Pricing is often regarded as a barrier to participation. KKP's approach to this area is to identify ways in which service subsidy can be most effectively targeted. Linked to this, it always seeks to improve ways of collecting management information to provide both a clear picture of who uses the service and to monitor the impact of price changes.

Implementing this policy in Blackpool presented KKP with some unique challenges. The Borough has always offered subsidised prices for residents (through a card mailed out with Council Tax bills). It also attracts a high degree of use from visitors to the area, particularly during the summer.

Over the years, the pricing structure has evolved into a complex system; difficult to administer and hard for customers to understand. KKP's first step was to reduce the number of price categories. The groups to which concessions were granted were reviewed to ensure they met corporate objectives and the benefits from leisure card eligibility were enhanced.

These changes have resulted in a simplified pricing structure and have actually enabled the level of subsidy targeted at concessionary groups to increase. The introduction of an annual membership fee (for the leisure card) has given the service a firmer financial footing and greater flexibility to support under-represented groups.

A further element of the work with Blackpool was to assist the service to demonstrate its true value. KKP has adapted its own social capital model to demonstrate this. The value of free use provided to targeted groups equated to approximately £25,000 per annum. By quantifying the value of free and additionally subsidised use, members have become more aware of the large contribution that sport and leisure makes to local quality of life.