Images courtesy of CLM.
Putting leisure in people’s lives, and life in people’s leisure James Croll discovers how New Zealand’s CLM has built a business that has achieved far reaching results in furthering community engagement while also developing some inspirational leaders
I
n 1995, Joe Griffin and John La mer, two veterans of New Zealand’s leisure industry found themselves discussing opportuni es in the sector and how the industry could be be ered and bring communi es together across the country. Prior to the mid 1990s, La mer had enjoyed a wide range of experience in community recrea on gained from working inside local government and in the private sector. He had also contributed to the governance of numerous na onal and community organisa ons. Griffin had a broad range of experience in community recrea on from working ini ally in hotel management and the restaurant business, before managing and overseeing a number of recrea on and aqua c centres. He had also been
Whangārei Aqua c Centre
54 Australasian Leisure Management Issue 150
responsible for community facili es in Upper Hu and then Auckland City Council. The result was the forma on of Community Leisure Management (CLM) which, more than 25 years on is the country’s leading contractor in community facility and programme management, opera ng recrea on centres, swimming pools and fitness centres throughout New Zealand. While CLM is widely known for its facility management exper se, at venues including Whangārei Aqua c Centre, Richmond Aqua c Centre and Auckland’s Lido Aqua c Centre, it also aims to enrich the lives of the communi es in which it works delivering services and programmes that truly make a difference.
Auckland’s Lido Aqua c Centre
