Freedom Leisure selects People First for workforce transformation

As one of the UK’s leading not-for-profit leisure trusts, Freedom Leisure operates around 140 sites in partnership with local authorities and employs 6,500 colleagues across a highly diverse workforce. With a significant proportion of employees working across multiple sites and roles, balancing permanent and casual contracts, the organisation required a modern platform capable of simplifying complex workforce management, improving payroll accuracy and delivering a more connected employee experience. Alongside the implementation of People First, MHR’s Managed Services team will support payroll operations, helping to reduce risk, improve accuracy and ensure ongoing compliance.

Following a comprehensive internal review, Freedom Leisure identified the need to move away from fragmented legacy systems and manual processes that were creating inefficiencies, reporting limitations and governance concerns. The organisation was looking for a future-ready solution that could support multi-role working, streamline payroll and HR administration, strengthen communication and engagement, and provide employees and managers with a simpler, more intuitive experience.

Mary Carter-Lee, HR Director at Freedom Leisure, said:

“We recognised very quickly that our existing setup was no longer fit for purpose. We needed a solution that could flex around the realities of our workforce, support operational complexity across multiple locations and provide a much better experience for both managers and employees. Ease of use, strong communication tools, accurate reporting and the ability to manage multi-site and multi-role working effectively were all critical requirements for us. People First gives us a platform that aligns with where we want to take the organisation in the future.”

Mark Jenkins, Chief Operations Manager, added:

“Leisure and community organisations are operating in increasingly complex environments, balancing financial pressures with the responsibility of delivering essential services to local communities. Workforce agility, employee engagement and operational efficiency have become critical priorities, particularly for organisations managing large, dispersed and flexible workforces. Our platform is designed to support those organisations with complex workforce structures while delivering the simplicity and employee experience modern teams expect. We look forward to supporting Freedom Leisure as they continue to invest in their people and strengthen services across the communities they serve.”