SPORTS LEISURE LEGACY PROJECT - Key Persons
The late Alec Collins was an early Leisure Director for Macclesfield Borough Council from Local Government Re-organisation in 1974. He brought his administrative and management experience as a Town Council Clerk to recreation management. His wartime service was in the RAF, where he combined his navigation skills with piano playing, performing with many of the country's leading musicians. He began his local government career in finance and administration, which led to him becoming Town Clerk of a Lancashire industrial borough. He then moved to Cheshire to become Town Clerk of Macclesfield RDC. Upon Local Government Re-organisation his love of sport attracted him to become head of the new combined leisure services department in Macclesfield Borough Council.
Alec formed and led the Cheshire Leisure and Amenity Services Officers Group, was a former Chairman of the Association of Recreation Managers and a major contributor to the work of the North West Sports Council. He was a key figure in the formation of ILAM by the merger of ARM and IPRA and served as ILAM's first President from 1983 to 1985.
John trained as a PE teacher at Loughborough from 1951-54. After teaching he undertook further training at Carnegie before joining the CCPR as Research Officer in 1965. He was responsible for the first ever research study on Indoor Sports Centres in 1970-71. He transferred to the new executive Sports Council in 1970 and in 1974 became Chief Leisure and Cultural Services Officer for Waverley District Council.
John re-joined the Sports Council in 1980. He was Regional Director for the Greater London and South East Region and then in 1986 became Director of the Sports Council's Regional Services. After he retired in 1994 he put his experience to good use over the next ten years as Director of Second Innings Leisure Consultancy. His contribution to the establishment and development of sport in the UK, and specifically sports centres, has been enormous. As a member of the Sports Leisure Legacy Project Editorial Advisory Group, John has been a tireless supporter and contributor to the story, able to reflect on 60 years of progress.