The Sports and Recreation Trusts Association (SpoRTA) has appointed two specialist communications companies to help raise its profile and position the organisation to best influence the public policy agenda.

Specialist health and fitness PR company, Big Fish, has also been brought on board to ensure that SpoRTA’s key messages and the benefits leisure trusts bring to community-based leisure centres are widely publicised, with the aim of increasing understanding of how these non-profit making social enterprises work.

Pall Mall Consult will work with Big Fish to develop a long-term communications plan to tackle SpoRTA’s public affairs agenda. Objectives include appropriate positioning of the association, which represents 115 leisure and cultural trusts across the UK with an annual turn over of £517m, forging positive relationships with decision makers throughout the UK and developing strategic partnerships with organisations sharing similar goals.

Craig McAteer, chair of SpoRTA, said: “Big Fish PR and Pall Mall Consult have already begun work to raise SpoRTA’s profile and promote the positive impact our member trusts have on community sport and leisure. We hope these new relationships will establish SpoRTA as a recognised and valuable authority within policy making circles”.