Local Government in Hammersmith
Culture in Hammersmith
Overview
Councils in England and Wales spend a combined average of £65 per person on cultural and recreational activities.
Children (83 per cent) top the list of groups targeted by local councils for cultural services. Other groups include young people (75 per cent) and people on low incomes (66 per cent).
Approximately 7.5 million adults and 2.1 million children use parks for sporting activities each year.56 Local councils
provide an estimated total of 21,000 playgrounds and play areas;56 latest data shows local councils provide an estimated
14,898 playgrounds specifically for children.
Over 70 per cent of users are satisfied with the museums, galleries, sports and leisure facilities that local councils
fund or provide.
77 per cent of adults attended at least one arts event in 2000, during the same period more than four out of five adults
participated in an arts or cultural activity.
£910 million pounds was spent on the public library service in 2001–200257, with 84 per cent of users expressing satisfaction.
24 million adults are public library members in England and Wales.
In 2001–2002 just under 120 million volumes were estimated to be held in local council provided libraries, equal to 2 books
per person in England and Wales.
Locally
Culture:
The Council wants to ensure culture is represented in the other strategies and promises to develop a comprehensive action plan for 2003-2007.
Libraries:
The Best Value Review of the Library Service was inspected in July 2001. The inspection report concluded that Hammersmith and Fulham delivered a 1 star service that was likely to improve. BVI inspectors noted “the council has started to make considerable service improvements”.
The annual review of the libraries action plan indicates continuing improvement, in particular:
Library issues have increased by 8.5%.
Library visits by 5.2%.
The number of class visits to libraries has risen from 427 (1999/00) to 815 (2000/01).
The proportion of those joining the borough’s libraries continues to reflect the ethnic composition of the borough’s population.
Sport and recreation:
User satisfaction with sports and leisure was 56% (BV119) in autumn 2000, which low by London standards. The council is also raising resources for sports and leisure through the Lottery (Hurlingham Park) and the New Opportunities Fund. The challenge for the council is to roll out these successes to other areas of the borough and to mobilise investment for facilities that may be less attractive to the private sector.
Parks and open spaces
In a crowded inner-city area, local people value the borough’s parks and open spaces. 40% visit parks every week and 60% use them at least once a month.