Collective Leisure looks to enable ‘well-being without boundaries’

Using a systems approach to achieve what they refer to as ‘whole of person’ well-being, Collective Leisure offers expertise in programs and services to help improve, not just physical well-being but also other aspects such as emotional, nutritional and environmental well-being of individuals and communities.

Collective Leisure aligns with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all members of the United Nations. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries in a global partnership. Collective Leisure is tackling global priorities at a local level focusing on three specific SDGs: good health and well-being, quality education and reducing inequality.

Established in 2019 by experienced aquatic, community and recreation professional David Burns, who since migrating to Australia in 2008 has worked for Penrith City Council, City of Sydney and Belgravia Leisure, and his partner Jennifer Barker, a Certified Human Potential Coach. Collective Leisure was founded with the purpose of enabling the well-being of people from diverse cultures and with differing abilities.

As Burns explains “our purpose of enabling ‘well-being without boundaries’, means no matter who you are, where you’re from and what your background is, you have the right to be a well-being.”

Having devoted his studies and early career to sports development and inclusion, using sport to break down barriers in disadvantaged communities and help transform young lives, Burns’ has an unwavering commitment to physical activity and creating inclusive communities.

Where football is the passion of Burns’ native England, he found Australia’s to be the water and swimming. Through his 12 years in the country, with his focus on physical activity and inclusion, he dedicated his career to managing aquatic and recreation facilities. Serving the community in both the public and private sector and forming partnerships to create community programs to drive inclusion with disadvantaged groups, such as those with chronic diseases, disabilities, homeless and refugees.

In his previous role as Regional Manager for Belgravia Leisure, Burns developed a relationship with Bankstown Senior College to create a diversified workforce to be more representative of the local community around one of the centres he managed - Auburn Ruth Everuss Aquatic Centre in inner western Sydney. He formed partnerships and secured funding to set up a training and employment program for the students called ‘Refugees breaking down cultural barriers’, which won the Parks and Leisure NSW Community Initiative of the year and was featured on SBS World News.

Through his personal experience of having family members suffer from chronic diseases (including COPD, cancer and mental health issues); as well as his professional experience, Burns’ creation of Collective Leisure set out to address the situation where, with the majority of health and fitness programs mainly targeting already active people, those who most need to be active are often overlooked.

While studying for an MBA in Social Impact, Burns had a spark of insight. He realised that what he’d naturally done throughout his career in bringing people together to tackle complex problems was considered ‘systems leadership’; and if he was to reach the more vulnerable and less active groups in order to tackle problems such as inequity and chronic diseases, it would take a whole of system approach.

In 2019 Burns and Barker decided they wanted to use their passion and skills to make a bigger social impact. Combining his focus on physical activity and inclusion and hers around emotional well-being and human potential, Collective Leisure was born.

Burns adds “we form cross sector partnerships working with local government, education, public health and the third sector. Bringing many people and organisations together, to leverage our full potential through collective impact”.

Collective Leisure has also partnered with UK-based company Substance to be the exclusive distributor of their Views impact measuring platform. Views is currently used by more than 700 organisations in the sport, youth and health sectors in the UK to measure and report on the impact these organisations programs have on their target groups. Notable Views clients include the Premier League and English Football League, Street Games, Mind, Chance to Shine and Basketball England.

As featured in Australasian Leisure Management Magazine