options appraisal for the future management of the council’s three leisure centres. This included a soft market test and consultation with council departments and in particular the health development team that work within the leisure centres. The current in-house operations were evaluated against other management models to determine the most appropriate way forward. The council appointed Max Associates to support the procurement process, which has now been completed and the contract awarded to an established trust.
Feasibility Studies
City of Lincoln Council – Max Associates completed a feasibility study for Birchwood Leisure Centre, this included a sports hall conversion into soft play and clip and climb and a new 3G pitch. Developments are currently in construction and due to be completed in February 2018.
Abbeycroft Leisure – Max Associates were commissioned to complete feasibility studies for three of their leisure centres. Revenue business plans for various developments, including clip and climb, soft play, gym extensions, parkour and a bespoke gymnastics facility were completed.
Client Testimonial:
“The level of detail in the financial analysis was impressive. The report has been taken forward to decision-makers and is regarded as a solid piece of work upon which implementation of leisure developments may be based. I would recommend Max’s services to any other council looking for delivery of similar projects.”
Michael Walker – Trafford Council
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Rachel Gomm
Principal Consultant
Birmingham City University – Birmingham School of Business and Management
Post Graduate Diploma in Business and Management
An experienced sport and leisure operator Rachel has extensive knowledge in both the public sector for Birmingham City Council and the private sector more recently with Serco Leisure. Rachel is a motivated, commercially focused, business manager with solid experience delivering large scale projects and strong leadership and relationship-building skills.
Additional Experience
During her time with Birmingham City Council, Rachel was instrumental in the introduction and delivery of a commercial strategy across Birmingham City Council Sport and Leisure Service. The main aim was to drive community engagement and revenue through the implementation of a culture change strategy, including the training and development of all staff throughout the leisure service. Rachel was also responsible for the project management of two large capital build projects including the Back Straight Stand at Alexander Stadium, built for the 2012 GB trials and the Diamond League athletic circuit, plus the Gymnastics and Martial Arts Centre at Alexander Stadium.
During her time with Birmingham CC Rachel was responsible for analysing and challenging the customer facing operation and customer journey through all contact points within the sport and leisure service, leading change throughout the service delivering a citywide customer service improvement and setting up of a Birmingham City Council call centre.
Rachel also led consultation with Heads of Service and senior stakeholders within Birmingham City Council to gain and develop management commitment and ownership, whilst delivering an improved CRM system and streamlining processes ensuring an improved customer experience and journey whilst delivering a stepped culture change on time and to budget.
Rachel built on her experience further in her role with Serco Leisure, as Business Development Manager, creating a solid and extensive network of national and local stakeholder partners to deliver against key local community objectives.
During her time at Serco, Rachel successfully managed and delivered on time, Manchester City Council Leisure bid the largest leisure contract to be procured in the UK, of 19 facilities. Managing a large team including subject matter experts, legal and commercial colleagues, alongside consultants and the bid team. Culminating in the development of an excellent bespoke strategy and solution for Manchester City Council.
Personal Interests
Rachel has a keen interest in all sport having participated in gymnastics and trampolining at county level and is a qualified coach in both. She is a keen skier and is also a qualified group exercise instructor highlighting spinning as her favourite class to teach. Rachel has been a school governor for nine years chairing both the admissions and curriculum committees. Travel is a key interest for Rachel travelling extensively in Europe and also further afield including Bermuda, St Lucia, Thailand and USA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-gomm-171716121/
Richard Millard 
Associate Director
University College, Cardiff
University of Wales 1972 – 1975
Central London Polytechnic School of Management Studies (Scholarship from Social Sciences Research Council) 1976 – 1977
An experienced sport and leisure management director with a public, private sector and third sector background. Richard possesses a skilled understanding of the drivers of national and community leisure provision. He has a proven track record as a Director of a leading UK Leisure Management Company, ensuring alignment with the changing dynamics of the sports and physical activity landscape. Richard has acquired extensive operational experience in delivering leisure services as a Regional Director of a team of 1,000 + staff. He has an excellent understanding of current strategic delivery and national partners such as Sport England, County Sports Partnerships, National Governing Bodies (NGB’s) and Local Authorities.
Places for People are a large social enterprise, specialising in housing and development, mainly in the public sector. As a Director of Places for People Leisure (now “Places Leisure”) reporting to the CEO, he worked with many local authorities to deliver their active communities’ strategies and participation targets. He initiated the engagement with National Governing Bodies of sport, often with embedded roles to capitalise on opportunities and help them deliver their initiatives throughout all 121 Places Leisure sites. Richard has worked in particular with NGBs for Badminton, Gymnastics, Tennis and Swimming.
Richard also led the collaboration with Sport England as they capitalised on the role of “operators” in the sector.
He chaired the Hampshire County Sports Partnership, now Energise me, for 6 years. They are one of the most progressive CSPs in the country, leading it to become an independent Trust in 2017. Richard regularly represented Places Leisure within industry groups with partners as diverse as ukactive and Institute for Apprentices. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) and have been an active member for over 3 decades.
Richard led on Training and Development in Places Leisure, having the largest Apprenticeship scheme in the sector (400 at any one time) to in house Rising Stars/talent development programmes. He chaired the Sport and Physical Activity sector’s Professional Development Board and is passionate about the value of a professional workforce to the customer experience. Richard led the company on Healthy Living initiatives and has been instrumental in ensuring that Places Leisure are a leading operator in achieving various national accolades from Quest, ukactive, Activity Alliance and IFI.
Richard was responsible for QUEST within Places Leisure. From this he developed with partners a framework for Best Practice and improvement.
Richard has been involved in many funding bids to Sport England NGBs working with them to leverage further funding. He chaired Places Leisure company’s Strategic Review Board, People Leadership Group and Safety Compliance group, all attended by our CEO and COO.
Personal Interests
SPORT- Richard has played football to a semi- professional level and coached regularly, ranging from Bisham Abbey for the FA to village teams. He captained the University of Wales Soccer team for 2 years. Richard also play county league tennis and run the local Tennis Club. As an independent Parish Councillor he is involved in upgrading our local facilities.
TRAVEL – Richard has travelled widely and one highlight was a tour sponsored by the Social Science Research Council for the Moscow 1980 Olympics preparations. He watched many tennis tournaments abroad although the Australian Tennis Open remains elusive!
Nicky Turnbull 
Research & Business Development Consultant
BA (Hon’s) Geography & Anthropology
Nicky has a background in public relations, marketing and research, previously working for clients such as Royal Mail, Pizza Express, GSK, Boehringer Ingelheim, GTECH and Skillnet.
Nicky supports the Max Associates team providing research for projects, demographic and competition analysis and marketing assistance.
Out of work hours Nicky is a qualified hockey coach volunteering with her local club coaching U14 girls and is the Blueharts HC press officer. She also plays league, summer and Vets hockey.
Competition Analysis
Nicky has been involved in researching and completing competition analysis for Alliance Leisure, Mytime Active, West Berkshire Council, Bradford City Council, Guildford Borough Council, Sevenoaks District Council and University of East Anglia (UEA).
Strategic Outcomes Planning Models
Nicky has contributed to Strategic Outcomes Planning Models by analysing local demographic data, reviewing City Council and key stakeholder strategic documents and reviewing current levels of participation in physical activity. These include projects on behalf of local authorities and leisure trusts, such as: Bradford City Council, Carlisle City Council, Chiltern District Council, Hillingdon Borough Council, Reading Borough Council and a Sports Facility Strategy for UEA.
Recent Projects:
Competition Analysis
Alliance Leisure – Max Associates regularly supports Alliance Leisure to assess commercial leisure and alternative innovative facilities that will increase participation in physical activity as well as having positive revenue benefits. For example: soft play, clip and climb, spa, high ropes, trampolining, boutique bowling and TAG Active.
Service Review
West Berkshire Council – Max Associates was appointed to undertake a service review for the leisure centres operated by Parkwood Leisure on behalf of West Berkshire Council. This included benchmarking against similar facilities and assessing overall performance in line with Council objectives and strategies.
Strategic Outcomes Planning Model
Bradford City Council – Max Associates was commissioned by Bradford City Council to provide specialist advice for the development of a Sport England funding proposal for the new Squire Lane Sports and Leisure Centre. Working with Leisure-net Solutions an initial public consultation took place to assess local community priorities to inform the facility requirements and the type of programmes that could be delivered at the new centre. Part of this project was to determine key stakeholder objectives and strategies, analyse the local health and demographic data and provide a competition analysis for fitness and commercial facilities that may compete with the proposed facility mix.
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