The official journal of ukactive
Issue 10 Autumn 2015 www.ukactive.com
Developing the sector
Working together for a bright future
Inside ukactive Insight » pages 16
Looking back at Flame 2015 » page 22 & 23
National Summit » page 26
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Regulars 5. News The latest news from ukactive, our members and the Vanguard Group
Welcome No rest for the wicked! The summer months at ukactive are always busy ones, and this year
14. Health and Safety update We look at regulations for indoor climbing walls
has been no exception. We saw the successful high profile launch of our Generation Inactive report looking at children’s activity levels in schools. I spent many hours in the BBC bunkers conducting back to back radio interviews, while the rest of the team coordinated broadcast
25. Public Affairs and Policy Stan Jackson looks at the government’s scheme to get obese people back into employment
coverage for Good Morning Britain, Sky News Sunrise and BBC London News with our new Chair Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson journeying across London at Paralympian-esq speeds to conduct the interviews. In June we delivered another extremely successful Flame Conference which you can read more about on page 23 which includes a look back at all the Flame Award winners. This is an event we take a
31. A Day in the life Lara Morgan – entrepreneur, triathlete, mum of three and best-selling author 35. Anthony Nolan – ukactive charity partner We welcome our new partner, the blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan 38. Dates for your diary
great deal of pride and pleasure in putting on every year, and I’m sure it will not surprise you to hear that we’re already making our plans for the event in 2016. We also talk to one of the event’s most popular speakers, ActivBod's inspirational founder Lara Morgan on page 31 as she gives us an insight in to a day in the life of a successful entrepreneur. This Journal will be handed out to everyone that visits our stand at Leisure Industry Week (LIW). If you’re at the event please come by and say hello to our team at stand D50. Our next big event is the ukactive National Summit (page 26), taking place in November at a new venue, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in London. It’s our sector’s premier networking and thought leadership event of the year, welcoming over 500 senior delegates, spanning from the public and private fitness sector, as well as the wider physical activity agenda such as public health, the NHS and local authorities. Stan Jackson provides more food for thought as he takes a look at the launch of the Government’s scheme to get obese people back into employment on page 25 and what it means for the sector.
Features
Health and safety continue to be an important issue for our sector as we strive to give gym users the safest experience possible, as such we take a look at the safety regulations around indoor climbing walls (page 14)
16. ukactive Insight Our new data-driven approach to driving the physical activity agenda forward 19. Active Training Workshop We run through everything you need to know about the Active Training Workshop 22. Looking back: Flame Awards and Conference We take a look back another incredible Flame Conference and Awards night 26. National Summit The ukactive National Summit is just around the corner, so make sure you’re in the know. 29. Engage to compete Katherine Selby of Action PR takes a look at the pilot that looks to improve fitness and physical literacy among school children 33. Safety Sentencing Guidelines New guidelines are coming in so what does that mean in practice, and why should you care?
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and we give you the latest information on safety fines on page 33. Children’s activity continues to be a major focus for the ukactive team, and on page 29 Katherine Selby of Action PR takes a look at strategic partners Fit For Sport's successful Engage to Compete pilot. Meanwhile at Flame we also had the pleasure of confirming Anthony Nolan as our charity of the year, with Laura Parsell, Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager for the charity talking about the incredible work they do on page 35. The entrants are in so we’re now looking forwards to the Active Training Awards on the 26th of November when we’ll be finding out who will take home the accolades. On page 19 we take a more detailed look at the conference day and the themes that will be covered. After hugely successful and busy three months I look forward to seeing some of you at LIW and many more at the Summit in November.
Steven Ward, Executive Director, ukactive
Credits Editor | Jon Wiffen Design | Andrew Metcalfe andrew@meticulousdesign.com
ukactive Together has been published by Publications UK Ltd. Specialist publishers to trade associations across the UK. Publications UK Tel: 020 8238 5000 info@publicationsuk.co.uk www.publicationsuk.co.uk
Contact jonwiffen@ukactive.org.uk
Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication, and the statements contained herein are believed to be correct, the publishers and the promoters will not accept responsibility for any inaccuracies. Reproduction of any part of this publication without permission is strictly forbidden. © Publications UK Limited 2015. ukactive and the Publishers make no recommendation in respect of any of the advertisers, and no recommendation may be implied by way of the presence of their advertisements.
Twitter: @_ukactive | Facebook: Getukactive | LinkedIn: ukactive This communication is from ukactive (formerly the Fitness Industry Association). Registered in England with company number 2589238.
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ukactive news
This section features key updates from ukactive since the last edition
ukactive announces makeup of new Membership Council The Membership Council, which will be chaired by former ukactive CEO and current Board member David Stalker, will be the formal voice of the membership base in ukactive governance, reporting to the Board, and taking on challenging topics of substance for the sector, such as the on-going issues relating to skills and workforce development. There are nine seats and we are delighted to welcome the following members onto the Membership Council: • Private Fitness Multi Site: John Treharne, CEO, Gym Group • Private Fitness Independent: Rob Rowland, CEO, Boom Cycle; Hilary
Gilbert, Creative Director, Boom Cycle (role share) • Local Authority Leisure Trust: Phil Rumbelow, Chief Executive, Jubilee Hall Trust • Local Authority Management Contractor: Neil King, Managing Director, 1Life • Local Authority: Debbie Kaye, Head of Communities, Arts & Recreation, Cambridge City Council • Educational Facility: Clare Howard, Deputy Managing Director, Association of Colleges • Outdoor Activity Provider: Garry Kerr, Head of Operations, British Military Fitness • Children’s Activity Provider: Dean
Horridge, CEO and Founder, Fit For Sport • Wider Activity Provider: Liz Lowe, Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Manager, Coca-Cola GB Commenting on the Membership Council election process, ukactive Executive Director Steven Ward said: “We asked for applications from the leading thinkers from across the sector and we received a really strong set of candidates. Although only one could be successful for each seat, we thank all those who put their names forward and to our members who voted. We look forward to
continuing our growing relationship with all who have taken part in this process over the coming months and years”. Commenting on the new Membership Council, Chair David Stalker said: “I am incredibly pleased with the range of skills, knowledge and experience with the members of the new ukactive Membership Council. This group of people will be tasked with some very complex and challenging issues for the sector, but I’m very confident we have the right set of people to tackle these head on. I am looking forward to getting started on the 7th July”.
Working Together for an active future
Kent County Council partners ukactive to get residents moving more
With the public health landscape continually evolving, ukactive has been engaging more and more with a wider range of physical activity partners. Through these conversations, It became apparent that there was a need for ukactive to develop a way to service our increasingly active audience. Since the Active Lives Membership was formally introduced as a Member Category, the organisation has already made a significant impact with our quest to get more people, more active, more often and given us the ability to meet the needs of a new breed of stakeholders we are working with on a daily basis. By uniting our sector further we are able to create links between our traditional members and the public health focused organisations, facilitating the creation of exciting new partnerships. Active Lives members gain access to the largest thought-leadership network of public health professionals, activity providers and Sport and Exercise Medicine academics in the UK. Keep up-to-date with the latest policy developments, access tailored guidance on your own research and evaluation strategies, and gain insight into developing effective interventions and models of behaviour change alongside peers and experts in the field. Following the release of the second inactivity report “Steps to solving inactivity”, the policy and research team are looking at what works in physical activity to gather practical and scalable solutions for our members to put into action. If you would like to know more about working with ukactive, please get in touch and it would be great to hear your thoughts.
ukactive’s Let’s Get Moving initiative began in north Kent this August. The pilot programme will reach more than 2000 residents, all of whom will be offered personalised support to become more active. Kent County Council has partnered with ukactive to deliver this pilot with a view to rolling the service out across the county, dependent on the findings of the University of Kent which will conduct an independent evaluation. Let’s Get Moving focuses exclusively on people who are physically inactive and supports them to become healthier, with the added benefit of delivering time and cost savings to existing health services. Kent County Council’s Director of Public Health, Andrew Scott-Clark,
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said: “It’s extremely worrying that physical activity levels in Kent are steadily declining over time, yet we know maintaining levels of physical activity can help prevent the onset of some long term conditions including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease and dementia. Regularly undertaking physical activity positively impacts on existing long term conditions such as arthritis and mental health. We are pleased to support initiatives like ‘Lets Get Moving’, working with partners to tackle this growing issue.” 5
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ukactive news
This section features key updates from ukactive since the last edition
Baroness Grey-Thompson and Wheelchair Leadership Alliance to fight for change in nationwide wheelchair services The RIGHT CHAIR RIGHT TIME RIGHT NOW campaign aims to raise awareness of the vast differences in quality of wheelchair services across the country. A national group of wheelchair users and advocates led by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE has called for an improvement to wheelchair services in England before more users are adversely affected by the poor levels of service present across England. The Wheelchair Leadership Alliance, chaired by Baroness GreyThompson, is a commitment group tasked with bringing together MPs and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), as well as other healthcare professionals and senior figures who will be vital to bring about changes. It is crucial that wheelchair users receive the right chair at the right time in order to lead a normal life but many users often face severe delays to receive their chair; this leads to harm and waste. The campaign also highlights the effect the wrong wheelchair can have on users’ ability to keep active and maintain their physical and mental wellbeing. The wrong chair can mean that wheelchair users struggle to get out of the house and enjoy any outdoors activity let alone taking part in sport. Baroness Grey-Thompson reiterated: “Having the right chair every day is what allows me to get out of the house and keep active, so to think that problems with wheelchair services are affecting the lives of many who want to keep fit and active, is unacceptable.”
In addition to healthcare professionals and CCGs, members of the public can pledge their support to the Wheelchair Charter and campaign online through the Alliance’s website www.rightwheelchair.org. The Alliance hopes support from people in positions of influence as well as the general public will help bring about change faster.
ukactive announces involvement in Action Learning for Children in Schools project
ukactive played a leading role in the Action Learning for Children in Schools (ALCIS) project co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union and as part of a series of events to mark the inaugural European Week of Sport, which runs between 7 – 13 September 2015. The ALCIS project encouraged children to reflect on different lifestyle choices in relation to physical activity, stress management and overall wellbeing to deliver long-term positive impacts. The project combined fun-orientated exercise classes with educational material on lifestyle issues, supported by a methodology that not only provides information, but also teaches key life skills such as 6
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critical thought, goal-setting and self-analysis. This way, young people are empowered to make and implement their own lifestyle choices. The aim of ALCIS is to encourage children, their relatives and friends to lead healthy and active lives. The project commenced during the European Week of Sport with classes running for children between 8 and 12 years old. The project covered five EU Member States and was centrally coordinated by EuropeActive, the
leading not-for-profit organisation representing the whole of the European health and fitness sector. ALCIS directly reached approximately 5,000 children who participated in non-competitive group exercise classes. ukactive ran the project in the UK through a partnership with leading children’s activity provider, Fit for Sport. The project took place within 17 schools within the Fit for Sport network across London, the South East, South West, Midlands, and North West. A whole day approach to physical activity was
ukactive.com
taken within these schools, with pupils and parents welcomed by trained Fit for Sport exercise professionals with a short shake up being run in the playground before school, active assemblies and playtime combined with a structured Physical Education class. This approach is in line with recommendations the ukactive Kids Board set out as part of the Generation Inactive report, released in June. Commenting on their role delivering ALCIS, Fit for Sport Founder and CEO and ukactive Kids Board Chair, Dean Horridge said: “Fit for Sport are delighted to partner with ukactive to deliver the ALCIS project in schools across England. At Fit for Sport we are on a mission to set the UK’s children on a journey to an active life. This project directly contributes to getting children active and supporting sustained behaviour change. We enjoyed working with our partner schools to deliver fun, engaging and educational physical activity as part of the European Week of Sport”.
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Strategic Partner news
The section features key updates from ukactive Strategic Partner members over the last few months
ukactive Strategic Partner Events ukactive has an array of free events for our SPG members to look out for over the autumn months, providing a chance for our Strategic Partners to meet others in the sector and to explore the myriad of opportunities to drive business forward. The first event, in October, is the launch of our report ‘Business Works Out,’ which looks at private sector partnerships with Local Authorities and charities in the world of health and wellbeing community projects. This event offers a fantastic opportunity for businesses that are interested in working with local authorities to advance their understanding of how to develop sustainable community projects that engage employees, improve their reputation and lead to the improved wellbeing of local citizens. It also serves as an opportunity for SPG
members to engage large private sector organisations who may have not been at our traditional events. November sees the launch of Blueprint for an Active Britain- ukactive’s policy roadmap for a more active society, this is a seminal piece of work and will be launched at our National Summit, exploring the different ways we can get Britain moving again and what the government and key stakeholders can do to make this happen. Also In November, we will be hosting an event examining the technology industry and the collection of data, looking at what opportunities this might present for the physical activity sector. If you like more information please get in touch with Stan at stanjackson@ukactive.org.uk
Increasing employability in young people through the Spirit of 2012 and Asda Active funded Sports Leaders programme In April 2014 Asda Active, the supermarket’s community programme to get more people active, joined with Sports Leaders UK, the charity which helps young people develop leadership skills through sports, to work together on a programme that would inspire young people to volunteer and work with their local communities to drive engagement and participation in sport and physical activity. The programme also upskills and equips young people to be the activity professionals of the future. The partnership is jointly funded by Spirit of 2012 which, with the inspiration of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games behind them, funds wellbeing and community projects that are linked to a number of different areas such as physical activity, arts and culture or volunteering and social action. As part of the Spirit of 2012 funding, ukactive wanted to learn about and share the impact sports leadership has, gathering data
from the project to provide an insight into the important role leadership training plays in improving health and wellbeing, motivating young people to volunteer and increasing perceptions of employability. Research showed the value of employability perceived by participants with 78% of those asked saying they felt by taking part in one of the Sports Leaders UK courses they had gained transferable skills. Benefits are also substantial in terms of mental and emotional wellbeing. In terms of volunteering after the course is finished, 82% of said they were more likely to help in their community in the future as a result of the course. Helping to develop young people even further, ukactive set up the employment pathway, which is open to Sports Leaders interested in working in the physical activity sector. The concept of the pathway is to link young people with volunteering experience and
leadership skills with appropriate roles in the physical activity sector. A small pilot was delivered with strategic partners SLM Everyone Active in Ashfield Nottingham at Hucknall and Lammas Leisure Centres. Chris Duncan, SLM Everyone Active East Region Activities & Funding Manager said, “We were really impressed with the quality of Sports Leaders at the engagement days and the strength
of their applications. Now in post, they are great members of the team with some earmarked as potential future activity managers”. Over the next year the pathway will be expanded to the 12 sites across SLM Everyone Active’s in the East Midlands with the aim to recruit 30 Sports Leaders. For a copy of the Leadership Insight Report please visit www.sportsleaders.org
Future Fit Training In October 2014 the first annual employer consultation was launched, the aim being to gather research into employer attitudes towards workforce development. Headed by strategic partners Future Fit Training, the Industry’s leading commercial provider of Health and Fitness courses, the consultation took the format of a two-step survey and interview process and included engagement with a broad range of employers across our sector. As part of their quest to drive up standards of training within the industry Future Fit Training will be repeating this consultation annually and releasing a report at the ukactive National Summit on 5th November. The report will include responses gathered from the 2015 consultation, 8
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combined with the findings from the first round of research undertaken last year, focused on addressing the need to ‘raise the bar’ of training and qualifications across the sector. Future Fit Training will also be hosting a breakout session focused around the skills and workforce development agenda at the ukactive National Summit, providing an opportunity to comment on the findings of the report, alongside a discussion regarding quality of training and how training providers can better meet the expectations of employers via the delivery of high quality, robust, employer-led training and assessment.
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Strategic Partner news
The section features key updates from ukactive Strategic Partner members over the last few months
‘Water Babies Venture East’ The worldwide development of the early years swimming market looks set for take-off as Water Babies venture to China to explore the opportunity of expanding the successful baby swimming franchise across the country. As well as the negotiation of a deal for Water Babies to provide their brand of classes in partnership with an early years operator who run some 300 sites across China, Managing Director Steve Franks and the team, in October, will be presenting to the largest early years conference in China, to 2000+ academics, Chinese ministers, and the managers and operators of a number of early years services across the country. “Water Babies have a fantastic opportunity to show that the UK is a world-leader in this important and growing market. Early year’s development is something that China is clearly taking seriously and to be able to work with them on the swimming side of it shows the strength of our experience and brand,” said Mr Franks.
As well as expanding in China to develop their baby swimming services, Water Babies alongside the ASA and the specialist infant swimming company Splash About are soon to be launching standards in the UK which will regulate the baby swimming industry ensuring that operators are more accountable for the lessons, instructors and swim products that are allowed on their sites.
Slimming World weighs in on National Obesity Framework
School holiday’s crucial time to target children’s inactivity ukactive’s recent Generation Inactive report highlighted the need for schools to take a better approach to physical activity, but when school’s out children often find that what little active time they enjoy during the school week disappears, often to the detriment of their fitness. A survey of primary school teachers conducted by Fit For Sport found that tablets were likely to trump time outdoors or being active, with 73% of teachers expecting their pupils to spend their holidays in front of tablets, TVs and other digital devices. Medical guidelines recommend children spend at least an hour a day being active, yet only 21% of boys and 16% of girls achieve this during term time, a figure which could decrease during the holidays. A study of 10,000 children by Fit For Sport and other 10
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child activity experts earlier this year found 67% were unable to meet recommended fitness levels for their age according to Fit For Sport’s assessment. Dean Horridge, founder and CEO of Fit For Sport, said: “All parents want their children to be fit and healthy, but often struggle to find ideas to tempt their children off their tablets outside term time. We’ve been running Activity Camps during school holidays for over 20 years and we know that by using well trained teams who can make physical activity fun and engaging, kids are more than willing to abandon their tablets and get active. School holidays are the perfect time for sports and leisure centres to help tackle children inactivity by offering a range of activities for kids in their community, providing more active options come rain or shine.”
Following the announcement from the Government that they will publish a new National Obesity Framework by the end of the year, Slimming World is calling on Ministers to pay close attention to effective support for behaviour change as new policy is developed. Dr Jacquie Lavin, Head of Nutrition & Research at Slimming World, explained that weight management programmes should be evidence-based, underpinned with research to show effectiveness in behaviour change and cost-effectiveness. Dr Lavin said: “Obesity is a complex and multi-layered issue that has an impact on physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing; there is no magic or quick fix solution. “However, the more we know about obesity the better we understand the support people need to make sustainable behaviour change to tackle their weight and thus start to make a very real impact on an individual, the family and the wider community.” She believes that Slimming World can make a significant contribution to the Government’s new obesity framework and added: “Slimming World has unrivalled experience in helping people to lose weight by adopting healthy eating habits based on eating normal, everyday foods, developing a practical daily activity routine and remaining motivated within a community incorporating social support. “We have a unique dataset of 1.3 million Slimming World members and our research team uses this to produce evidence of weight loss outcomes of people attending a lifestyle support programme. We conduct our own in-house research projects, work in partnership with external collaborators, helping us to provide expertise on weight management interventions.”
ukactive.com
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Member news
This section features key updates from ukactive since the last edition
Places for People partners with Fit For Sport to deliver family activity community programme Strategic partners Places for People has successfully partnered with children’s activity provider Fit For Sport to help the company deliver its Engage To Compete children’s activity programme in the Sandwell area by offering access to its West Bromwich Leisure Centre site. Engage To Compete aims to boost levels of physical activity and competition among young children and 5,477 children in 22 Sandwell primary schools took part in the successful pilot project. The programme operates within schools by training staff to maximise playground activity time. Key to its success is wider support within the community by engaging with local families alongside parents of the participating schools to encourage a broader awareness of the importance of activity and access to facilities to
enable youngsters and their families to be more active. West Bromwich Leisure Centre supported the project in several ways: it hosted the initial schools’ introduction to Engage to Compete in January and pledged its support to the Sandwell project. Glen Staite-Loveridge, Places for People Leisure Junior Activities Manager comments: “We have been delighted with the success of the Engage to Compete project with Fit for Sport so far during our pilot run. It’s captured the imaginations of our younger audience and it’s been fantastic to see parents and siblings coming together. The design of the programme complements our ethos as a social enterprise perfectly as we aim to encourage awareness for the need of physical exercise and activity across all
ages within the local communities we serve.” “We have been delighted with the support from Places For People by allowing us access to West Bromwich Leisure Centre,”
says Dean Horridge, Fit For Sport founder and CEO. “This has helped us reach many kids and families in the area over and above those at the 22 local schools following Engage To Compete.”
STITCH Accident Benchmarking
Anytime Fitness targets top spot as it racks up 50th UK club Anytime Fitness has repeated its ambitions of becoming the UK’s largest gym chain, having passed the half century mark with two new 24-hour sites in High Barnet and Bicester. Anytime Fitness has close to 3,000 sites across the globe and has been eager to make its mark in the UK. The company hopes to open another 30 clubs in the UK by the end of the year to reach 81 sites and says it has 150 locations secured for future club openings. “Since we launched in the UK in 2010 we have set ourselves ambitious growth targets and therefore we are delighted to have reached this key milestone,” said Anytime Fitness UK chair Andy Thompson. “A key factor in our success is the passion and enthusiasm of our franchisees, many of whom have always wanted to own their own business, and are now flourishing with the support of our expert franchise consultants.”
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Most accidents are outside of operators’ control, according to statistics from industry accident benchmarking platform STITCH. The online leisure management analysis tool, which captures, collates and aggregates accident and ‘near miss’ data, has published its first annual findings. Figures show that 84% of recorded incidents, such as running into a squash racquet, colliding with a wall during a 5 a side football game or slipping on wet surfaces on poolside, could not have been prevented by the operator. “The findings make interesting reading and will enable centre managers to review site trends and avoidable accident and incidents against national trends,” said Gill Twell, Head of Group Operations for Right Directions, which created and manages STITCH. The figures highlight that 8 to 15 year olds are the group most likely to have an accident within a health club or leisure centre and the top five injuries are bruises, minor cuts, strains and sprains, nose bleeds and head injuries; these tend to be bumps and nothing major. STITCH has recorded accidents from more than 170 Leisure facilities and the initial data shows 96% of accidents related to customers, 3.5% to staff and the final 0.5% to contractors. Right Directions, the quality and health and safety specialist responsible for delivering Sport England’s Quest quality scheme, ukactive’s Code of Practice and the accreditation for the ASA’s Learn to Swim Accreditation, launched STITCH in 2014 with the support of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA). The benchmarking platform enables operators to report and monitor the type and level of accidents occurring at health clubs and all types of leisure facilities across the UK. 11
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Member news
This section features key updates from ukactive since the last edition
Fettle funds gym membership for up to four years and rewards members for regular visits Fettle is an enhanced active rewards programme, which works in partnership with UK insurance companies and their clients. The personalised platform enables members to earn rewards through being active, and in particular through visiting their gym. Upon joining Fettle, people are instantly rewarded with membership to the gym of their choice. Fettle pays the operator directly and people are not restricted to certain options. The personalisation of the Fettle rewards platform sets it apart from its competitors. Members are rewarded for personal improvement, progression and
commitment – regardless of their starting level of fitness. They work towards their own personalised goals, earning credits which can be exchanged for rewards of their choice. “Fettle is the biggest service enhancement the leisure industry has ever seen,” says Brent Kelly, CEO at Fettle. “It’s a revolution in active rewards and it will dramatically impact the way in which members engage with their own fitness journey.” The Fettle platform offers multiple benefits to operators. Fettle introduces new members including those who previously might not consider themselves as
Oxygen freejumping officially opens London’s first Trampoline Park, strategic partners Oxygen Freejumping, was officially opened by the Mayor of Ealing, Councillor Harbhajan Kaur Dheer, Freerunning Founder Sebastien Foucan and Team GB gymnasts Jenna Barrett and William Cowen. Guests attending the West Acton opening, including Ealing and Central Acton MP Rupa Asha Huq, were treated to a special gymnastics display by the young stars who dazzled with tumbles, turns and twists, before 50 young children joined ‘Little O’, the park’s new mascot, to be the first to explore the park’s 150 trampolines, Dodgeball courts, air bag, “walk the wall trampolines” and obstacle course. Sebastien Foucan also thrilled attendees with a Freerunning demonstration across the park and afterwards spoke to guests about his new partnership with Oxygen Freejumping which sees his academy based at the site. Oxygen Freejumping Founder, David Stalker, said: “Oxygen Freejumping has been many months in the making and we have 12
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been overwhelmed by the support of the local community. We look forward to hosting your parties, teaching you to jump, helping you to get fit, learning together how to free-run but most of all making sure you have a fantastic time. I challenge you all to jump on a trampoline and not smile!” The park will also be open to schools looking to use the facility for PE lessons and after school clubs. Businesses and sports clubs are also invited to come down to the venue for team bonding with a difference. As the first national chain in the UK, Oxygen has exciting expansion plans, with a second site opening in Southampton in October, five more sites planned for the next 12 months and a further 15 in the pipeline.
‘gym users’, helping operators break through the 13.7% market penetration barrier. Fettle funds up to four years of membership, more than two years longer the average length of stay, dramatically improving retention and attrition
rates. Fettle rewards are genuinely desirable and keep members engaged month on month. Research shows that regular visits lead to healthy habits and gym membership becomes a part of the customer’s lifestyle.
Matrix focuses on education with Lifetime link-up Lifetime Training is partnering with Matrix Fitness to deliver its new Education Programme. The aim of the partnership is to provide Matrix customers with quality training and education so their fitness teams can provide excellent memberfocused service and help to improve retention. Driven by Matrix’s mission to keep training and education simple but effective, Lifetime will provide a suite of REPs accredited courses. These will enable clubs and centres using Matrix equipment to ensure their team of trainers are fully educated in the delivery and execution of all major programmes and providing the best possible service to members and customers. With twenty years of experience in training, Matrix customers will benefit from Lifetime’s expertise in quality education for Traineeships, Apprenticeships, and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in addition to leadership and management qualifications. Gemma Bonnett, Head of Marketing at Matrix Fitness, commented: “The value of knowledge and education within the leisure market is often underestimated, but it’s integral to the long-term success of individual facilities and the wider community. As a company that works tirelessly to deliver industry-leading fitness equipment and related services, we’re delighted to be adding further value for our customers with the launch of our Education Programme. Our partnership with Lifetime, as experts in their field, will enable us to ensure our customers not only have access to cutting edge products, but are also able to create inclusive, educated workforces that optimise member experiences on every occasion.” Nigel Wallace, Client Services Director at Lifetime Training, added: “Our partnership with Matrix is a great fit for Lifetime Training. They’re growing fast on the basis of being a solutions-based partner with a heavy emphasis upon education. We’re totally aligned, working with the same values and beliefs. We’re excited about working hard to support one another with both parties completely focused on providing positive outcomes for the client.”
ukactive.com
Together | Issue 10 | autumn 2015
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EXCEPTIONAL STANDARDISED FITNESS LEARNING
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Life Fitness Academy (LFA) delivers exceptional standardised fitness learning, accredited by global certifying bodies, around the world. LFA has been a trusted source of fitness education for more than 20 years. We are excited to now offer industry leading qualifications from YMCA Awards, beginning with Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training starting in November 2015 in London. Contact us for more information and book before the end of September to receive 10% early bird discount. *Participants must have completed Level 2 before enrolment
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Health and safety update Climbing walls Indoor climbing over the last decade has undergone something of a renaissance, with specialist walls and facilities developed across the UK. Currently, over 200,000 people take part in mountaineering once a month according to Sport England data. It is easy to understand why climbing has grown in popularity; centres are now accessible and friendly, with coaching in a range of disciplines, writes David Walker, Leisure Safety Manager at RoSPA. Facilities come in a range of flavours, from world cup standard lead walls higher than 20 metres to bouldering cellars and, in a few cases, ice structures. Former churches are a favourite for specialist centres and, in many leisure centres, squash courts and studios have been transformed to good effect. Despite the perception of climbing being a high risk activity, indoor walls have a good safety record. Serious injuries are rare, arising mainly from over-exertion, such as dislocations of the shoulder, wrist/ligament injury and the lower level common injuries such as ankle sprains. Catastrophic injuries associated with the back and neck can happen, although these are better characterised by the way the 14
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activity was approached, rather than any one discipline. The majority of centres are associated to the British Mountaineering Council and follow the advice set out in the ‘Climbing Wall Manual’. Setting aside new build and design, there are a number of specific risks to be considered at a wall: > Staff working at height, checking, route setting and maintaining the wall on a day to day basis, and particularly working in the non public areas of the sites such as behind the wall. > Use of auto-belay devices, and awareness of their limitations. > User error when belaying or leading, either through lack of knowledge or distraction. > Over exertion or reckless behaviour such as jumping or lunging for holds. This most commonly leads to ligament damage, but can lead to catastrophic injury (see panel). Managers have adopted a low key approach to user safety risks, which has proven to be effective. First time visitors have to pass an induction and/ or a competence test, which can be combined with a simple coaching session. Supervision of good techniques and ensuring different users can use similar
spaces is often the key challenge. Managing the facility is more challenging as a typical centre will have several thousand holds and large amounts of matting, structures and anchors points that require a regular inspection and maintenance regime. In addition to general safety duties under the HASAW ect Act, key duties include compliance to PUWER, WAH and LOLER Regulations as height and lifting are integral to the wall operation. Well run facilities will find comfort in the Poppleton v Portsmouth Climbing Centre ruling, that providers are under no duty to ensure adult users do not undertake inherently risky activities.
Key case law Poppleton v Portsmouth Climbing Centre. Mr Poppelton was a relatively inexperienced adult climber, taking part in bouldering. After watching a more experienced friend jump from a wall and catch hold of a girder, Mr Poppleton attempted the same move. Unfortunately, he fell badly on to his head, resulting in serious injury which left him tetraplegic. Mr Poppleton attempted to claim under Occupiers Liability 1957 (s2) for breach of common law duty of
ukactive.com
care – arising from a failure to warn that the matting provided would not prevent injury. Mr Poppleton was found largely to blame and awarded 25 per cent damages. This was overturned at appeal, meaning no damages were awarded. Lord Justice May rejected the claim that it was obvious that the matting would not prevent injury, stating: It is to my mind, quite obvious that no amount of matting will avoid absolute the risk of an awkward fall and the possibility of an awkward fall is an obvious and inherent risk for this type of climbing. This decision follows the ‘pro-risk’ judgement in Tomlinson v Congleton and provides a signal towards personal responsibly. There are limitations in so much as this does not involve a minor, nor where the manager has taken on responsibility for supervision or training. Further, a failure in the state of the premises was not at question in this judgement.
Key resources British Mountaineering council: Climbing Wall Manual BS EN 12572 (1-3) Artificial climbing structures BMC ‘Check before you deck’ campaign materials
Together | Issue 10 | autumn 2015
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Physical Activity & Primary Care Seminars Sponsored by Reading Crowne Plaza, Tuesday 13th October 2015 Leeds Crowne Plaza, Thursday 22nd October 2015 These educational seminars are designed to equip leisure and activity providers with the practical knowledge to engage effectively with local health teams.
Find out how to: • Engage with local health stakeholders. • Expand your offering in public health and primary care. • Improve existing exercise referral schemes. • Deliver commissionable health services
To book visit www.ukactive.com/events
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Introducing ukactive Insight ukactive Insight is our new data-driven approach to driving the physical activity agenda forward. Capturing, sharing and analysing data in new ways can transform how our sector develops and how we continue to make decisions. Through the use and manipulation of data ukactive Insight aims to: > Bridge the gap between physical activity and public health > Provide comprehensive market insights by connecting consumer information across various organisations and time periods > Generate bespoke consumer intelligence to support business performance With a predicted 4300% increase in annual data generation by 2020 (www.csc.com), now is the time for us to learn and begin to fully utilise data as a means to improving business performance and informing strategic decisions. This shift will transform the sector; allowing for shared growth and innovation, eventually paving the way for a true understanding of this sector’s value.
How ukactive Insight can support your business Our team of data and industry experts will provide advice and support on what a high quality data
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set should look like, and how to extract crucial information to drive business performance. We will work closely with you to analyse your data enabling you to truly understand who your customers are and how they interact with your business. Using this information we can support you to answer key business questions such as:
600 fitness and leisure sites and more than 1 million members, these insights take another step on the path to a more data driven sector. In addition to established industry literature, these reports serve as an invaluable point of reference and business tool for any organisation working within or alongside the fitness and leisure industry.
> How much are my customers worth to you and what does your most valuable customer look like? > Which products have the potential to produce the highest usage growth rates? > Which types of customers have the shortest membership stay and how to adapt service offering to make them stay for longer? > Which members are likely to leave within the next three months? > How far do my customers travel to sites and how does this vary by age group?
For the first time this year, ukactive Insight has taken a leading role in the development and data analysis of the Flame awards. As a result, every Flame entrant was provided with individual benchmarks enabling them to see how their sites compared to a sector benchmark. We looked at over 100 sites across the UK spanning health clubs and leisure centres who entered the Flame facility awards culminating in well over 11,000 consumer survey responses. This provided us with a large sample of up-to-date consumer satisfaction information which, in line with our mission, is now being used to share trends to help create a more effective, more efficient sector and drive engagement. The consumer survey consisted of 60 questions split into sections relating to: > Customer belonging > Staff attitude > Customer warmth towards the membership experience > Facilities and equipment, > Customer commitment > Most recent workout experience > Loyalty.
Market trends The data provided for ukactive Benchmarking allows us to present unique and insightful work which offers in-depth analysis of current trends within the UK fitness and leisure market, as well as detailed comparisons against previous findings. Capturing data from more than
ukactive Flame Awards
ukactive.com
One of the key questions we asked consumers was related to their likelihood of cancelling their membership. Given this information, we were able to isolate those consumers actively looking to leave and explore the main factors influencing this. We found that a consumer’s likelihood of leaving was primarily influenced by a lack of belonging, with over one third of members who were considering leaving reporting that they felt gym staff were not interested in them. Similarly, over one third of members considering leaving did not feel socially engaged with their club. This information further highlights that of paramount importance to good retention performance is ensuring that customers feel part of the club and involved socially. Another key element was education, with 41% of members considering leaving because they did not received feedback on their workouts. The ukactive Insight team have further explored this data and all Flame entrants will be receiving their reports in September 2015.
For more info contact Steven Mann at stevemann@ukactive.org.uk or Sarah Domone at sarahdomone@ukactive.org.uk
or call us on 0207 400 8620.
Together | Issue 10 | autumn 2015
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Active Training Workshop and Awards Night 2015 Thursday 26th November 2015 Crowne Plaza, Marlow The Active Training Workshop and Awards, run by ukactive and CIMSPA, and sponsored by Active IQ, is a must attend event for anyone with a business interest in training and development in physical activity. This unique afternoon and evening event offers networking opportunities with potential partners, bringing together leading employers, training providers, awarding organisations, and educational institutions. Attend for a day of education and an evening of celebration with sector colleagues.
Active Training Awards Workshop Afternoon, 26th November The Active Training Workshop will look to continue debates and discussions following the Active Training Awards Conference, held in March 2015. Attendees can expect an afternoon of panel sessions, Q&A’s, keynotes and address’ from ukactive and CIMSPA. These sessions will provide delegates with valuable insight regarding industry best practice and updates in education and training. The packed afternoon agenda will cover the following key areas: A 12-month Review, Steve Ward, Executive Director, ukactive This session will look back at the past 12-months in the skills landscape, and discuss the significant progress that has been made over the year.
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The next 12-months: Future of the Workforce Strategy, Tara Dillon, CEO, CIMSPA This session will discuss the plans for workforce development moving forward, including the developments regarding CIMSPA. Tara Dillon will be joined by a panel of key stakeholders to answer delegate’s questions surrounding the future of workforce development, what key changes will mean for the sector, and areas for development. Presentation & Panel Discussion: Young People; maximising potential Experts in the field of skills for young people will debate the future of workforce development for young learners, highlighting examples of best practice and areas for development. Speakers include representatives from AoC Sport, colleges, sports coaching organisations and NCFE. Presentation & Panel Discussion: Apprenticeship Excellence Key local private sector employers will debate the future of workforce development, highlighting examples of best practice and areas for development. Speakers include representatives from the Skills Funding Agency, the Apprenticeship Training Agency, and key partners in the Apprenticeship Trailblazer. Future Strategy: Presentation & Panel Discussion A representative from the UKCES
Together | Issue 10 | autumn 2015
will wrap up the day by discussing the future of the workforce strategy. The final panel of the day will include representatives from the Education & Training Foundation and Health Education England, and will open up to questions from delegates. With more speakers and organisations to be confirmed in the coming weeks, please visit the ukactive website for an up-todate agenda for the afternoon.
Active Training Awards Night Evening, 26th November The Active Training Awards Night will see the announcement of winners from across nine award categories following three months of rigorous assessment, which is undertaken throughout autumn 2015. Assessment includes all or part of the following; an initial submission, an employer and learner feedback survey, and a panel presentation with expert judges. This year’s judges represent organisations and areas of specialism from within and outside of our sector, bringing a vast wealth of knowledge and experience. Panellists include representatives from; • Hilton Worldwide, Resourcing Director and Chair of the
Hospitality Trailblazer • Pearson College, Director of Strategic Partnerships • Kwik-Fit, Head of Training • Education & Training Foundation, Director of Vocational Education • NESTA, Senior Development Manager • Skills Funding Agency, Employer & Delivery Services Manager
Shortlist Announcement: Finalists will be announced in the week commencing 12th October 2015. Keep your eyes on the ukactive website and twitter feed to find out which organisations and individuals have become finalists. Join us on the evening of Thursday 26th November, to celebrate the successes of all winners and finalists, who are truly representing quality within the sector. Enjoy a champagne reception, speeches, a three course meal and live entertainment, as the winners are announced. We look forward to seeing who will take home the awards in 2015. Good luck to all entrants and congratulations for leading the way for workforce development in our sector.
Book Now www.ukactive.com/events 19
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Satisfying a Primal Need With the UK’s health and fitness sector booming, new build projects are struggling to keep pace. Increasingly, with specialist help, existing retail and commercial space is proving faster and cheaper to be made fit for purpose. Taking gyms and health clubs to the people is not without its difficulties. Space to create all-new facilities in towns and cities is at a premium and, in any event, the time and sheer cost involved makes many new-build projects prohibitive. But, thanks to new techniques and materials, gyms are increasingly appearing in a variety of existing buildings where members most want them – near to their homes or work. When Primal Gym decided to establish its new enterprise in Leeds, the revitalised New Dock area seemed an ideal location. Primal Gym is the first in the UK to offer members discounts for achieving their fitness targets. But, with retail outlets adjoining their planned ground and first floor gym premises, and residential apartments above, noise could have posed a major obstacle. Leeds and London-based architects and interior design firm PARKdesigned worked with acoustic consultants Sandy Brown Associates to help resolve the issue. TVS Sports Surfaces was brought on board for the sports flooring while parent company Total Vibration Solutions handled the supply and installation of acoustic floors.
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TVS used its significant leisure industry experience to specify a variety of acoustic flooring solutions ranging from a springsupported concrete floating floor system for heavy free-weights areas, to SPORTEC rubber sports flooring with elastic underlays and even synthetic grass for the sprint and sled training track. Its sports flooring sister division then handled installation of the sports flooring and synthetic grass to ensure the gym looked fresh and exciting for its grand opening. Commenting on the project, Paul Lafone, Managing Director of TVS said: “This was an interesting example of the kind of issues that many new gyms face when planned for non-purpose-built premises. But advances in flooring materials and techniques mean that they can be successfully overcome with significant cost-savings. With potential noise problems for residents and business neighbours resolved before they even became an issue, and the gym looking fantastic, it was a winning solution for all concerned.”
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Looking back at Flame 2015 June saw the return of the ukactive Flame Conference and Awards. We take a look back at a packed day of speakers and celebrations Conference Highlights This year’s conference saw a packed programme of speakers deliver the theme ‘Growing our Value Together’ to over 850 attendees, including key decision makers from operators, brands and suppliers, leisure trusts, NGBs, colleges and universities. ukactive Chair Baroness Tanni GreyThompson interviewed sporting legend AP McCoy, reminiscing on his career and status as champion jockey. Other speaker highlights included a humorous keynote from David Bryon, former MD of bmibaby, looking at top tips for growth from the budget airline industry, and a motivational reflection on a solo Atlantic row from Debra Searle.
Awards Highlights The day culminated in the ukactive & Matrix Awards, where winners
Flame Awards 2016 were presented with the most highly coveted awards in the health, fitness and physical activity sector. These awards recognise excellence from within the sector. This year entrants had to undertake tougher assessment than ever before, receiving powerful feedback following the assessment process. Steven Ward, ukactive Executive Director comments, “After months of detailed assessments of each entrant the winners have finally been rewarded with their Flame Awards. They are all extremely worthy winners.” Working with the ukactive Research Institute, this year also saw additional elements in the facility awards reports, where all entrants received high quality feedback, with key benchmarking against a national Flame average.
Each year ukactive strives to improve the ukactive & Matrix Flame Awards,, with exciting categories, more rigorous assessment, and more powerful feedback. And 2016 is no different.
The ukactive Impact Awards The Category Awards are made up of eight awards from ‘Spark of Innovation’, to ‘Healthy Partnerships’, and ‘Shaping Young Lives’. These awards see organisations representing the breadth of our membership going head-to-head through two or three stages of assessment, including consumer surveys and panel presentations to expert judges. This year sees the introduction of the ‘Physical Activity Campaign of the Year’ category, seeking to celebrate a significant marketing campaign that focusses on driving
people to participate in physical activity. The category will be assessed on how the campaign has driven engagement, awareness and outcome in terms of getting people active. We look forward to seeing big consumer brands, governing bodies, local authorities, and universities battling it out to see who has created the most buzz around physical activity.
The ukactive Impact Awards are: > Spark of Innovation > Go Outdoors > Supplier of the Year > Healthy Partnerships > Physical Activity Campaign of the Year > Shaping Young Lives > Active Workplace of the Year > Spirit of Flame
Fantastic keynote speakers included, David Bryon, AP McCoy and Debra Searle
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Facility Awards The Flame Awards 2015 saw significant updates in the assessment process for the facility awards, with the UK’s top leisure centres and health clubs going through three stages of assessment. Working with the ukactive Research Institute, stage one of the facility assessment process focussed around gaining customer insight, with 11,000
responses from UK consumers in 2015. The individualised feedback reports have been designed to provide a deeper, more detailed understanding of the consumer experience at your site. Additionally, for 2016, entrants will see their scores not only against a ‘Flame Benchmark’, which is the average score for their category, but also against the ‘Top Site Score’. This powerful
Congratulations to all our 2015 Winners: Go Outdoors St Alban's Half Marathon, 1Life Go Green 1Life Workplace Wellbeing - Solent Health Spark, Southampton Solent University
addition will enable sites to see how far away they are from the top spot. This year’s assessment will also have a Digital Review element, seeking to assess how sites interact with their customers via digital channels.
The Facility Awards are… > Health Club of The Year (Streamline/Multi-use) > Leisure Club of the Year
(Streamline/Multi-use) > Health Club Operator of the Year > Leisure Centre Operator of the Year The entry process for the Flame Awards 2016 is now open. Visit the website for more information, or contact us at flameawards@ukactive.org.uk or call 0207 400 8600. Awards entries close: 7th December.
Flame 2015 Outstanding Achievement Award Each year, there are hundreds of entries to the Flame Awards with increasingly high quality applications. In order to acknowledge the vast range of excellence within the sector, ukactive recognises outstanding finalists who show a significant contribution to the population that they directly impact. These awards are selected by our independent judges. The ukactive & Matrix Flame Awards 2015 saw three outstanding finalists selected as outstanding achievement recipients.
Shaping Young Lives MyFuture Project, Mytime Active Healthy Partnerships Miracle Cure Project, Activity Sheffield Spark of Innovation GymCube
Outstanding Achievement - PureGym Finalists in the Operator of the Year category, PureGym gained an overwhelming response from their customers, clearly demonstrating their effective digital customer communications.
Health Club of the Year (Streamline) Spirit Health Club Glouchester Health Club of the Year(Multi-use) Benton Hall Golf and Country Club
Outstanding Achievement Halo/Sony UK Technology Partnership
Leisure Centre of the Year(Streamline)Stradbroke Swim & Fitness Centre
Finalists in the Workplace Wellbeing category, Sony & Halo Leisure, offer facilities and opportunities for their staff to get active, with significant demonstrable impact on workplace wellbeing and employee satisfaction.
Leisure Centre of the Year (Multi-use) Maltby Leisure Centre Spirit of Flame Sarah Denning, Les Mills UK Supplier of the Year Promote PR Health Club Operator of the Year The Club Company Leisure Centre Operator of the Year Places for People Leisure
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Outstanding Achievement 3-1-5 XForce Finalists in the Spark of Innovation category, the passionate team behind 3-1-5 X-Force, blew the judges away with their unparalleled commitment to delivering life changing physical activity. “We all enjoyed the day immensely and came back buzzing after the conference and supercharged after winning our ‘Outstanding Achievement’ Award. A world class club is all about the people! Great people make a great club. This is our time and destiny to set the new standards of the industry putting collective knowledge, expertise, vision and aspiration at the forefront of what we do. This week on all fronts has been the tipping point and was perfectly framed by the theme and tone of the conference.” Sean Thorton, 3-1-5 XForce 23
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Too fat to work? Following the launch of the government’s scheme to get obese people back into employment, ukactive External Affairs Manager Stan Jackson asks if it’s the right approach, and what it means for the sector It’s the title of Channel 5’s documentary series and now it’s government policy; ‘too fat to work’ – the idea that the government should intervene in welfare payments for obese people if they refuse weight management treatment. It’s the latest in a longer line of initiatives by the Department of Work and Pensions to get people who have been out of work for a long time back on the right side of the employment statistics. In July, David Cameron officially launched his enquiry into the impact of drug or alcohol addiction, and obesity on employment outcomes. The aim of the programme, being led by Dame Carol Black, is to assess which weight management programmes have the biggest impact on the future employability of people with treatable long-term conditions. The aim will be to encourage more people who qualify for incapacity benefit through what the DWP considers to be ‘preventable’ means to seek
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treatment through an existing local authority scheme. The details are as yet unclear but it is likely that both diet-specific weight management schemes will be considered, as well as those which focus on physical activity. The government says that the initiative will help to support those with long-term work absence to get back on their feet, while campaigners are calling it ‘utter contempt’ for those on benefits, and even the Chair of the BMA described the move as ‘draconian and silly.’ But with the entire western world facing crises of obesity, inactivity and shrinking workingage populations, the government must surely explore ways to combat these issues, not just to achieve the £12bn cut in welfare required by 2020, but to address the far weightier issue of the £137bn black hole in Health spending, which has itself increased almost two-fold since 2004. Incidentally, unemployment benefits represent just £2.4bn of the annual government purse.
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Eating the debate Dame Carol Black knows a thing or two about workplace health, having led the review into the health of Britain’s working age population in 2008, and heading up the government’s approach to workplace health throughout the last administration; she also sits on ukactive’s board and has been a strong advocate for the impact of physical activity on health for many years. Other departments, too, are using this Parliament to talk tough on obesity. Public Health England, the Department of Health and the Department for Education are getting set to launch a childhood obesity strategy in the coming months to address the growing concern felt by many about the size of our children’s waists. These developments serve as a reminder of the unfortunate dogma that still exists around obesity, the ‘media darling’ of lifestyle related conditions. However, behind the scenes and Cameron’s glossy speeches, the most significant outcome of a greater focus on preventable, long-term conditions will come back to physical activity and the ability of the sector to deliver on this issue.
Active matters ukactive has been saying for many years that it is about the health of hearts, not just the size of our waists. This is shown in the evidence of the cost of inactivity
to the UK (£20bn, compared to £15bn for obesity) and also the wider positive benefits of leading an active lifestyle. Although this isn’t always clear in the headlines (for example, when a Health Select Committee report talked almost exclusively about moving more, the papers talked almost exclusively about burgers and gastric bypasses) it is becoming ever clearer in the detail. The childhood ‘obesity’ strategy, is open to consultation. Civil servants, advisers and Ministers all the way up the Health hierarchy, have an increasing interest in what our sector is able to deliver when it comes to turning the tide of inactivity and getting the nation more active. So although the front-page of the government’s approach to health might be dominated by weight, activity is the driving force of much of the content. The rest of this year, with the launch of ukactive’s Blueprint for an active Britain in November, the finalisation of the government’s sports strategy and the next steps in Public Health England’s work in this area, is a crucial time for raising the profile of the sector and its ability to deliver on the big issues. Luckily, the ground work for this has already been laid, and it appears as though many of the ‘asks’ we have been making for some time now are closer than ever to appearing in legislation. 25
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National Summit 5th November 2015 The Emirates Stadium, London Building an active Britain ukactive’s 2015 National Summit, Building an Active Britain, held at the Emirates Stadium in London is the physical activity sector’s premier networking and thought leadership event of the year. Welcoming over 500 senior delegates, attendees will span from the public and private fitness sector, as well as the wider physical activity agenda such as public health, the NHS and local authorities. The event will draw together the full spectrum of physical activity provision, as well as top decision makers from government, for the launch of ukactive’s latest report: A Blueprint for an Active Britain. This report will call on government to build a cohesive long-term strategy to turn the growing tide of inactivity and provide – in partnership with the physical activity sector – a sustained focus on getting Britain moving again. Throughout the event delegates will be invited to contribute their thoughts and ideas on growing the influence of the physical activity sector to all corners of society in partnership with the government, physical activity providers and the charitable and third sectors. Delegates will have the opportunity to gain the latest insights and updates from a wide range of physical activity practitioners, as well as bringing in new voices from the active travel agenda and wearable technology. 26
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The National Summit attracts senior delegates from a range of organisations both from the active leisure sector and health delivery. Last year’s summit saw over 500 delegates from 270 organisations in attendance, with representatives from over 65 operators, totaling around 1,500 health, fitness & leisure facilities. More than half of delegates are either CEO or Board Director level.
Setting the debate The conference will hear directly from government the latest steps being taken to solve the inactivity crisis and get the nation active as well actions and initiatives taken over the coming years to embed physical activity at the core of the government’s strategy for health. As well as joining in the debate throughout several engaging keynotes and thematic breakout sessions, attendees will have the opportunity for regular networking sessions with industry leaders and senior figures from the health and social care field.
Announcement of key speaker Subject to parliamentary business Jane Ellison will be presenting the government’s approach to tackling physical inactivity and how it sits within the broader Public Health framework over the next five years. Jane Ellison was elected Conservative MP for Battersea in
technology will be part of the solution to increasing physical activity. It is therefore fitting that our lead sponsor this year is
Technology plays an increasingly important part of the public health agenda. Whether it’s tracking devices, live streaming classes, coaching apps or intelligent equipment -
eGym CEO, Philipp RoeschSchlanderer agrees there has never been a better time to address the issue of inactivity. He states, “Technology now enables us to connect directly to the consumer and understand their needs and behaviour. We are fortunate that, as a recent entrant in the fitness equipment market we naturally adopted a digital mindset from the outset. Our ‘smart’ gym equipment personalises your exercise programme, tracks your activity (in and outside of a facility) and automates progression of your workouts. eGym’s open digital platform also allows users, trainers and operators to see key data in real time on mobile devices and enables us to connect to other third parties”. Philipp adds, “We are proud to be this year’s lead sponsor of the National Summit and are looking forward to contributing to the debate, and in helping get Britain moving again”. Delegates will have the opportunity to experience the future first hand at the Summit.
ukactive.com
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Key Speaker Jane Ellison MP, Minister of State for Public Health
2010 and appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health at the Department of Health in October 2013. As Public Health Minister, Jane is responsible for Government policy on a wide range of issues, including preventing avoidable mortality, vaccination, reducing health inequalities, health improvement and sexual health. In her post Jane has overseen the ‘Everybody active, every day’ public health strategy which aims to embed active lifestyles in communities across the UK. It is part of a cross department approach towards a more active nation and sits under the ‘Moving More Living More’ campaign.
National Summit Lead Sponsor
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>
Engage to compete Katherine Selby of Action PR takes a look at Fit For Sport's Engage to Compete pilot that looks to improve fitness and physical literacy among school children The success of the second Fit For Sport Engage To Compete pilot programme has boosted confidence that its methods can improve fitness and physical literacy among school children. Engage To Compete aims to increase children’s participation in physical activity and competition while simultaneously engaging adults and leisure providers in the area. Fit For Sport provides training, support and mentoring for school staff - including classroom assistants, playground supervisors and lunchtime leaders - to enable them to deliver a range of activities at playtime, lunchtime and after school. Engage to Compete brings structure and focus to schools and many new ideas are introduced, resulting in a playground full of active children. It is an important tool in the fight against childhood obesity and inactive children and gives vital support to schools who struggle to implement effective activity programmes.
Measured improvements The Engage To Compete project ran from January to July 2015 in 44 schools across Sandwell, Birmingham and Tower Hamlets, London. A total of 14,525 children took part and 590 teachers, PE co-ordinators, lunchtime supervisors and support staff were trained. In addition to introducing new games and sports, Engage To Compete aims to develop the key
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basic physical literacy skills of Agility (running), Co-ordination (catching) and Stamina (jumping) to make children ‘physically literate’. Their ability is measured during the programme using Fit For Sport’s own Activity Challenge and the average improvements were gained across all year groups. Fit For Sport also significantly increased the number of children doing intra and inter-school competition.
Meeting demands The time is clearly right for Engage to Compete. Earlier this year, the ukactive report ‘Generation Inactive’ called for more and measured physical activity in primary schools. Engage to Compete meets six of its key demands as it: > Adopts a whole school approach > Ensures the competency to deliver an effective physical education curriculum is built in to teacher training > Provides all necessary support > Encourages school activity providers to measure improvement > Leaves no child ‘lagging behind’ > Gives clear guidance to schools and authorities on local children’s activity initiatives “’Generation Inactive’ highlighted the need for a healthier way of life for our nation’s children,” says Dean Horridge, CEO of Fit For Sport founder and chair of UK Active Kids. “Engage To Compete
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shows how successful realignment of attitudes among teachers, teaching assistants and head teachers can ensure every child can be engaged in fun activity at school, even if they shy away from sports or other exercise.”
Lane, Head of Sport & Community Participation, GLL. “The large number involved in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets is hugely encouraging and we are looking to build on this success.”
Valuable partnerships
Making inactivity a thing of the past
A priority for Fit For Sport was to develop partnerships in the programme to ensure the increased level of activity and engagement continues into the future. Community partnerships were formed with Sandwell Council, Tipton Sports Academy, West Bromwich Leisure Centre, Black Country Community Sports Partnership, Portway Leisure, London Sport, GLL, Mile End Sport Centre and Poplar Partnership. “We are delighted with the success of the Engage to Compete project with Fit for Sport so far,” says Glen Staite-Loveridge, Places for People Leisure Junior Activities Manager. “The design of the programme complements our ethos as a social enterprise perfectly as we aim to encourage awareness for the need of physical exercise and activity across all ages within the local communities we serve.” “Fit For Sport is a valued partner for GLL and the Engage To Compete programme has proved to be an innovative way to engage primary school pupils in challenging, fun activities with a measurable outcome,” says Phil
The sustainability of Engage to Compete programme is assured by empowering PE and support staff and using their on-site resources. By training staff, engaging with parents and creating better community links with local leisure providers, Engage To Compete becomes embedded in the local areas to ensure it continues into the future. Figures from the first pilot conducted in Manchester and Somerset schools in 2014 show one year on there is 85% retention and continuation of the programme. “The success of our second Engage To Compete pilot fills me with confidence that we have the right tools, skills and partners to deliver, monitor and improve physical activity in junior school children. I honestly believe this programme can help make physical illiteracy and inactivity a thing of the past.” Fit For Sport is hosting a workshop discussing how sports and leisure centres can help tackle childhood inactivity and bridge the gap with community and school engagement in the Industry Insight Theatre at LIW. 29
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Did you know the average club cycle studio sits dormant for upwards of 80% of the day. Does yours? Exercise spaces are shifting. Despite their high cost, small boutique gyms with a single activity are becoming increasingly popular and people are moving away from typical multipurpose fitness centres.
What would attendances like this mean to your business? Don’t get left behind; find out how you can lead this trend in your area. Attend the Les Mills Insight Seminar: Indoor Cycling; the missed opportunity.
Boutique cycling facilities have hit the UK hard and are rapidly stealing market share, reflecting the US trend where they are turning over more than £300,000 annually from a single 100m2 studio, and experiencing thousands of attendances a week.
Whether you are a Club Owner, Club Manager, Sales Manager, PT Manager or Group Fitness Manager we have insight to help get you ahead of the game and with seminars taking place nationwide throughout September and October so there’s no excuse not to miss out on this business changing seminar.
Register your place today by visiting: www.eventbrite.co.uk and search for Les Mills or for more information email: LMUK.busdev@lesmills.com
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A day in the life Lara Morgan – entrepreneur, triathlete, mum of three and best-selling author On top of this, Lara is the owner or investor of seven separate enterprises – that’s one for each day of the week – so no two days are the same. Lara believes it was the skills she learnt on the field and pitch as a child that when translated into business have ultimately led her to financial freedom. Since selling her majority share of the £20 million international business she had built since the age of 23 Lara has channeled her energy into building her own brand, activbod, using a sustainable business model and social enterprise approach. This skin and body care range is designed by and for active people – to aid recovery, improve comfort during exercise and banish workout worries. A charitable foundation is being established to hold Lara’s shares and will support a broad range of projects to provide leisure and well-being facilities, products and services across the UK. Aside from her business achievements, Lara is a keen sports woman, coming 10th (for her age-group) in the World Triathlon Championships. Her mantra “where there’s a will, there’s a way” sees her sailing through many challenges.
6.00am
I prefer to start the day with peaceful time sitting thinking through the harder decisions and my workload, avoiding email deluge whilst my mind is at its best. I can usually get some quality work done and my emails
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cleared before the family awake, although if in London I will run first thing round Hyde Park which I love. My children, aged eleven, fourteen and seventeen are independent and often now not all at home but I love family chatter over breakfast and hearing the plans for the day ahead (and for the taxi role I play when home).
12.30pm
The variety of my daily meetings, experiences, speaking and dinners can be vast. I split my week with disciplined diary management dividing blocks to each company but sometimes I will have 6 meetings in London, each for a different company where we have a specific transformational project. Sometimes it is simply me all morning with one of the companies’ founders and owners. I like how much we can achieve through a planned rolling agenda, bouncing ideas and the excitement of new products in development.
2.30pm
I rarely get to lunchtime without missing lunch! Between meetings I dodge lampposts while trying in vain to catch up with emails and messages – I love texts & write them traveling on the underground despite the hideous summer heat. Planning, interviewing, calling suppliers and company owners all happen whilst speed walking down the street – I do not do slow walking, and never stand on escalators. I try and flip through newspapers on the tube to keep up with the
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day’s opportunities and events.
4.30pm
I’m usually in London three days of the week and with no office, I take my laptop and go where I need to be. Sometimes I work from my flat but usually it’s rare whilst in London that meetings are not back to back. People sometimes seem amazed that I do not have a “moment” for a “coffee” but I choose to fill my life with complete focus on my business investments, my family and my own health and well-being. Now that I’m focussed on the acceleration of activbod, KitBrix, DRYROBE, GATE8, Scentered, Spiezia and Global Amenities, I no longer have “discovery” meetings with companies looking for
investment – saving me masses of time. Instead, I endlessly annoy the founders, (relentless with ideas and suggestions) investing partners and General Managers of these companies whom are an entirely brilliant group of hard working, intelligent individuals with a mass of potential.
6.00pm
If at home my husband and I walk our two dogs as a mental break and catch up or go for a bike ride, before supper. I loathe cooking so avoid it unless absolutely necessary. If in London I might go to an enterprise or learning event or simply catch up on business plans and progressions. I almost never watch TV and often after supper and children dispersal, I will clear emails once more until News time. 31
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“Indoor cycling is an area that’s getting a lot of air time, which is being fuelled by the rise of the lucrative boutique” club market. Les Mills launches seminars to help clubs capitalise on the latest cycling trends and launches NEW indoor cycle programme “Indoor cycling is an area that’s getting a lot of air time, which is being fuelled by the rise of the lucrative boutique club market. However, there is an opportunity for clubs operating in the traditional fitness space. In fact, there are five key areas that clubs can focus on to beat the boutiques and we will be sharing our insight at our forthcoming seminars taking place nationwide from September.” Says Martin Franklin, CEO of Les Mills™ UK. The insight seminars mark the launch of Les Mills’ brand new group cycling programme – SPRINT™. The 30 minute class incorporates high intensity interval training techniques (HIIT) and is a fast and high energy work out that will leave participants wanting more. As with all Les Mills programmes, SPRINT is backed by science and the HIIT work out is based on the sport of cycle sprinting and high performance, giving participants a short, sharp work out. Short bursts of intensity followed by short periods of active recovery will push participants harder than other cycle
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programmes within the market and help the class achieve and smash their fitness goals faster, all led by highly engaging and motivating Les Mills instructors. Martin adds: “Obviously it’s great to be able to launch a brand new programme into the market place. This development is hot on the heels of the success of our GRIT™ HIIT programme which is proving extremely successful for clubs which have launched it onto their timetables. We believe SPRINT will help our partners tap into a young, ‘millennial’ audience and those who are increasingly time poor. Instructor training begins in October and the places are expected to sell out quickly as there is a great deal of excitement around this launch.” Les Mills SPRINT will join the family of other indoor cycle programmes that Les Mills offers its club partners; RPM™ RPM VIRTUAL™ and the TRIP, which is part of the Immersive fitness offering. For more information about the insight seminars and to register your place today visit: www.eventbrite.co.uk and search for Les Mills or for more information email: LMUK.busdev@lesmills.com
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£100m fines on the horizon? New safety sentencing guidelines in force soon For many years the Appeal Courts have been complaining that fine levels for safety offences are too low. While there is no monetary value that can be placed on a life, those complaints are often difficult to understand against a backdrop where the judge sentencing the case has the power to hand down unlimited fines, but after careful consideration of the facts postivitely chose not to do so. Dominic Watkins, Partner at law firm DWF, considers the impact of proposals to change this. In the health and safety world we have seen safety standards steadily improving. The number of fatal accidents have fallen consistently and the number of cases prosecuted also fell between 2012 and 2013 (albeit it is slightly higher than 2011). Through that same period mean fine levels stayed between £41,000 and £46,000 per offence with the 95th percentile at about £225,000. This demonstrates that that the Courts are fining different amounts depending on the seriousness of the case: exactly as the system should work and in keeping with the existing sentencing guideline which requires fines for fatal accidents where the breach was causative
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of the death to start at £100,000. Nonetheless, for well over a decade there has been disquiet in the senior judiciary about safety fines being too low. This has resulted in a proposal for new definitive sentencing guidelines which cover health and safety and corporate manslaughter as well as food safety. These guidelines, if adopted, will give the Court an indication of how to approach sentencing and the appropriate level of fine in certain cirucmstances and will see fines jump dramatically.
What does that mean in practice, and why should you care? The new guideline will apply to all safety offences, not just fatal causative accidents, this means that all businesses need to be aware of the change in consequences. The proposed guideline takes a formulaic 9 step approach to sentencing assessing the harm and culpability in order to plot the starting point for the fine on a matrix. While this means a much more structured approach to sentencing than before, it will also mean substantially larger fines. The sentencing matrix has four
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levels of culpability (from low to very high) and four harm categories within them (depending on the risk of harm). For businesses with a turnover greater than £50m, a medium culpability offence at the lowest harm category will result in a fine starting at £130,000 – it will increase to a starting point of £1.3m at the highest medium culpablity harm category. For the worst offences fines will start at £4m and may be as high as £10m and if the company has a turnover substantially greater than £50m turnover the fine level could be considerably higher still – the guidance rather vaguely says that the fine could be considerably higher, but doesn’t state how much or how this is to calculated. To put this in context there has only ever been a handful of seven figure safety fines, ever, for any size of business and in all likelihood a low harm medium culpability offence would received a fine at about 1/5 of the proprosed level if sentenced today. Even for small businesses – those with a turnover under £2m the medium culpability fines start at £6,000 and range upto £100,000 which is clearly a vast difference. The proposed guidelines leave many questions unanswered, and many key terms are undefined which is undesirable. One example of this is the matrix for assessing
the risk of harm created by the offence. While simple in principle when you start to consider it there are a number of questions that arise. Not least – when assessing the harm from the offence – am I assessing the risk specifically from that particular set of facts or posed by that category of risk generally. So, taking a simple slip trip example; there are 3-5 deaths a year from slips/ trips so do you use this as the basis for your assessment that there is a risk of death from that accident? If you do, then do you say there is a risk of death is that risk greater than remote as there are that level of deaths a year, or is that remote? The consequences for a large business deemed to be at medium culpability would be a £300,000 differerence in starting point for the fine – it is a big issue and there are many other similar provisions that are unclear and have a vast impact on fines. £100m fines may be a step further than where these guidelines are likely to end up, in the short term at least, to take us, however, eye watering increases to find levels are all but guaranteed. For the full article please visit ukactive.com or for more information contact Dominic Watkins, Partner DWF LLP: Dominic.watkins@dwf.co.uk
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ukactive Flame Awards 2016: Entries Open The Flame Awards are the largest celebration of excellence across the sector, with hundreds of nominees vying for the highly coveted accolades every year. Enter the awards to raise your profile in the sector, demonstrate your quality, benchmark your offering, and to celebrate the fantastic work of your team. With fourteen categories, including a new category; ‘Physical Activity Campaign of the Year’; there is a category relevant to every organisation in the UK who have a role to play in getting people active. The entry process for the Flame Awards 2016 is now open. Enter now and shout about why your organisation should be recognised.
Entries close: 7th December
Contact flameawards@ukactive.org.uk for more information or call 0207 400 8600
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Welcome to Anthony Nolan, our new charity partner At the ukactive Flame Conference and Awards back in June, we announced our new charity partner for the year ahead would be Anthony Nolan, the blood cancer charity. Here, Laura Parsell, Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager at the charity tells us a little more about their work and how you can get involved Every 20 minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukaemia or lymphoma. Blood cancers and disorders are indiscriminate and can affect anyone at any time and for many; a blood stem cell or bone marrow transplant is their only hope of survival. In order to have a successful transplant, a donor needs to be found who matches the tissue type of the patient. This is where Anthony Nolan comes in; we are the only UK charity who can find a transplant for someone with blood cancer. We match patients with donors through our register, to facilitate three potentially lifesaving transplants every day. Our work doesn’t end when we find a matching donor for someone in need. We are there helping patients at every step of their transplant journey by providing advice, information and nursing support as well as conducting ground breaking research to improve the lives of all people with blood cancer.
An incredible legacy The charity owes its existence to the incredible vision and determination of one woman – Shirley Nolan. Shirley’s son Anthony was born in 1971, with a condition for which the only cure was a bone marrow transplant. At that time, there was no process or system to find a matching donor.
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Shirley set up the Anthony Nolan register in 1974 to connect potential donors with people like her son who desperately needed a transplant. So from humble beginnings over 40 years ago, we are now an organisation that saves lives in a way that few others can claim to do. If it wasn’t for Anthony Nolan, we might not have Ryan with us today. We cannot thank them enough’. Ryan Ferguson, from Glasgow, was just three years old when his parents were told he had leukaemia. His only hope of survival was a bone marrow transplant. In August 2011, Anthony Nolan began the search for that special person, a stranger, who could save his life. Thankfully, we found a matching donor for Ryan and he had his transplant in January 2012. Ryan is now seven years old and happy and healthy and the Ferguson family recently fulfilled their dream of moving to Australia. Despite all of our achievements, there’s still much more to be done. Too many patients – particularly those from black, Asian and
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Ryan Ferguson with his mum and dad
minority ethnic backgroundscan’t find the best transplant match and many people struggle with relapse and complications. To achieve our vision of saving and improving the lives of everyone who needs a stem cell transplant we need to recruit more potential donors to our register and invest in research to make transplants more
effective. Anthony Nolan is not the biggest charity or the most well-known and that’s why we are delighted to be partnering with ukactive who are committed to raising our profile in the health and leisure industry and enabling us to tell more people about our lifesaving work and how they can get involved.
Raise awareness
Join the register yourself or raise awareness amongst your staff and membership base. We need more people to know about Anthony Nolan and the importance of joining our donor register and we’d love you to help us spread the word to your networks. Anyone aged 16-30 and in general good health can apply to join the register. We do most of our recruitment online via our website; it’s very straightforward and involves filling out an application form and providing us with a saliva sample in the spit kit we send through the post. Awareness raising ideas include: > Having information about Anthony Nolan and the register on your website > Articles in staff, membership and customer communications > Sharing our social media content
Raise vital funds
It costs Anthony Nolan £100 to add each potential donor to the register so raising money is absolutely key to making more matches and saving more lives. Fundraising ideas include: > Team challenges and places in runs, treks, swims and cycles > Office/ social activities- quizzes, sweepstakes, raffles, cakes sales, dress up days > Collections, raffles, auctions at events and conferences www.anthonynolan.org contact: laura.parsell@anthonynolan.org
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Dates for your diary ukactive events bring together our members, partners and stakeholders to network with key decision makers, engage in discussion, and keep up-to-speed with developments that affect our sector. We host a full programme of events throughout the year, from gala dinners and awards nights to educational seminars, and round-table discussions Flame Awards Entries Open Now Enter now to raise your profile in the sector, demonstrate your quality and benchmark your offering. Be recognised for excellence, and celebrate the fantastic work of your team. ukactive’s 25th Anniversary 6th October, Foxhills, Surrey ukactive’s 25th anniversary celebration is the perfect environment for unparalleled networking opportunities with industry leaders. The day’s activities include cycling part of the Olympic route, teeing off against a PGA Professional, or taking part in the Les Mills Experience. All packages are followed by a champagne reception and VIP member's dinner. Physical Activity & Primary Care Seminars 13th October, Reading. 22nd October, Leeds These educational seminars, sponsored by Precor, are designed to equip leisure and activity providers with the practical knowledge to engage effectively with local health teams. National Summit 2015 5th November, Emirates Stadium, London Be part of the largest strategy and policy event in the sector’s annual calendar, with over 500 decision makers from the physical activity. This event will focus on the future of physical activity and the public health agenda. Active Training Workshop & Awards 2015 26th November, Crowne Plaza, Marlow The Active Training Workshop will continue debates and discussions on training and development in the Physical Activity sector and is followed by the Active Training Awards Night. These awards celebrate excellence, following a rigorous, three month assessment process. Book now to attend the Workshop and Awards Night. Flame Awards Entries Close 7th December, 2015 With hundreds of nominees vying for these highly coveted awards, don’t miss your chance to shout about why your organisation should be recognised. ukactive Education & Insight Series ukactive will relaunch a new series of webinars autumn 2015. Tune in to free weekly webinar sessions, hosted by ukactive members who are experts in their associated fields. A powerful resource for learning and development, this valuable training tool covers topics including member engagement, retention, communications, staff training, workplace wellbeing, quality & standards and the latest trends and developments from within the sector.
To find out more: visit www.ukactive.org.uk/events, or contact the events events@ukactive.org.uk or call 0207 400 8600. 38
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ukactive.com
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