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A new group has been formed to tackle common challenges facing the UK swimming and aquatics sector.
The Swimming Alliance will look to offer a single, cohesive voice on crucial issues affecting public swimming pools and open water spaces across the UK –while also developing solutions that can be implemented by all those involved.
Initially convened by Sport England, the founding members of the Alliance represent the diversity of the sector.
They include Swim England, leisure operators, other national governing bodies, charities and membership organisations.
A number of key issues have already been identified following a survey by Alliance members and include:
l Increasing learning to swim and participation levels amongst adults and children
l Tackling the impact of energy prices on municipal pools
l Increasing the use of swimming for health initiatives
l Ensuring that open water is safe and clean for outdoor swimmers
l Increasing diversity at all levels of swimming.
The Swimming Alliance’s newlyelected voluntary chair is Debbie Kaye, the former chair of the Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association.
Kaye said: “By working together, and combining our expertise and resources, we believe that we will be able to achieve more. On a number of swimming-related issues, the partner bodies within the Swimming Alliance have a common cause, enabling us to speak with a single voice, be that to Government or to the general public, and collaborate effectively on solutions.”
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Scotland is the only nation in the UK where a larger proportion of adults admit they are less physically active than they were five years ago.
The insight comes from a survey published by physical activity body, ukactive, which shows that 44% of Scottish adults say they are moving less than they were five years ago in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conducted by Savanta, the research also found that just 21% of Scots think they are moving more than they did five years ago. The data shows that of the other nations, 32% of English adults think they are moving less than they were five years ago, and the figure was the same for those from Northern Ireland (32%). In Wales, this was only slightly higher, with 34% saying that they are moving less than five years ago.
A Scottish Health Survey in 2019 showed that two thirds (66%) of Scottish adults met the Chief Medical Officers’ (CMO) recommendation of at least 150 minutes (two-anda-half hours) of moderate-to-
vigorous physical activity a week.
In 2022, the figure dropped to 65% and for those that failed to meet the recommendation, the main reasons given were that their health was not good enough (41%), it was difficult to find time (22%) and not being interested (20%).
ukactive is now calling on the incoming government to urgently address physical inactivity in Scotland. It wants the next government to support the sector in building a “long-term vision for facilities” to support as many people as possible in accessing spaces to keep active.
Bristol City Council has given the green light for a £4.8m redevelopment of Horfield Leisure Centre in the north of the city.
The works will include a gym extension with brand new equipment, which will take the total number of workout stations to over 160.
Other improvements include refurbished gym changing rooms upgrades to the 25m swimming pool, as well as the redevelopment of the squash courts, café and reception area.
A mezzanine floor will also be added, alongside a group indoor cycling studio and soft play area, while energy-saving initiatives will be introduced throughout the building.
Preparatory works have already begun on the project and the building is set to stay open for the duration of the refurbishment.
The project offers access to healthy food and enriching activities
A government-funded programme that ensures disadvantaged children and young people have access to healthy food and enriching activities throughout school holiday periods has benefited thousands of families across Northamptonshire.
The Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) scheme, known locally as HAF Northants, is delivered by Trilogy Active, in partnership with Northamptonshire Sport, who have been offering places for children on their two holiday play schemes at Lings Forum Leisure Centre and Duston Sports Centre, a bespoke HAF Sports Camp at Thomas Becket School, as well as offering places for children at Berzerk Soft Play Centre.
“We are genuinely pleased at the real difference our work on HAF is making to the local community that we serve across Northampton.” said Managing Director of Trilogy Active, John Fletcher. “We have been able to offer just under 3,000
places to young people over the last twelve months and have given 120 junior active memberships to 14- to 16-year-olds.” he said.
Trilogy Active manages facilities on behalf of West Northamptonshire Council, Duston Parish Council, Northampton General Hospital and University of Northampton.
It currently operates Cripps Recreation Centre, Danes Camp, Duston Sports Centre, Lings Forum, The Mounts Baths and the Forum Cinema as well as Berzerk Active Play Centre in Northampton, Belper Leisure Centre and the Hickory Dickory Active Play Centres in the Midlands.
“Across our sites at Berzerk, Thomas Becket, Lings Forum and Duston Sports Centre we have been able to use more than £57,000 of funding during the last 12 months to make a real impact and ensure children and young people, as well as their families, benefit from this hugely important project,” Fletcher added.
£29m to be invested in redeveloping two centres in Bromley
A total funding package of £29m has been secured for the refurbishment of two leisure centres in Bromley.
The two facilities – Walnuts Leisure Centre and West Wickham Leisure Centre – will now receive a number of upgrades, from new heating systems, improvements to the pool areas, cafés and changing rooms. New showers and lockers will be provided alongside the improved changing rooms, with pool pods and Changing Places facilities introduced to support accessibility. Both centres will have their main pools fully refurbished
NI council scheme gets more than 1,900 people active
More than 1,900 people from across the Fermanagh and Omagh district in Northern Ireland have benefitted from a programme offering new opportunities to get physically active in local communities.
The programme – delivered by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, with funding received from Sport NI through the Department for Communities –enabled children, young people and adults across the district to take part in a range of free activities, such as archery, badminton, basketball, boccia and sailing within community settings.
Plans for new and improved facilities at Brough Park Leisure Centre in Leek, Staffordshire have progressed to the next stage.
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council held an exhibition of the plans (both online and at the centre) as part of a consultation, which came to and end in May.
People were asked to share their views on the redevelopment plans, with both those who already use the centre and those who don’t, in order to ensure the facility is welcoming to as many people as possible.
A formal planning application is now set to be submitted, reflecting the plans and feedback.
The plans put to the public consultation include:
l A new 25m six-lane pool with a separate teaching pool
l New swimming pool changing facilities including a ‘changing places’ room
l Extended and refurbished gym
l A second large group exercise studio
Plans include a new 25m six-lane pool with a separate teaching pool
l A dedicated indoor cycling studio
The redevelopment is being funded by a £17m grant secured by the council from the Levelling Up fund to regenerate Leek.
The Council is also seeking further funding to provide an even wider range of facilities which could include
Fitness equipment specialist, Matrix Fitness, has launched the Total Body Cycle, a new air cycle designed to make group exercise and HIIT even more intense by transforming cardio workouts into a total body exercise.
Optimised for quick transitions, the bike’s belt-drive air resistance increases the challenge the harder the riders pedal, push and pull. The design also aims to ensure a significantly quieter experience than its chain-drive competition.
Ergonomically designed handlebars offer multiple grips for riders of all sizes and the frame is reinforced with heavy-duty steel to withstand heavy usage and tough workouts.
Matthew Pengelly, MD, Matrix Fitness UK, said: “We’ve reimagined the classic air bike design to create a cycle perfect for intense training settings.”
an indoor adventure/soft play area and community wellness suite – a new space where people can access a range of tailored support programmes such as Steps to Health which involves being referred for exercise by your GP. The centre is operated on behalf of the council by Parkwood Leisure.
Ergonomically designed handlebars cater for riders of all sizes
Sessions are delivered by the YMCA team
A partnership project looks to drive prevention through integrated place-based approaches in adult health and social care.
Nottinghamshire Healthcare’s Newark Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (IDD) is collaborating with Sport for Confidence CIC and a consortium of community partners to create a clear pathway from health to leisure services.
The pathway has been designed to support those with intellectual and developmental disability to access, participate and sustain physical activity opportunities that drive positive occupational outcomes. The consortium of partners includes YMCA Newark and Boccia England.
The project directs individuals from NHS services to their local YMCA Community and Activity Village, where they take part in weekly, coached Boccia sessions tailored to their needs.
Sessions are delivered by the YMCA team and are specifically
designed in collaboration with the NHS Newark team.
Healthcare professionals, such as occupational therapists, speech therapists, and physiotherapists, adapt their clinical expertise to the community and activity-oriented setting and work closely with sports coaches to make personalised adjustments, ensuring everyone can meaningfully participate.
Becky Sutton, Nottinghamshire Healthcare’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “The project is a fantastic example of how a whole-system approach that recruits the skills and services of a diverse array of community providers can deliver quality, health and social care focused outcomes that not only work for the individual but also helps to take the pressure off clinical services.”
Liz Fletcher, OT and National Lead at Sport for Confidence, added: “Sport and physical activity has the power to deliver a vast array of physical and mental health outcomes.”
The move is part of Zoom’s strategy
Fitness media specialist, Zoom Media UK, has partnered with Your Personal Training (YPT) to make Zoom’s rewards platform directly available to the clients of YPT trainers.
Zoom will market its services to PTs as a way for them to enhance client motivation and satisfaction, foster stronger relationships and drive client success.
The move is part of Zoom Media’s strategy to take its platform beyond the traditional operator-focused models and to cover all areas of the industry.
Ferne Langford, Partnership Group Director at Zoom Media, said: “Working with YPT to extend our rewards platform to personal trainers and their clients is a genuine first that means we’re able to provide benefits across every level of the industry. This collaboration will enhance the YPT personal training experience even further, offering valuable incentives to support client engagement and retention, ultimately benefiting both trainers and their clients.”
The platform will also feature Your Academy courses, with discounts for the majority of educational resources, designed to encourage people to investigate careers in the sector and trainers to continue their professional development.
Zoom Media owns and operates GymTV, one of the largest gymbased TV networks in the world.
Neurokinex Charitable Trust has welcomed Kylie Grimes MBE as its patron.
Grimes is a triple Paralympian in wheelchair rugby and has first-hand experience of the activity-based rehabilitation programmes and therapy protocols offered by Neurokinex.
Injured as a teenager in 2006, she was back playing competitive sport within three years, starting out with the London Wheelchair Rugby Club
Former MMA fighter and Another Round CEO, Max Cotton, has launched an AI engine which uses astrophysics mechanics to support the healthcare and fitness sector.
The VOR Engine crafts fully personalised workouts for healthcare and fitness professionals to increase efficiency, member and trainer retention and impact of physical exercise.
The venture, which is also backed by the former CEO of PureGym, Peter Roberts, was born out of the business specific challenges Another Round saw in the sector, from a decline in personal trainer businesses to the cost-of-living crisis leading many customers to abandon paid fitness activities.
By equipping the healthcare and fitness sector with personalised training at scale, VOR hopes to enable an increase in efficiency, member and trainer retention, engagement and impact of physical exercise.
Max Cotton, CEO of VOR said: “The technology we’ve created will allow us to expand into the global market, becoming the tool for every
workout plan and empowering health professionals across various disciplines. It’s about understanding the complex interplay of factors that influence a person’s fitness journey. From administering doctorprescribed exercise programmes to supporting physiotherapists and gyms, our goal is to empower the sector by increasing efficiency.”
Since Another Round was founded in 2018, the training platform has raised over £1 million in funding.
The end-to-end platform applies proprietary AI to personal training without replacing personal trainers
in 2009. She was selected for Great Britain in 2011 and qualified for her first Paralympics in London 2012.
“Neurokinex really does change people’s lives for the better and I’m honoured to be a patron for this amazing organisation,” Grimes said.
“I want to take this opportunity to share my experience of how the Neurokinex approach brings clients empowerment from marginal gains and confidence from its community.
named Simon Blair as its new Debuty Chief Executive Officer.
The move is a promotion for Blair, who joined Oldham Active (then called Oldham Community Leisure) in January as Head of Business Development. In his new role, Blair will be responsible for driving the financial performance of Oldham Active through line management of key roles who in turn are responsible for key areas of the business, namely health and fitness and aquatics.
A coalition of more than 200 industry bodies, businesses, charities and elite athletes across sport, physical activity, fitness and recreation have written an open letter to party leaders calling on them to commit to making the UK the most active nation in Europe.
As the main parties announced their manifestos ahead of the General Election, a survey of British adults revealed how the British public is under a misconception that the UK is an active nation.
When asked where they think the UK ranks in Europe’s league table for physical activity, threequarters (75%) guessed it would feature in the top 10. In fact, the UK is a lowly 11th out of 15 comparable nations.
The letter was organised by the National Sector Partners Group (NSPG) for sport, recreation and physical activity, which made a similar call earlier this year. The letter kickstarted a new campaign launched by the organisations called #TakeTheLead, which will showcase the importance
of creating a more active nation and, crucially, highlight the need for leadership by our national politicians to create the conditions for change.
The letter highlights priorities for the new government to focus on to reduce growing inequalities across the UK and drive significant change in activity levels, such as ensuring every child is active for at least 60 minutes every day, cutting red tape holding back growth, and embedding physical activity pathways into health and care systems.
The 226 signatories to the letter range from major health bodies to sport’s national governing bodies, education providers and the nation’s biggest fitness and leisure groups.
The letter outlines the urgent need as well as the “unique opportunity” for any new Government to unlock the full potential of the sport, recreation and physical activity sector, in a move that would be “transformative for communities across the UK”.
Huw Edwards CEO ukactive
The World Health Organization has warned that 1.8 billion people are at risk of diseases such as cancer, stroke, dementia and diabetes due to a lack of physical activity. In the UK, it reports that one in five adults are classed as inactive, getting less than 30 minutes of exercise a week. Considering we face a national health crisis, why was there no mention of this from our political leaders during the election campaign?
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) questioned the plans of both main political parties following the analysis of their manifestos, querying how the urgent changes to our public services can be delivered within existing fiscal constraints. Both parties claimed they could generate economic growth if elected, however, we do know that for growth to be achieved, we need a healthy workforce. There can be no growth without health.
Previous governments have taken a short-term focus, and it is about time prevention is viewed as the cure, rather than waiting until people’s health conditions decline so much that they are left with no other choice than to get to the hospital.
This is exactly what the nation wants to see from this new Labour government. Our new survey shows that 85% of adults in the UK want the new Government to invest in long-term, lifestyle-focused solutions for the prevention of obesity and health conditions, rather than spending more on weightloss drugs. People are wary of quick fixes and those over 55 know this better than anyone, with 93% of this cohort favouring a long-term solution.
What the incoming Labour Government needs to realise is that physical activity is an essential part of any strategy for health and growth. Physical activity has been proven to prevent more than 20 chronic conditions, including type
As Sir Keir Starmer takes the keys to Number 10, he has the chance to reduce our health inequalities
2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, many types of cancer, musculoskeletal conditions, depression, anxiety, and dementia – generating more than £5.2 billion in healthcare savings a year.
As Sir Keir Starmer takes the keys to Number 10, he has the chance to reduce our health inequalities, support the growth of the economy by getting people back into work, and help relieve the extreme pressures on the NHS. Finding ways to support the nation to be more active is essential.
We have more than 7,000 gyms, pools and leisure centres across the UK and they are ready to do so much more if given the opportunity to grow their services and programmes. In Ireland the Government has already introduced permanent reductions in VAT for physical activity services and this resulted in a significant increase in physical activity levels.
Our survey also found that 61% of people, given the choice by their doctor, would prefer to receive treatment or support for a health condition or injury in a gym, leisure centre or pool over a hospital. These facilities are already running successful programmes and pilots for many health conditions, including cancer rehabilitation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and musculoskeletal conditions such as back pain. We need a government with the vision and willpower to help scale these pilots and programmes and support our sector to tackle these issues nationally.
The nation wants long-term health solutions that work and for this new Sir Keir Starmer Government there’s no time to waste.
You might have found what feels like the perfect site for your new facility – but is it really? Should you go ahead?
You might be operating an existing facility and feel you have as many members as you can get – but is that assumption correct?
Our unrivalled latent demand reports provide robust answers to these businesscritical questions.
We can even tell you which demographic types will give you the numbers you want, and where you’ll find these individuals.
A new educational platform aims to become the primary destination for those wanting to access qualityassured training in the sport and physical activity sector.
The new Training Academy for Sport and Physical Activity Progression –launched last month (June 2024) by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) – has been designed to ensure sport and physical activity professionals can choose the “right training in the right place – and which is delivered by the right people”.
CIMSPA education partners who have been identified as three-star quality assured – or ‘Enhancing’, through its Quality Assurance framework – will form the base of the Training Academy.
This means that those looking to progress in their careers can have full confidence in the provision made available to them.
Alongside quality assurance, the Training Academy will look to manage
The academy will look to manage sector supply by utilising CIMSPA’s data collection
sector supply by utilising CIMSPA’s local skills data collection, as well as local skills plans created by our Local Skills Accountability Boards to understand employer training needs for different areas of the country, helping to lower costs for employers and learners.
Phase 1 of the Training Academy
will consist of one recommended training course for 13 different geographical areas, as well as eight nationally recommended courses.
Once established, the platform’s training offering will continue to grow, based on demand from both learners and employers.
Taylor Made Designs (TMD) has launched a range of drinks bottles as part of a drive to support healthy hydration habits.
The new product line includes the new eco-friendly Ocean Bottle, which has a focus on sustainability. The fashion brand now also provides a range of customisable drinks bottles designed to suit every need and budget.
These include the Leisure Essential Range ‘chilly’ style bottles, created specifically for exercisers. The design keeps drinks cool for hours.
“We aim to enhance companies’ brands through branding and promoting sustainable hydration to help make the planet a better place, one sip at a time,” TMD said.
For more information about the full range, visit: linktr.ee/taylormadedesigns1993
High Peak Borough Council is planning to invest in improving the facilities at New Mills Leisure Centre as part of its wider leisure transformation programme – and has pledged that local views will help shape decisions on what is delivered.
The leisure centre in New Mills town centre in Derbyshire houses a 25m swimming pool, a health club with a large gym and two group exercise studios and a multi-activity sports hall.
The council plans to upgrade and update the venue and a report, considering the final designs for public consultation, is set to be considered by the council’s executive this month (June).
If the executive approves the plans, a public consultation will take place over the summer, finishing in September 2024.
A final decision on the exact designs and plans for the leisure centre upgrades will then be made in December 2024.
Councillor Damien Greenhalgh, Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Leisure, said: “The Council remains committed to investing significant sums in improving leisure facilities across the Borough, including New Mills, at a time when many other councils are unfortunately having to reduce or even close leisure facilities due to increasing costs.
“As part of these plans, we’ve been listening to the views of specific user groups of the leisure centre in New Mills which local councillors have made strong representations to the council on.
“This has resulted in a range of opinions being received and we look to finalise the plans which will go to wider public consultation in the summer.
“No decisions have yet been made but we know how important this facility is for the physical and mental health of many residents and that’s why we’re seeking to make a range of improvements which will safeguard the long-term viability of the centre.”
ukactive has launched the 2024 Digital Futures consultation in partnership with the Digital Futures Advisory Group.
The latest consultation is part of the the Digital Futures strategy, launched in 2021 in partnership by Sport England and ukactive. The initiative offers fitness and leisure organisations, national governing bodies and active partnerships free digital benchmarking and strategic recommendations.
It is the fourth iteration of the annual Digital Futures consultation and organisations must complete the consultation by Wednesday 31 July 2024 to be involved in this year’s programme. Operators and suppliers across the physical activity and sports sector are invited to answer a set of questions designed by independent digital consultancy Rewrite Digital, which are analysed to provide:
l a digital maturity and effectiveness score
l benchmarking against the sector
l personalised recommendations
l a private consultation with Rewrite Digital l access to a microsite for growth and resource.
This year’s consultation includes new questions to understand how emerging technologies and digital sustainability are impacting organisations in achieving their ambitions and for the first time, participants will be offered a second survey for deeper analysis, as well as tailored resources to support their digital transformation journey.
Participating organisations will benefit from greater insight into the impact digital can have in supporting equality, diversity and inclusion; the role digital services can play in improving consumer experience; and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in supporting growth. Last year’s consultation saw 316 organisations (204 in the UK and 112 from outside the UK) complete the assessment and the final report presented the fullest picture yet of the sector’s digital maturity levels.
IndigoFitness has developed a range of recovery modules that incorporate both priming and restorative techniques to help people prepare and recover for their physical activities.
The gym design and fit out specialist has worked closely with Ian O’Dwyer – founder of Feel SOMA – and Richard Boyd, Director of Global Wellness Designs, on the new modules.
One of the new recovery modules has been developed in collaboration with Power Plate (a Performance Health Systems brand), utilising the machine’s Whole Body Vibration technology. The vibration module allows for easy integration with other IndigoFitness recovery modalities or can be used as a standalone pod in any space.
Richard Boyd said: “Power Plate’s Whole Body Vibration technology was selected based on the ability of their plate to move in three planes of motion.
“The recovery modules are specifically designed to optimise fluid movement, allowing the vibrations to push the blood, lymph, and water through the tissues for greater healing and recovery benefits.”
IndigoFitness CEO, Rob Coleman, said the importance of recognizing recovery is an “integral aspect of the training space.”
Aaron McCulloch Co-Founder and Director Your Personal Training
Members who have personal training stay for an average of seven months longer, but the industry retention rate for trainers is staggeringly low. Trainers coming and going like a revolving door is not only bad for members, but costs gyms a serious amount of money.
There’s also a glut of unfilled roles in the industry, with major operators often having more than 100 personal trainer (PT) vacancies across their estate at any one time. Once you have a good PT, it makes sense to hold onto them. So, what’s the best way to do that?
1. Set them up for success I know from my conversations with trainers they feel they aren’t fully supported or part of the business infrastructure, often left to fend for themselves.
Set your PTs up for success by talking about launch marketing with new trainers, supporting them in acquiring clients. This doesn’t have to be difficult and can be done using a repeated template approach – a small outlay generates a big return. Additionally, minimise admin time so trainers can concentrate on selling. This means supplying all the forms they need, from PARQs to health and safety policies, to client/trainer agreements.
It makes sense to hold on to good personal trainers
2. Provide a ‘business mentor’
It’s no secret that a successful PT is more likely to stay. As a result, the investment of a little time with a ‘business mentor’ makes financial sense. Operators already have the people with these skills in their business and being a mentor is often an appealing role for another colleague.
3. Offer complementary education
Even if your PTs are self-employed, providing regular training and
development opportunities to ensure your team are constantly upskilled helps trainers to feel valued and invested in, supporting retention.
4. Deliver regular PT sales campaigns
This one should be obvious but all too often I see it forgotten about. It’s not rocket science, but too often we see operators limit growth and opportunities, breeding frustration and ultimately leading to the high turnover we see in the industry.
Nearly one-third (31%) of adults worldwide – approximately 1.8 billion people – failed to meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022.
The finding comes from data gathered by the World Health Organization (WHO), which also shows that physical inactivity among adults has increased by about 5% between 2010 and 2022. The WHO recommends that adults have 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorousintensity physical activity, or equivalent, per week.
The highest rates of physical inactivity were observed in the high-income Asia Pacific region (48%) and South Asia (45%), with levels of inactivity in other regions ranging from 28% in highincome Western countries to 14% in Oceania.
Disparities also remain between gender and age.
Physical inactivity is still more common among women globally compared with men, with inactivity rates of 34% compared to 29%. In some countries, this difference is as much as 20 percentage points. Additionally, people over 60 are less active than other adults, underscoring the importance of promoting physical activity for older adults.
If the overall trend continues, levels of inactivity are projected to further rise to 35% by 2030, and the world is currently off track from meeting the global target to reduce physical inactivity by 2030.
“These new findings highlight a lost opportunity to reduce cancer and heart disease, and to improve mental well-being through increased physical activity,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
“We must renew our commitments to increasing levels of physical activity and prioritise bold action, including strengthened policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend.”
Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at WHO, added: “Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health, contributing significantly to the burden of chronic diseases.
“We need to find innovative ways to motivate people to be more active, considering factors like age, environment, and cultural background. By making physical activity accessible, affordable, and enjoyable for all, we can significantly reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and create a population that is healthier and more productive.”
Despite the worrying results, however, there are some signs of improvement in some countries.
The study showed that almost half of the world’s countries have made some improvements over the past decade, and 22 countries were identified as likely to reach the global target of reducing inactivity by 15% by 2030, if their trend continues at the same pace.
In light of these findings, WHO is calling on countries to strengthen their policy implementation to promote and enable physical activity through grassroots and community sport and active recreation and transport (walking, cycling and use of public transport), among other measures.
The data comes from research conducted by the WHO together with academic colleagues and published in The Lancet Global Health journal.
Dr Fiona Bull, Head of the WHO Unit for Physical Activity, said: “Promoting physical activity goes beyond promoting individual lifestyle choice – it will require a whole-of-society approach and creating environments that make it easier and safer for everyone to be more active in ways they enjoy to reap the many health benefits of regular physical activity.”
Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, the UK’s trade body for the physical activity sector, added: “These figures should sound the alarm bell for nations around the world and we need to see more urgent action from the next Government to address physical
22 countries were identified as likely to reach the global target of reducing inactivity by 15% by 2030
inactivity in the UK. Physical activity is essential in reducing rates of long-term health conditions so if we do not prioritise getting more people active, the strain on our NHS and our economy will grow.
“We are calling on the Government to first commit to making the UK the most active nation in Europe and deploy the physical activity sector to boost the nation’s physical and mental health.”
The WHO report, published in The Lancet Global Health journal, included 507 surveys across 163 countries and territories.
The highest rates of physical inactivity were observed in the high-income Asia Pacific region (48%) and South Asia (45%), with levels of inactivity in other regions ranging from 28% in highincome Western countries to 14% in Oceania.
Andy Farr, Parkwood Leisure’s new Strategic Director, is an industry veteran and one the leisure sector’s innovative leaders. Farr speaks to WellNation about his role and the sector’s future
Andy Farr has worked in the physical activity and leisure sector for nearly 25 years. During his career, he has held a number of roles across both the public and private sectors – including a near four-year stint at British Cycling, first as Head of Facility and Investment Strategy and then Head of Business Planning and Transformation.
In September 2022, Farr was appointed Strategic Director of Parkwood Leisure, a specialist in the development and operation of leisure facilities which manages 90 sites – most of them on behalf of 30 local authorities – across England and Wales. In his new role, Farr will help develop and shape the future direction of the business. In particular, he will focus on Parkwood’s place-based community wellbeing work, working closely with specialist local partners and wider Parkwood Group companies across health, outdoor and indoor leisure and cultural services.
You’ve spent your career in the physical activity and leisure sector and this is your second stint at Parkwood? It is indeed. About a year into my first tenure at Parkwood (in 2018) an opportunity came up with British Cycling to support the Places to Ride
programme. In a prior consulting role, I worked on the funding bid to DCMS for the Places to Ride fund as part of the Road World Championships legacy, so this was a unique scenario.
What does your current role at Parkwood involve? I lead and support the business development, marketing and healthy communities teams, within the overall remit of delivering positive impact at a local level and bringing our corporate mission to life ‘to encourage happier and healthier lifestyles’.
As someone who has seen the industry evolve, how would you describe the current state of the sector? The outlook for the sector is both really positive, because of the potential, but it is also held back by a confusion of message. There is also short-term decision-making and perhaps a lack of confidence to be clear where we can have the most positive impact. There are massive opportunities around physical activity and the role it can play in communities across the country. That, at the heart of it, should be the focus of what we talk about – we deliver and encourage increases in physical activity to support better health outcomes, reduce health inequalities,
enable better educational outcomes for children and young people and support community cohesion and cultural integration. The potential is brilliant, but I’m not sure we as a sector have got our messaging clear enough and developed the workforce effectively to grasp that opportunity. If we put the workforce in place combined with a long-term plan and clarity of message, the opportunity is significant.
We need recognition and honesty that we are talking about prevention and, by its nature, prevention takes a long time to generate a return and positive impact.
We then need to collaboratively upskill the workforce, recognising that we need to look beyond traditional industry qualifications and ask: what do our partners from a health, education and local community perspective want to see? What are the transferable skills and knowledge that we can upskill our teams with, to maximise community engagement and therefore the role of physical activity? Qualifications and training have historically been developed without necessarily having the stamp of approval from our health or education colleagues - for me collaboration is key to that workforce development, particularly around the health intervention and health outcomes and educational interventions we are delivering and seeking to scale.
The MSK Hubs program that Parkwood, ukactive, Good Boost and other operators have all been involved with is a great example of this. Essentially, it’s a government-funded ‘proof of concept’ project, that includes workforce development and programme delivery, which can become self-sustaining moving forward and therefore have an impact at scale.
What would you describe as the physical activity sector’s biggest strengths and opportunities?
The passion, commitment, innovation and collaboration are the real strengths of our sector. Having just been at Elevate it was really heartening to see how many people were willing to share best practice and advocate for collaboration - knowing collectively we can deliver positive change for the sector is a strength of our industry. Long-term planning, workforce development and clarity of messaging are the big opportunities in my view, which must be addressed on a partnership basis not just within a public leisure silo.
And what about threats and weaknesses?
Short termism is a critical weakness in the industry, which is often driven by short term targets, funding
people profi
we are really lucky to have very passionate people who are in their roles because they want to make a positive difference
and strategies, and prevents genuine partnership development. There is also work to do in increasing diversity to ensure we can truly work within the communities we want to serve across the country. Ageing assets and challenging costs, especially around energy and staffing, are ongoing daily pressures.
The industry does not project sufficient clarity of the role and position that public leisure can play in community cohesion, education attainment and health and wellbeing.
We have a system that creates an emphasis and focus on short term targets and remedial actions (treatment rather than prevention) which is difficult to reconcile with prevention being a long-term intervention.
Has the public’s attitude towards physical activity and fitness changed due to the pandemic?
Yes, however, I think it has changed both positively and negatively, in the sense that it has exaggerated differences and magnified challenges between different communities.
People that had the opportunity and motivation to take part in physical activity have recognised the importance and role of fitness and doubled down, continuing to be active or more active. For those whose access to physical activity is difficult, these challenges have been magnified, making it harder for people to access opportunities and even more difficult to be physically active.
The public’s attitude has changed, but our industry has not yet fully recognised how this has changed the challenges and barriers to participation we need to address.
Does the government “get it”, in terms of recognising the physical activity industry’s potential role in improving the nation’s health and making the UK more productive?
I do think the government gets it at a philosophical level and all the parties understand that physical activity can play an important role in a number of key agendas across community cohesion, mental and physical wellbeing and educational attainment. At a practical level that’s where it falls down.
Parkwood Leisure
Parkwood manages 90 venues. Of these, 65 are public leisure facilities operated for 30 local authorities. There are another 25 venues across golf, theatres, outdoors, visitor venues and corporate fitness facilities.
In my opinion, the government struggles to create cross-cutting plans that require system partnerships to implement, and it struggles to get the balance between treatment and prevention right. For example, in a short termist world of spending 99% of health investment on treatment and 1% on prevention, (an exaggeration but perhaps only slightly), it’s very difficult to change that balance without requiring more funding in the shortterm so that treatment does not suffer. Practically, it’s therefore a really difficult challenge for government to tackle. It goes back to having a long-term cross-cutting plan that sees step changes over a period of time.
What is your message to the incoming government
Please can we have a long-term plan, clear metrics across different departments and financial incentives, that has both cross party support and cross government departmental support. A strategy that genuinely has sign up from Department
of Health, Department for Education etc to implement a long-term strategy, creating a better balance between treatment and prevention.
I would also ask that where funding is invested, it is directed towards scalable and sustainable initiatives, with a proof-of-concept approach that recognises value for money is important. Unless we prove the concept and then scale it, we will continue to have hundreds of projects that are reliant on grant funding, and when funding is taken away the project stops. To make a long-term difference in challenging financial circumstances, we need to create self-sustaining and scalable opportunities.
What makes Parkwood stand out from other management companies, what’s your USP?
For me it’s the people, the heritage and the clarity of vision for the future. From a people perspective, we are really lucky to have very passionate people who
are in their roles because they want to make a positive difference. This mindset helps us to support and facilitate the team, it’s hugely positive and beneficial.
From a heritage standpoint, we are a familyowned business and that brings with it a different approach to organisations that are part of larger groups. We are able to be clear on our purpose and our market (we only deliver within leisure and culture) so we have a real clarity of what we are trying to achieve, and how that influences decision-making.
In terms of the vision going forward, we are very clear on the purpose of public leisure in its wider sense and the role of Parkwood within that, and where we can deliver to encourage happy and healthier lifestyles in the communities that we work. That’s across both our own direct delivery and also our role in facilitating other partners to maximise those opportunities for community engagement, volunteer and workforce development.
A big focus for us over the next 18 months to 2 years is growing our Healthy Communities offer
There’s been some talk since the pandemic about “insourcing” – local authorities wanting to bring facility management back in house. Have you seen evidence of this?
Yes, we have seen some moves in this direction. At present I’m not however seeing the evidence that supports this being a good long-term decision. I also think it’s a shame that we are seeing decisions being made wholesale on inhouse vs outsourcing rather than making more nuanced decisions based on who is best placed to deliver the different elements of the services and interventions in the communities being served.
A good example is in Manchester, they have a facility operator who manages the network of leisure centres but they also have Manchester Active, a community-based trust that delivers a lot of their community intervention, outreach work, and physical activity development work in the city. In essence, they have looked at who is best placed to do each of the roles and this does not have to be the same vehicle or partner. They have a facilities management organisation that are national experts in delivering
very efficient and effective facility management services and then you have a local communitybased organisation working in the communities. It feels like a logical way of delivering against a strategy that requires multiple areas of expertise.
What are Parkwood’s future plans? Any plans to grow the portfolio of managed sites?
Yes, we are definitely looking to continue growing and we continue to look for opportunities across the leisure and culture sector to grow the number of venues and services we provide. We operate across England and Wales and have regional and national structures to support our growth in the medium term.
A big focus for us over the next 18 months to 2 years is growing our Healthy Communities offer. We have a new brand “My Healthy Way”, which will be the umbrella brand for all of our Healthy Communities work, so we can scale and develop across our contracts. To support that we have brought Parkwood Healthcare, who were a sister company, into the leisure division to make sure that we have the clinical expertise to grow the Healthy Communities offering.
This year’s Elevate, held at London’s ExCeL in June, attracted a record-breaking number of delegates, an educational programme featuring more than 200 speakers and a show ��oor with nearly 250 exhibitors
The annual Elevate show marked its “most impactful year yet” in 2024, with a 15% increase in attendance on 2023 numbers.
More than 6,000 dedicated professionals from the physical activity, wellbeing and sports sectors descended to London from 18 to 19 June and there was a real buzz about the event. The exhibition floor was busy with activity and the education sessions were filled to standing room only, underscoring both the event’s and sector’s influence and relevance.
The educational programme was divided into four “channels” (Debate, Collaborate, Generate, Accelerate), each with its own stage. On the opening day, the Debate stage got things started with a dynamic, illustrated session, bringing key stakeholders together to discuss the future of the industry.
The two-day event was held at the London ExCeL
During the session, Rachel Young, Myzone’s Director of Business Development, quizzed ukactive CEO Huw Edwards and CIMSPA CEO Tara Dillon on their views and hopes for the sector. They outlined how the sector’s “customers” – those looking to use physical activity facilities and services – are “nothing like we’ve seen before”. Dillon described how an increasing proportion of people are now coming to the sector looking to improve their overall health through, or to alleviate, particular, long-term conditions – often through GP referrals.
There was also praise for the work that the National Sector Partners Group (NSPG) has done since its inception in 2022.
“The NSPG has changed things,” Dillon said. “We have gone from an industry that – from the government’s point of view – produced a lot of white noise and was hugely fragmented. Thanks to the NSPG, the sector now speaks with one voice and we can truly say that the government can hear us”.
With 6,000+ delegates, Elevate is the UK’s largest physical activity trade event
Dillon added that the NSPG is a great example of how the industry is now working together on important topics that affect it. These collaborations also include the sharing of insights that would have previously been rarely shared with perceived competitors.
“Organisations are no longer hiding data,” Dillon said. “I see a sector that is comfortable with its role. I’ve spent the past 38 years in this sector and this is the best it has ever been, as far as collaboration is concerned.
“And the more we speak and collaborate, the better we are for it. Working together really is the key for our success.”
Huw Edwards mirrored Dillon’s views and added that the sector is working together to not only discuss the challenges it faces, but also on finding solutions for them.
“An example of this is the Active Standard, which is set to launch later this year,” Edwards said. “Our sector is determined to raise standards of health and safety, and inclusion, so that we can continue to grow and meet the needs of every community.”
Elevate 2024 also featured a live recording of the Game Changers podcast, which is hosted by women’s sport advocate Sue Anstiss. The podcast explored themes of female leadership and career progression within the physical activity sector.
Elsewhere, the Include Summit – held as part of Elevate – made highlighted issues around equity, diversity, and inclusion. This was accompanied by the launch of the “Leading the Way to Inclusion” survey by Europe Active and RISE. The DEI
A number of exhibitor offered delegates live demonstrations of their products and services
Freemotion Fitness’s 22 SERIES cardio equipment attracted a lot of interest
Among those exhibiting was Trackbar, a digital solution which can be retrofitted to any strength training equipment
showcased a selection of products from
report aims to set new benchmarks for fostering inclusivity within the sector, providing valuable insights and strategies for industry leaders.
Elevate 2024 also saw the introduction of its Sustainability Trends Report, created in partnership with 4Good. It outlined some of the latest trends and practices for a greener future, demonstrating Elevate’s dedication to environmental responsibility.
The success of Elevate 2024 has paved the way for next year’s event – and some details for it have already been revealed. The 2025 edition will have a clear focus on enhancing the health agenda, while topics to be explored will also include technology and AI. The sessions will be designed to reflect the evolving landscape of the industry and the popularity of emerging technologies.
Next year’s exhibition will also see a greater emphasis on sport and outdoor activities, alongside the continuation of the Active Kids and Active Aquatics theatres, both of which debuted this year.
Reflecting on this year’s event, Lucy Findlay-Beale, Event Director for Elevate, said: “The enthusiasm and engagement we witnessed this year, from packed education sessions to vibrant exhibition stands, truly reflect the dynamic and evolving nature of the sectors Elevate brings together. Our goal is to continue providing a premier platform for innovation, collaboration, and growth.”
The educational materials from this year’s event – including key insights and content – can be accessed through the Elevate educational hub, which is hosted on the Flex platform provided by Future Fit: flex.futurefit.co.uk/register/elevate
The opportunity to network and meet new contacts is a big part of Elevate’s success
a wide range of new products
