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PureGym has appointed Clive Chesser as its new chief executive, with current CEO, Humphrey Cobbold, stepping aside and becoming Chair later this year.
Chesser, who will take over the role on 6 November 2024, is currently CEO of Punch Pubs & Co, one of the UK’s largest pub companies.
Cobbold joined PureGym as CEO in January 2015 and has driven the group’s transformation from disruptive new market entrant to one of the budget fitness market leaders in the UK and internationally.
PureGym said that, as Chair, Cobbold would still make “a significant contribution to the business”, while handing over executive responsibility to Chesser.
In a statement, PureGym said: “The Board is delighted to have
secured someone of Clive’s calibre and experience to join the Group. As well as his obvious credentials in multi-site leisure and hospitality, Clive brings significant experience from international development and franchising and is a seasoned executive and leader within the private equity arena.”
Commenting on his move, Humphrey Cobbold said: “It has been the stand-out privilege of my career to have guided PureGym through its development over the past 10 years.
“PureGym is a business with a remarkable culture and a big heart driven by our dual mission to make Everybody Welcome and to Inspire Healthier Nations wherever we operate. I am hugely grateful to my colleagues who make this mission a reality every day.”
FIIT has signed strategic partnerships with residential development providers Vertus and Cortland Living UK.
By integrating FIIT’s digital fitness platform within their current service offerings, more than 3,000+ Cortland & Vertus residents will have unlimited access to thousands of workouts from strength and cardio to rebalance and bike, for use at home, in the gym or on the go.
The deal will also see the launch of FIIT Virtual Studios, offering a daily schedule of boutique-style connected group workouts, each led by world-class trainers.
Vertus residents will benefit from three FIIT Virtual Studios across two buildings, along with complimentary access to the FIIT App, which provides residents with over 2,000+ interactive workouts, challenges and training plans for use at home, on the gym floor or on the go.
One of these will be at Vertus’ 10 George Street development in Canary Wharf. The newly built,
bespoke 367 sq ft boutique immersive studio – designed in partnership with Solo60 – will offer a layer of gamification and performance metrics tracked live on screen.
Functioning as a traditional gym, residents will have exclusive access to a tailored daily schedule of FIIT Virtual
group workouts, suitable for a range of fitness abilities, operated by the newly developed FIIT Studio App.
The plug-and-play solution powers FIIT Virtual workouts and Trainer Supervised sessions, activating and optimising the gym floor for residential developments.
Plans to revamp the Kings Hall Leisure Centre in Hackney are taking shape and will be available for the public to view at a drop-in session on 3 September. Developed by FaulknerBrowns Architects, which worked on the awardwinning Britannia Leisure Centre also in Hackney, the plans for the new-look Kings Hall include the refurbishment of the existing pool, a new teaching pool, a new sauna and steam room, new changing facilities and a new fitness suite – including studios for classes.
There will also be a new, two-court sports hall, while the entrance will also be revamped and improvements made to disability access.
The Grade II-listed Kings Hall has been at the heart of Hackney for generations, but its condition continues to deteriorate.
Only a fifth (20%) of fitness professionals believe there are ‘plenty’ of opportunities to develop
A new report on the physical activity sector has shown that almost half (43%) of fitness professionals believe there are limited or no opportunities to develop and progress their careers.
Other findings from the Skills Gap Report, published by the awarding organisation, Active IQ, include that only a fifth (20%) of fitness professionals believe there are ‘plenty’ of opportunities to develop – despite 42% of gyms and leisure centres saying they are struggling to find people to fill fitness instructor roles.
There is, however, demand for development opportunities. More than half (52%) of fitness professionals believe that improving their business skills would enhance their chances of success, and nearly half (49%) feel it would enable them to expand their businesses.
According to Jenny Patrickson, Managing Director at Active IQ, the disparities outlined in the report highlight a significant issue
within the industry: the lack of accessible and effective professional development opportunities.
She added that without addressing the skills gap, the industry risks a continued shortage of qualified fitness instructors, potentially impacting the quality of service provided to clients and the growth of fitness businesses.
“By pinpointing these gaps, we can raise the bar for the entire industry, driving higher standards and better outcomes,” Patrickson said. “It is vital for the industry to create and guide professionals towards new opportunities. We must take collective responsibility to open development pathways and clearly show professionals how to achieve their career goals. Employers, educators and industry leaders must unite to provide fitness professionals with the resources and support needed to advance their careers.”
Download the full Skills Gap Report here: activeiq.co.uk/skillsgap
Plans for a new water and leisure complex in Basingstoke are being firmed up as Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has begun the formal search for a leisure specialist to design, build and operate it. Work to replace the town’s historic Aquadrome has been progressing since February, when the council approved a range of new facilities to feature at the site. The plans will see a new energy-efficient centre replacing the council-owned Aquadrome. If planning permissions is granted, the new complex could open to the public in 2029.
Ethics Leisure & Total Gym, specialists in functional training equipment, has launched its new Total Gym Reformer Pilates line. The range is designed to bring the benefits of Pilates to a wider audience, offering versatile, high-quality equipment that caters to both fitness enthusiasts and professional studios. The equipment combines the traditional principles of Pilates with modern technology and design. The range includes adjustable resistance levels, ergonomic design, and a variety of attachments and accessories to customise workouts.
Training provider The Fitness Group has appointed Gavin Baxter as its Chief Commercial Officer. Baxter joins after five years at Active IQ and will be responsible for driving UK and international expansion, as the business prepares to enter new territories. He has more than 15 years’ experience in the health and fitness sector working as a sports coach, outdoor activity instructor, group training instructor, personal trainer, consultant, manager
Balanced Body, a specialist in Pilates equipment and education, has appointed Bill Auvil as its new Sales Director, tasked with propelling the brand’s next growth phase.
Auvil joins Balanced Body from Golf Pride, a company renowned for its top-tier golf performance equipment.
As sales director he held key business management responsibilities, from maximising profits to leveraging team strengths to enhance overall company performance.
He played a crucial role in developing Golf Pride’s global distribution strategy, revamping the global sales structure, negotiating long-term partner selections and agreements, and significantly increasing growth initiatives.
Reflecting on his new role, Auvil states: “Balanced Body stands out as the global innovator and leader in its field, a position that is key to maintain and maximise as Pilates undeniably continues to experience such a surge in popularity around the world.
“I have spent the last decade in
global roles, working directly with customers, distributors and clients, driven by challenge and undeterred by obstacles, always committed to raising the standards of excellence. I aim to leverage my expertise and experience to help Balanced Body achieve even greater success during this prosperous time.”
Auvil will play a pivotal role in shaping Balanced Body’s sales strategy worldwide.
He will capitalise on the opportunities presented by the Pilates boom and explore new avenues and markets for growth.
and senior manager. Committed to getting more people active, he was recognised as a top aspiring entrepreneur by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Unite, a global community and non-profit foundation uniting people and entrepreneurial ideas to create opportunities for a better world.
Before joining Active IQ, Baxter worked within organisations including The British Army, Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia) and British Military Fitness.
Freemotion Fitness is expanding its presence in the German fitness market with the appointment of Lars Schoof as its new Sales Manager for the country.
The strategic move marks a significant milestone in Freemotion’s ambitious international expansion plans across EMEA and Asia, with Germany identified as a key growth engine in Europe. Freemotion is the commercial fitness equipment arm of global giant, iFIT.
The council will engage with external operators to explore the merits of any new operational arrangements
North Warwickshire Borough Council (NWBC) has agreed to explore the feasibility of building two new leisure centres in the region.
The locations that are being discussed are Polesworth and Atherstone.
While no final decision has been taken at this stage –in terms of the affordability and service profiles of any new centres – a full detailed options appraisal will be submitted to the council once the feasibility review has concluded.
Next steps include detailed site surveys at Abbey Green Park in Polesworth and further design options for the existing site in Atherstone.
The council has also agreed to start engaging with external operators to fully explore and understand the merits of any new operational arrangements.
Chair of North Warwickshire Borough Council’s Community and Environment Board, Margaret Bell, said: “This is a really exciting time for
the council, which is another step towards us delivering our future aspirations for new modern leisure facilities in North Warwickshire”.
Facilities in the region are operated by North Warwickshire Leisure and include Atherstone Leisure Complex, Coleshill Leisure Centre, Polesworth Fitness Hub, Polesworth Sports Hall and The Queen Elizabeth Sports Village.
North Warwickshire Leisure said: “Our vision is to be the leading provider of sports, leisure, health and wellbeing activities within North Warwickshire, for everyone within the community.
“We aim to provide opportunities for our community to enjoy, by taking part in a range of sport, wellbeing and leisure activities.
“Our team is dedicated to providing a friendly, motivating and engaging environment for all to participate and achieve their health and wellbeing goals.”
Fitness First Australia, owned by Fitness & Lifestyle Group, has launched a new AU$8m flagship club in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond.
The signature elements of the 4,000sq m Platinum club include the brand’s inaugural Revive zone – an immersive 250sq m recovery space featuring infrared and traditional saunas, cold therapy rooms, red light therapy, compression boots, massage beds and massage guns.
“With the growing emphasis on self-care and recovery, the way people approach fitness has evolved. We’ve noticed a natural shift in member expectations, with a greater focus on overall wellness,” said Andy Chamoun, Executive General Manager of FLG Australia. “Our Revive concept is a direct response to this shift, offering members a comprehensive wellness experience.”
Member feedback and usage of the Revive zone will be monitored with a view to retrofitting popular elements of the concept – where
possible and appropriate – across the 50-club Fitness First Australia estate.
Other facilities at the flagship club include a Technogym-equipped gym floor and group exercise facilities, with four distinct studio spaces: hot yoga, indoor cycling, a multi-purpose studio and Reform Pilates, the
group’s signature reformer Pilates concept. Fitness First Richmond also introduces Les Mills Ceremony, making it the first location in Australia to offer the 45-minute boutiquestyle workout. The programme focuses on enhancing full-body strength, cardio and conditioning.
Power Plate has received the Plus X innovation award for technology, sports and lifestyle for its my7 model vibration platform.
The jury commended Power Plate my7 for its advanced technology, versatile training options and user-friendly design. The my7 is Power Plate’s premium home use product and features an integrated LCD touchscreen through which users can access more than 1,000 different digital workouts.
The Plus X awards recognise brands for their quality and innovation and are decided by an independent and specialised jury made up of editors, designers and industry experts.
Lee Hillman, CEO Performance Health Systems, the parent company of Power Plate, said: “It is an honour to accept the Plus X Award.”
EMD UK, the national governing body for group exercise, has launched a new workforce strategy which looks to introduce a more accessible framework that bridges career opportunities for instructors, giving them professional recognition that closes skills gaps for employers. The strategy overhaul incorporates professional recognition against a scope of practice and a reimagined Continuous Professional Development (CPD) framework based on a Scope of Practice model.
Future Fit for Business launched an industry-first Visual Impairment Course developed in partnership with Accessercise. The course will equip fitness professionals with the essential skills to effectively communicate and coach across a spectrum of visual impairments. This will help support their disabled clients and ultimately mark a significant step towards greater inclusivity in the health and physical activity industry. The course offers a comprehensive curriculum on various aspects of visual impairment and promotes a more inclusive and supportive environment.
West Suffolk Council has launched a public consultation to help shape a multi-million pound investment at Bury St Edmunds leisure centre.
The council is seeking the views of the public and current users on the proposed changes to the centre.
The consultation follows councillors at West Suffolk Council voting in favour of additional funding subject to a public consultation on improving the Beetons Way leisure centre.
Any additional investment, over and above the existing budget already in the council’s capital programme, will be subject to the output of the full public consultation and a business case based upon invest to earn and save principles.
The cost of the redevelopment is expected to be around £8m.
Options being considered include the refurbishment of the gym, inclusion of Egym technology, the creation of a dedicated indoor cycling studio and the adding of a health and wellbeing area with eight
treatment rooms. The pool halls will also be refurbished – including the replacement of the moveable pool floor in the activity pool– and a splash pad with water play features will be built in the leisure pool space.
West Suffolk Council will work with facility operator Abbeycroft – which manages the centre on behalf of the council – on the consultation process.
Councillor Ian Shipp, Cabinet Member for Leisure at West Suffolk Council, said: “We want people – those who use the leisure centre and those who aren’t using it yet – to give their views and help shape its future.
“Our strategic priority for Thriving Communities includes ensuring our residents can access good quality sport and leisure facilities to support their health and wellbeing.
“Refurbishing the leisure centre will provide the opportunity to improve the facility, enhancing what it has to offer so that they are better matched to what people need.”
Out on 1 August, Leisure DB’s State of the UK
Swimming Industry Report 2024 provides an unparalleled overview of this vital sector. With expert commentary, interviews and advice throughout – plus a full breakdown of pool numbers and locations, openings and closures, public and private sector leaders, fees, facilities and more – we’ve made this must-read report free to read.
Join us as we democratise data across the sector. Dive in at leisuredb.com/publications and enjoy all our flagship reports for FREE.
Breckland Council in Norfolk has relaunched its Inspiring Communities Match Funding Grant Scheme, investing up to £300,000 into supporting community activity and projects between 2024 and April 2027.
The initiative is part of the council’s ongoing commitment to enable the delivery of communityled projects which align with the council’s own corporate plan and the aims of the Breckland Health and Wellbeing Partnership.
Successfully funded projects will prioritise reducing vulnerability and health inequalities in Breckland, and have a long-lasting, positive impact on community wellbeing.
Focus areas include projects addressing issues related to domestic abuse, mental health, social isolation and loneliness and early intervention projects which prevent escalation into crisis.
The grant scheme will see funding released in rounds over the coming three years, ensuring a fair opportunity
Funded projects will prioritise reducing health inequalities
for current and future projects, and regular investment into Breckland communities between now and 2027. The scheme is delivered by Norfolk Community Foundation, on behalf of Breckland Council.
The first round of applications is now open, with successful
applicants given up to £5,000 each to help them deliver their projects alongside other funding sources. Eligible applicants include local community groups and sports clubs, parish councils and community interest companies which are looking to make a difference in their area.
A new £140,000 Wellbeing Studio with powerassisted exercise equipment has opened at Thornbury Active Lifestyle Centre.
The investment at Thornbury is part of an ongoing £2.4m commitment from Circadian Trust, which operates Active Lifestyle Centres across South Gloucestershire, to improve access to health and wellbeing for South Gloucestershire residents.
Featuring innovative Innerva power-assisted exercise machines, the studio is ideal for people who are not used to regular exercise, looking to improve overall wellbeing, rehabilitate, manage health conditions and remain mobile in later life.
The new addition at Thornbury is similar to equipment that’s been available for seven years at Bradley Stoke Active Lifestyle Centre, which has proved popular with local older residents.
Freemotion supplied Absolute Fitness with iFIT-enabled CV machines
Absolutely Fitness, a subsidiary of the Absolutely Together charity, has partnered with Freemotion Fitness to kit out its gym in Bracknell.
As part of the collaboration, Freemotion Fitness has supplied Absolute Fitness Bracknell with iFIT-enabled Reflex Treadmills, Incline Trainers and a range of Epic Selectorized strength machines.
According to Jack Bishop, Commercial Director at Absolutely Fitness, the new equipment has allowed the facility to transform its fitness experience – such as using the equipment’s quick speed and incline adjustments to revolutionise HIIT classes.
“We didn’t want to just invest in treadmills – we wanted to invest in an unparalleled fitness adventure for our valued members,” Bishop said.
“The Reflex Treadmills and Incline Trainers, combined with iFIT’s immersive technology, align perfectly with our vision to provide
something unique for our Bracknell members. We can’t wait for everyone to hop on and see where their fitness journey takes them next!”
Absolutely Fitness is part of Absolutely Together, a charity which supports families with children or young adults who have additional needs.
Absolutely Together currently operates nine venues in the south of England, including gyms, go-kart tracks, a golf course, 10-pin bowling centre and indoor extreme sports facilities.
The charity’s programmes include supporting local SEN schools and providing free leisure activities to parents through its ‘Thousands of Smiles’ programme, which has given away over 40,000 free activities in the last 12 months alone.
Blake Fletcher, Freemotion’s Country Manager for the UK, said: “The passion and dedication of the Absolutely Fitness team perfectly align with our commitment to delivering innovative and immersive fitness solutions.”
The challenge runs until September
Myzone has launched an Olympics-themed challenge to coincide with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The MEPs to Medals Challenge looks to leverage the enthusiasm surrounding the world’s biggest sports event to foster community, diversity and inclusivity and to celebrate effort among gym-goers of all levels.
Running until Sunday 8th September, the challenge coincides with the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. It encourages participants to accumulate Myzone Effort Points (MEPs), fostering camaraderie through team effort and rewarding standout performances with podium spots for achievements like the highest average MEPs.
Ben Hitchcock, Chief Marketing Officer at Myzone, says: “Myzone is committed to empowering fitness communities globally. Our MEPs to Medals Challenge embodies the spirit of the Games by celebrating the myriad of ways people can achieve glory through exercise, while reinforcing the importance of community, teamwork and effort.”
To help fitness club operators which use Myzone tech to maximise engagement in the challenge, Myzone has created a comprehensive suite of promotional materials, including posters, live board designs, social media content and community guidelines.
Balanced Body, a global leader in Pilates equipment and education, has introduced a specialised, continuing education programme to enhance the skills of existing fitness educators. The move is in response to the rising need for trained Group Reformer Pilates instructors.
The big Pilates boom
The booming popularity of Pilates continues across the globe, creating significant consumer engagement and revenue opportunities for the fitness industry worldwide. Fitness trends have shifted and consumers are more knowledgeable about the benefits of a mind and body (or mental and physical) approach to their fitness regimen. Not many other training modalities can boast the variety of proven benefits of Pilates; from improving posture, mobility, balance and strength, boosting mental wellbeing, immunity and endurance as well as decreasing back pain, stress and injuries.
These benefits have increased the awareness of Pilates, as has the influx of celebrities and professional athletes posing on reformers, raving about their workouts in the public eye. In fact, there seems to have been a tidal
wave of media exposure and increased enthusiasm from the general population to give Reformer Pilates a go.
Innovative education to bridge the gap
Recognising the growing need for qualified group Pilates instruction to match this surge in demand, Balanced Body moved swiftly to create an education solution that addresses the shortage of trained instructors. This gives fitness professionals and operators the tools they need to be able to design and manage group Pilates offerings. Balanced Body’s pioneering professional education program is specifically designed to up-skill instructors already teaching in a fitness setting.
Tailored for fitness instructors looking to expand their teaching skills into Group Reformer and Mat, the Group Pilates for Fitness Professionals program focuses on teaching the fundamental Pilates methodology with skills and progressions needed to deliver high-quality, results-driven Group Reformer classes, whilst fostering and encouraging each instructor’s individual creativity.
Balanced Body partnered with Ten Health and Fitness, already an established and respected provider of Pilates education, to deliver the Group Pilates for
Fitness Professionals training. The first course took place at Ten Health & Fitness, Notting Hill, in July with more courses scheduled in October and November this year.
Joy Puleo, Director of Education, Balanced Body, said: “The market is crying out for quality education that upskills existing instructors to deliver Group Reformer Pilates classes. With our new education, we are addressing this need and creating professional growth opportunities for instructors and new business channels for operators.
“It is not a watered-down version of our incumbent Reformer Pilates Instructor Training. But instead, a specialised program which delivers essential Pilates content to qualified instructors and allows instructors to begin teaching while learning as well as adapting sessions to reflect the needs and preferences of their bespoke community without compromising the quality of the instruction or the principles on which Pilates is built.”
Brett Starkowitz, Head of Education at Ten Health and Fitness, added: “Balanced Body has long been our preferred equipment partner and being the first training provider partner to run this prestigious course marks the beginning of an exciting collaboration and we’re truly excited for what this means for the Group Reformer Pilates industry. At Ten, we pride
In addition to their relationship with Ten Health and Fitness, Balanced Body has established a UK Authorised Training Centre in Putney, West London where studio owner and Balanced Body Educator, Pete Pallai, delivers Balanced Body Education® - Comprehensive Pilates Education.
l To visit the centre, contact katherine.ryzhova@pilates.com, Balanced Body UK Business Development Manager, or visit www.mypilateslondon.com
ourselves on being experts in everything that we deliver. Balanced Body is already our equipment partner so extending the relationship into education has provided a welcome opportunity to deepen the collaboration.”
l To find out more, visit pilates.com/ pilates-certification. To book onto the next course visit www.ten.co.uk
Bigwave Marketing, a UK-based creative marketing agency with a number of clients in the leisure & culture sector, has announced that directors Simon Beer and Tom Gozna have successfully completed a Management Buyout (MBO) of the company. The two directors have acquired the majority shareholding from Benn Davis, thereby extending their ownership to 100% and becoming equal 50/50 partners in the business.
Simon and Tom have been integral to Bigwave Marketing since its inception in 2007. They each became shareholders and Directors in 2014 and led the agency to achieve ‘Best Place to Work’ in the Western Morning News Business Awards 2022. Their commitment to the agency, combined with a shared vision for its future, has driven this significant milestone, setting the stage for the next wave in the agency’s journey.
The MBO marks a new phase for the agency which employs 45 staff across the Southwest and works with a range
of charities, local authorities, education providers and professional businesses across the globe. Their focus is on developing a net positive business that delivers exceptional results for clients while positively impacting health and wellbeing, society and the environment.
The agency’s core mission is “To make a difference and deliver growth to Clients, Colleagues, and Communities” and has led it to support a range of initiatives, programmes and organisations that have a positive impact on their wider communities.
Simon Beer, Co-Owner and Director said “Benn Davis has been a part of Bigwave Marketing’s success over the past 17 years. We thank him for his trust and belief in us and look forward to continuing the legacy we built together.”
Tom Gozna, Co-Owner and Director, added, “This is a huge moment for us, and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. We will be enhancing our service offerings.”
Brighton & Hove City Council has approved plans to demolish a leisure centre on Hove seafront and replace it with a new £47 million facility. Following the green light being given for the project, the council will now invest £2.7 million in designing the new facility on the site of the aging King Alfred leisure centre. Plans include – though exact details are yet to be confirmed – an eight-lane 25-metre pool, a learner pool, splash pool, soft play area, six sports courts and a health club with a large gym floor, two exercise studios and an indoor cycling studio.
DoingOurBit, a free-to-participate, one-stop shop for fitness, health and wellness for NHS and social care staff, is calling on leisure sector businesses and individuals to “do their bit” to champion its next stage of growth and future-proof its services.
Launched three years ago to support NHS staff during the first 2020 Covid pandemic, DoingOurBit has recently formed a not-for-profit company, relaunched its platform and created an App for users. Its next goal is to offer in-person sessions at leisure centres and gyms.
A new £9m leisure centre and activity hub, designed to offer a wide range of facilities and opportunities for local residents, has opened in Nottinghamshire.
Based on Sport England’s Leisure Local model, the Warsop Health Hub houses a 15m x 8m swimming pool with a splash play area for younger children, a health club and gym featuring the cardiovascular and resistance equipment, a two-court sports hall and an improved multiuse games area. The facility will also provide community facilities, including multi-purpose spaces and an IT suite.
Funded via a mix of Sport England investment, Towns Fund and borrowing by Mansfield District Council, Warsop Health Hub has been delivered by leisure development specialist Alliance Leisure, in partnership with Abacus as project manager and principal designer, architects Roberts Limbrick and lead contractor Pellikaan Construction. The UK Leisure Framework, which is managed by
Denbighshire Leisure Limited (DLL), has been used as the procurement route for sourcing the development team.
“I am thrilled that we are finally at the opening event for Warsop Health Hub, months ahead of schedule,” said Andy Abrahams, Executive Mayor for Mansfield. “In the last year, it
has been a dream come true to see such progress being made to bring a community facility to the people of Warsop. Accessibility has been a consideration throughout the build.”
The centre is being managed by Serco Leisure on behalf of Mansfield District Council.
The One Bromley Wellbeing Hub has reopened after a comprehensive refurbishment, transforming it into a one-stop shop for health and lifestyle support and information for Bromley residents.
Initially opened in October 2022 as a flu and COVID-19 vaccination site, the Hub’s reopening marks a significant step forward in the One Bromley Local Care Partnership’s efforts to reduce health inequalities in the borough. Provided by the One Bromley Local Care Partnership in collaboration with Mytime Active, the hub offers a range of services targeting the five leading causes of poor health, known as the Vital 5 – high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, alcohol and common mental health conditions. Also on offer are essential services such as support for carers, befriending services and smoking cessation.
Commercial fitness equipment manufacturer and supplier, Precor, has announced a partnership with a new distributor – Your Gym Equipment- to provide Precor-branded equipment in Scotland.
Your Gym Equipment’s specific local knowledge and more than 30 years’ worth of experience in the country, will help Precor to deliver services to Scotland-based customers, from the expanding Precor brand portfolio.
The strategic decision has been designed to help ensure Precor’s market presence across the UK remains “strong, responsive, efficient and streamlined”.
Jake Kerr, Your Gym Equipment Business Development Manager says: “We’re thrilled to be working with Precor, a market-leading brand and innovator in the fitness industry.
“This partnership allows us to increase our product offering and provide customers in Scotland with an unrivalled range of cuttingedge strength and cardio equipment.”
Your Gym Equipment will directly represent Precor in Scotland. Precor remains committed to the market – its commercial teams, logistics, servicing and marketing department will collaborate with Your Gym Equipment to ensure operators receive optimal equipment, service and support.
Simon Overing, Precor UK Sales Leader, says: “Precor has a long history of successful relationships with Partners in the EMEA markets. We’re excited for this new chapter and the growth it can bring. This decision allows us to focus our efforts on increasing our presence across other verticals and showcasing our market leading touchscreen consoles and expanding strength and functional lines.”
Precor products and services span across all major fitness categories, including cardio, strength, functional fitness, group training and connected solutions.
Precor was acquired by interactive fitness platform, Peloton, for US$420m in 2021.
Keepme, provider of AI-driven solutions for the fitness industry, has announced the release of the UK fitness industry ‘Time to Reply’ study and the launch of its AI-powered Membership Sales Agents, designed to aid gym lead generation and tour bookings for fitness operators.
Keepme’s AI Sales Agents can be deployed across a range of communication channels, including live web chat, email, social media, WhatsApp, in-website voice activation, and both inbound and outbound calls.
These agents are trained to provide accurate company, product, and service information 24/7, 365 days a year.
They are designed to perform essential tasks with a high degree of personalisation, engaging with prospects when their interest is at its highest. The AI-powered agents can also interface with business calendars to schedule tours and trials efficiently.
Ian Mullane, CEO & Founder of Keepme, stressed the transformative
impact of these intelligent assistants: “The study data speaks for itself. We need to set a new standard for lead generation and prospect experiences in the fitness industry. We believe Keepme’s demonstrable experience and expertise in AI development will allow us to achieve
this. These intelligent assistants work tirelessly across all your communication channels, transforming how you engage with fitness leads. They drive membership sales by reducing the ‘speed to lead’, elevating your club’s response and follow-up actions to unprecedented levels.”
National Fitness Day is the UK’s most active day of the year and ukactive has partnered with operator Everyone Active to host the kick-off at the famous Olympic venue which is now used to support people to lead healthy and active lifestyles.
The event at the Aquatics Centre will see special guests join a series of group classes and sessions designed to help people of all ages to be more active, whether they aspire to win gold one day or simply to have fun and stay healthy.
Thousands more activities will be taking place across the nation on Wednesday 18 September, as ukactive’s members use the campaign’s theme, ‘Your Health is for Life’, to help millions of people from all communities, ages and backgrounds to celebrate the benefits of physical activity at every stage of life. The NFD is now in its 13th year.
This year’s event will take place on 18 September
Olympic Medallist, Speaker, Coach, Mentor, Author, BBC Commentator, Active IQ Alumni
Encourage athletes to think about what comes next after their sports careers and the importance of having a plan in place.
The ‘Beyond Gold’ campaign is designed to motivate athletes to envision a future beyond their sporting achievements. As we celebrate the 2024 Olympics, we want athletes to consider developing career skills alongside their athletic ambitions and to prepare for a fulfilling life after their professional sports careers.
Active IQ’s Beyond Gold campaign is championing qualifications in fitness and physical activity that are designed to equip you with the skills needed for a successful career, both during and after your time in sport. Whether it’s coaching, personal training, or even something entirely different, qualifications open doors to new opportunities.
- Leon Taylor
Your Personal Training (Your PT) has completed a management buy-out (MBO) led by directors Aaron McCulloch and James Lorey. The pair have now become the sole owners and operators of Your Management Solutions Limited – the parent company of the personal training brand
WellNation spoke to McCulloch and Lorey about the business and its future
Tell us about Your Personal Training
Aaron McCulloch: Your PT is the UK’s leading personal training brand, delivering a world class personal training service across over 400 gyms, driving success through training, education and excellence in the sector. We deliver end-to-end management of the entire PT process for operators, including recruitment, onboarding, education, qualifications, upskilling and sales and marketing support. We are genuinely passionate about making PT a valued career, we’re the only brand out there ensuring we lead the sector in terms of welfare and progression, recognising there’s so much more that can be improved in the industry; we are completely dedicated to improving the quality and longevity of the PT offering in the UK and beyond.
How did the two of you become involved with the company?
James Lorey: Aaron and I were initially involved in Your PT as personal trainers back in 2009, we then worked in a consultancy capacity recruiting and mentoring PTs. Authenticity is a big priority for us as a company – all of our PT mentors have already been highly successful PTs themselves.. In 2020, Aaron and I became directors and shareholders
of Your Management Solutions Limited [YMSL] and bought the brand in a bid to support personal trainers to navigate a post COVID-19 pandemic environment. We felt compelled not to let down the colleagues we had supported for so many years and believed that PTs had a vital part to play in our sector’s recovery post-COVID. Since we joined, the business has enjoyed a dramatic surge in growth, with PT bookings and enquiries increasing by 300% since 2019, along with a revenue increase from £170,951.42 in 2021 to £2.074 million in 2023.
What motivated YPT to pursue a management buyout?
AM: Your PT was already well-regarded, but we see untapped potential that could only be realised through ownership. We have this vision of what the company could become – one that requires more control over strategic decisions. We are confident that by taking 100% control, we can drive more innovation, expand our services, and ultimately take Your PT to new heights. We are now able to execute on a 10-year strategic plan we have been developing to make sure that Your PT is not just keeping up with the industry but continues to lead it.
What sort of involvement have investors had in this process?
AM: Our investors played a crucial role in the first 2.5 years of our involvement with YPT. They provided not
just financial backing but also expertise and mentorship, the original agreement projected that they would recoup their investment in five years, but due to our rapid growth, we achieved that in less than 2.5 years.
JL: Just over a year later, we’re in a position to complete a full buyback, making us the sole owners and operators of YMSL.
Now the MBO is complete, what changes can we expect to see?
JL: We now have even more freedom to drive the company forward, allowing us to launch new ventures like Your Academy, Your Recruitment, and Your Wellbeing and even expand internationally. The focus back in 2020 was to own the personal training space and we will continue to do just that, only bigger and better. We have a clear longterm vision, focusing on strengthening and expanding our services, investing in new innovations and emerging tech and continuing to solidify our position as the market leader.
Tell us more about the rebranding to Your Management Solutions Group (YMSG)
AM: The rebranding to YMSG reflects how much we’ve diversified since 2020. We’re no longer just a personal training company. We’ve established Your Academy to create a continuous pipeline of industry-ready
personal trainers and expanded into international recruitment and master trainer support services.
JL: We’re also opening a new head office in Swansea this September, which will allow us to expand our workforce and bring in more specialised roles like PT admin support and digital marketing.
Before we took over, the company didn’t have a formal set of values. We’ve made it a priority to create a culture where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. This has been especially important as we’ve shaped the business to be more inclusive, bringing more women into leadership roles and creating opportunities for growth across all levels of the organisation.
AM: We’re focusing on further investment in emerging technology and talent. We aim to expand our services across 1,000 clubs in the UK and continue growing our academy to provide gold-standard education and training globally. We are now focused on supporting more customers by providing master trainers, on-site services and highcalibre training days with top-quality personal trainers.
JL: We’re also exploring new ventures and acquisitions that will allow us to diversify our business. The future is full of opportunity. We’re committed to pushing boundaries and setting new standards in the fitness industry.
Stephen McLoughlin Senior public affairs and policy manager ukactive
After the excitement of a victorious general election campaign, the attentions of the new Labour Government turn firmly towards governing with the first major milestone – the Autumn Budget on 30 October.
Having run the campaign on a platform of ‘change’, with a clear focus on sound finances and driving economic growth, this is the first opportunity for Labour to set out its plans to deliver on that. However, as we head into this first fiscal event, the mood is much less buoyant than in July. Instead, there is talk of budget black holes, of the need for efficiency savings, of things ‘getting worse before they get better’. This is not the change message we might have hoped for from a new Government.
The Budget this year will be accompanied by a one-year spending review, with a three-year Comprehensive Spending Review to follow in 2025, which will provide more long-term funding settlements for Government departments.
This is a critical juncture for the sector, and for the Government. We have seen the impact
The sector needs government support
This is a critical juncture for the sector, and for the Government – we have seen the impact of indecision over the previous decade, with low investment in public leisure and lack of ambition to support the growth of the private sector
of indecision over the previous decade, with low investment in public leisure and lack of ambition to support the growth of the private sector. Further delaying necessary investment will not only increase the cost of change in the long term, but further set back the Government’s own ambitions to increase physical activity levels and unlock the savings and economic growth this would provide.
As part of our Budget submission, which has been developed with input from a broad range of our members, ukactive has laid out how the sector can support the Government in achieving each of its five missions. There are several projects in which the Government can invest to save in the long-term, such as MSK Hubs and Youth Futures Hubs. Through tax and regulatory reform, further collaboration with the NHS, and long-term investment in public leisure, the new Government can unlock the potential of the sector.
Now is not the time for short-term thinking, of hoping for a different outcome from the same strategies that have gone before. To deliver the change it promised, across all its policy priorities, the Government must back our sector.
In 1999, Mike Hill recognised an opportunity to support the leisure sector with cost effective market and business intelligence data. From that initial idea and small start-up business, it would have been hard to imagine that 25 years on, Active Insight would be the sector’s largest data provider.
Now offering Customer Insight, Market Intelligence and People Development, alongside its flagship event active-net, which is also celebrating its 10th year now, the business has supported hundreds of organisations over its 25 year history.
Although Active Insight has grown significantly over the years, David Monkhouse is proud that the purpose has always stayed the same, “We were founded, and have remained true to the focus of providing high quality, meaningful data across the fitness and cultural industries. We wanted to give better clarity on business decisions based around public perceptions, customer insight and business intelligence. Decisions that positively impact physical activity rates are being made across the sector every day by countless leisure operators, based on the data that we provide. That is something we are immensely proud of.”
Focus, NPS and Recovery Focus platforms; this is data that will help operators to acquire and retain members throughout each stage of the journey.
One of the key areas that Active Insight has continued to lead across the sector is the development of customer experience management. Active Insight’s CX Platform has been supporting leisure operators to use real, actionable data to manage their businesses for many years now. But this year that platform takes a new approach, with a fully redesigned suite that for the first time delivers real-time data across the Sales Focus, Swim Focus, Onboard, Feedback
Our vision is that CX becomes an essential tool that leisure operators manage their business by day to day
Julie Allen, Active Insight’s Business Development Director, said: “Working with 4Global, we have made huge strides in the development of the CX platform this year. Our vision is that CX becomes an essential tool that leisure operators manage their businesses with day to day. When you open your laptop in the morning it will be the first and only tool you need, you can make decisions based on real time data to improve the operational management of your facility, and then check back in throughout the day to see the impact. One screen gives you the full overview of your business. This is going to be a game-changer.”
With Feedback Focus and NPS already live and available for access, the new CX platform will be further expanded later this year with new builds of ‘Onboard’, a platform designed to support new members through the vital early phases of membership, ‘Sales’, ‘Swim’ and ‘Recovery’. For more information, visit: active-insight.org
Since his retirement from competition, Olympic medallist Leon Taylor has been helping athletes to develop their skills beyond their sporting careers
During his career, Leon Taylor won medals at all major international diving events – culminating in a silver medal at the 10m synchro event at the Athens Olympics. Since his retirement from elite sport, Taylor has become involved in a portfolio of projects. He now speaks about mental wellness, supports the SportsAid charity, teaches yoga and commentates for the BBC – including at this year’s Paris 2024 Olympics. Taylor also spearheads the Beyond Gold campaign, which urges athletes to plan for their lives after sport. Launched by Active IQ, an awarding organization for the active leisure sector – the campaign addresses a common oversight among elite competitors. It urges athletes to develop career skills alongside their athletic ambitions. Taylor himself completed a Higher National Certificate in Business and Finance during the later stages of his diving career and earned his Active IQ Level 2 Strength Training and Level 3 PT qualification. WellNation spoke to Taylor about his career and his post-career.
How did you first get into diving?
My parents have told me that I drove them up the wall with my energy! They had no idea what to do with me, so they decided to try and tire me out through physical activity. Hence I ended up doing every sport that you could imagine. I started swimming when I was still in my nappies and also went to mother and baby gymnastics, which quickly turned into tumble tots and thinks like that. Combining those two, I started diving just before my ninth birthday. I found that it was a sport that was a perfect mix for me. As an added plus, it required concentration too, because there’s an element of jeopardy and danger involved.
I was no good on a football field waiting for the ball to be passed to me. I’d lose concentration, but standing on your tiptoes on the end of a board seemed to be something I was well suited to.
When did you first realise you had the potential to become an elite athlete?
I took part in sport because I loved it. But like all children who do a sport, I had dreams – in my case, of going to the Olympic Games. I remember watching the Olympic Games when I was six. I didn’t really understand what it took, but I just knew that I had this passion and drive.
The moment I realised I might have a chance must have been when I was a teenager. When I was 14, I was the best in the country for my age. I was starting to compete at the senior level and there were only a few people better than me in the country.
By the time I was 16, I was the best in the country – full stop. That was the opportunity then to think that, well, the Olympic Games are two years away. Could I make the team? I ended qualifying for the Commonwealth Games, the World Championships, the European Championships and then, ultimately, the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
How was it to win an Olympic silver medal?
The experience of going to the Olympics for me was three fold. The first time I qualified, I was 18 and still doing my A-levels. I wasn’t really expected to make the team so early and I was surrounded by my heroes of track and field and it kind of blew me away with its magnitude.
The second Olympic Games, in Sydney, I was pretty focused. In fact, I was overly focused. I was going in solely to win a medal and we ended up placing fourth. So there was the heartbreak involved with coming so close to achieving a dream.
So it was a case of third time’s a charm for me – I got it right in Athens in 2004. I went in not paying attention to only winning a medal, desiring it, but focusing on performance. I was concentrating on enjoying every moment because I knew that I was on borrowed time. As an elite athlete, your career only lasts a short period of time.
Because I was so focused on enjoying the moment –
which I knew might be my last Games – I stood on the podium in P2 and won the first Olympic medal for British diving in 44 years.
So it ended up being a huge moment not just for me personally, but for the entire Team GB and the sport of diving in this country.
You planned to make it to Beijing 2008, but pulled out due to a back injury – and then retired?
Yes. The medics told me my body was worn out. We looked at all the options but there was nothing I could do.
When you come to the end of your career, there are usually one of two things at play. Either your body has had enough and you can’t do it, or your mind has had enough and the body/mind connection isn’t working. Luckily for me, it was the former. After four reconstructive shoulder surgeries on the same shoulder – and a worn out disc in my lower back which put me in chronic pain for the last six years of my career – the medical team showed me the red card.
In some ways, when I realised that that was it, it was liberating – because I was suddenly not under the pressure and expectation that I was putting myself under. But it was also incredibly scary, because then it’s like: ‘What am I going to do now?’
After winning silver at Athens and then being unable to compete, I had a period of depression and mental health issues. It made me realise that I was underprepared for retirement.
Luckily, I was then able to climb through that period and learn from it. So when I did make the decision to step away in 2008, I was no longer thinking, ‘oh, what do I do?’. It was more the case of ‘I’ve got this’.
The process included studying for a qualification, while you were still hoping to make it to Beijing 2008? Yes, I think during my career there were inflection points. There were points where I put myself in unnecessary positions where I was just focused on my sport. I placed too much pressure on myself to perform.
As a result, I had to step back from my undergraduate studies because I couldn’t balance them with my sports career. But as my career progressed, I realised the importance of doing other things to “balance the scorecard”.
Having options or a safety net can help with what can be a very destabilising transition when you’re moving away from elite sport
So while it was something I understood, I also knew the importance of professional qualifications. With my background, I realised that I could potentially work in some interesting places, but I would also need to be competent at what I’m doing. Just because I knew how to lift weights, didn’t mean I could immediately teach other people how to do it safely.
How important is it for elite athletes to have a back up plan for their post-career?
I started to search out qualifications and decided to do a Strength & Conditioning Level 2 qualification and PT Level 3 qualification with Active IQ. It was partly because being fit was important to me and I knew my way around the weights room – I knew about fitness training, about coaching and also how to inspire people.
When you’re looking at your life after sport, did I have a plan initially? No. I was, you know, in a space where I was so focused on Olympic qualification and four year cycles that I was, I guess, a little bit deluded. I thought I was going to dive forever. It wasn’t until that serious injury in 2001 that I suddenly realised that I was massively under equipped for life after sport, and then I started to make some changes. It’s important for athletes to find out what they are interested in doing. It isn’t always an easy thing.
Because for many, all they have done is sport. For me, it was a case of ‘what could I do’? Personally, I wanted to branch out into the fitness industry, into broadcasting and into different areas.
One of the biggest things I didn’t realise that was in store for me was that, because of my injuries, I was going to be in pain for the rest of my life, unless I did something. One of the interventions the medical team suggested was to practise yoga, in order to rebalance my ‘unbalanced body’ and to tackle the chronic pain in my lower back. So within six months of retiring, I was doing yoga pretty much every day in a heated room – and it transformed my body, my mental health, my emotional health.
So the PT qualification that I’ve had and not really utilised fully was my safety net, because I knew that I could go, not quite anywhere in the world, but it would open doors. I had the qualification.
For athletes, I think it’s really important that they put some time and effort into at least thinking or planning
Taylor took up competitive diving when he was eight
or creating some options as to where they’re going to focus their attention if it all stops. Having plans in place, having irons in fires and having options or a safety net can help with what can be a very destabilising transition when you’re moving away from elite sport.
Why do you think the Beyond Gold campaign is so important and what do you hope the impact could be? Athletes can sometimes find themselves in a tricky situation when things change drastically. So it’s almost getting the conversation started – what do you enjoy? What could be options for you? It’s important for athletes to take action in the ‘now’, because they can’t just magic a qualification at the end of their careers. Recognised qualifications are important. Doing a five-minute online course won’t offer the correct qualifications or skills, nor open the doors that they need opened to have a career after elite sport. lTo find more about the Beyond Gold campaign, please visit: www.activeiq.co.uk/beyondgold
Cheryl Hersey, The Fitness NED, looks at how HealthHero works with a number of major health club and fitness operators, offering their members a range of health services – including access to GPs, physios, dietitians and mental health counsellors
Health, nationally, is in decline. According to the BMC Public Health Journal,
‘More than one in three British adults are suffering from two or more chronic health conditions in middle age, such as recurrent back problems, mental ill-health, high blood pressure, diabetes and high-risk drinking’, Since the pandemic, discussions around gyms being viewed as an essential health service have been increasing, but with health programs usually focused on special populations, are we doing enough to support all members in pursuit of better health? This approach makes strong commercial sense. A 2023 UK survey revealed that average consumers spend over £4,600 annually on wellness and selfcare. Offering additional services via the gym membership is a way to tap into this spending. Injury
or illness is also a major reason behind freezing or cancelling a membership. If operators can keep their members fit and healthy, it stands to reason that it will boost overall retention figures.
Bringing commercially viable wellness services into the gym membership
Not all health services are appropriate, they need to fit into the health club or leisure centre model, without over-pressurising existing systems or staff. Operators need these services to be affordable and attractive to members, whilst ideally covering their own cost or better still generating their own income.
This is an area I have been looking at since 2020. I’ve worked with operators to explore opportunities such as bringing pharmacy concessions inside the four walls of the leisure centre, housing NHS testing centres in gym car parks and rolling blood testing into PT packages.
At the start of 2024, it was widely reported in the media that millions of people were waiting more than a month to see a doctor. This was the start of a series of media coverage that explored the depth of the problem and highlighted that it was only set to get worse.
I wondered if it would be possible to take the remote GP service out of the private healthcare
More than one in three British adults are suffering from two or more chronic health conditions in middle age
policy and just embed that single service into the gym membership? I reached out to HealthHero, Europe’s largest provider of digital health services. They were not working in the fitness sector but were very open to understanding how it operates and building out bespoke services that would be just right for both the member and the operator.
We took the service to Everyone Active, who already had an established wellbeing vision, and they took a huge leap to be the first operator in the UK to create a brand new wellbeing membership, which incorporated a remote GP service for members. Village Health and Wellness Clubs followed suit at the start of 2024 and Parkwood Leisure, announced their launch of the remote GP service just this month.
On 1st August 2024, the British Medical Association announced an immediate work-to-rule action, which is seeing GPs choosing to limit their appointments to 25 a day, a number which represents a reduction of around a third of all appointments. NHS England has warned the action could cause significant disruption. Everyone Active, Village and Parkwood are well placed to support their members through this crisis.
The remote GP service is just the start of what a wellbeing membership can offer. These forward thinking operators have proven that the gym membership no longer needs to be exclusively made up of gym, swim and group exercise – something that’s been the same for more than three decades.
Fitness First are a testament to this as they launch their premium membership in September. It’s packed full of wellness services that totally reinvent what the typical gym membership includes. In partnership with HealthHero, Fitness First premium members will have access to a remote physio, dietitian and mental health counsellor in addition to the GP service.
What’s next for the wellness membership?
I’m looking at epigenetics, and the significant correlations that can be drawn between epigenetic modifications and biological age. If operators can work with biotech companies to help members learn their epigenetic age, they can support them in making lifestyle modifications which prevent the onset of age related disorders and help them to reset their biological clock.
There’s so much opportunity for operators to develop their membership offering, the trick is finding commercially viable products, which can be delivered at scale. In this way the operator can add value to the membership while protecting their margins, or even generating additional revenue. As an industry we must continue to think beyond traditional products and approaches to reach the true potential of the wellness membership.
One of our corporate objectives is to tackle health inequality in the communities we serve, and we actively seek to provide wider wellbeing support to our customers. We introduced specialist nutritional support at the end of 2023 and the introduction of a GP service is the next step in continuing to support the wider wellbeing of our customers.
Our new Premium All-Inclusive Membership is available as either a bolt-on to existing memberships or as a standalone new membership. We have deliberately sought to keep the cost as low as possible and lower than other comparable offers in the market.
I think that members are looking for a wider wellness offering from their gym. We surveyed over 10,000 of our customers to understand their needs and this information has underpinned the development of the additional wellbeing services.
Fitness First is seeking to reposition itself as a more holistic provider of health and wellbeing. Offering not just GP access but also physio, dietitian and counselling represents a significant step change from standard gym access memberships.
Now more than ever I think that members are looking for a wider wellness offering from their gym. There’s a noticeable change in member desire for healthier living and enhancing longevity.
We’ve talked for a long time about the fitness industry stepping up and doing more to support the holistic health of its members and we feel our new premium membership does just this. By being the first to offer the full range of HealthHero’s services, we feel we’re creating an accessible route for our members to access support typically reserved for expensive private healthcare cover.
We hope to deliver a transformative impact on members’ quality of life, like never before.
The health and fitness marketplace is highly competitive, particularly with the growth seen within the budget gym sector over the past decade. As a premium mid-market operator, Village strives to offer additional value through the membership beyond standard facility access.
Since launching HealthHero to our members at the start of this year, 1 in 10 have opted into the service, with these figures continuing to grow month-on-month, proving it to be a service our members value having access to.
Living a healthy lifestyle is much more than just exercising, it involves recovery, nutrition and diet, mental wellbeing and so much more. Our members are looking for a gym that can support them in their pursuit for a healthy lifestyle and our aim is to meet that need by providing support on all elements.
The fitness sector must keep pushing boundaries and think differently in order to deliver a true wellness experience to members. At Everyone Active we consider ourselves to be pioneers of this approach, and we are proud that we were the first operator to reinvent the traditional gym membership. We also welcome the move from other operators to include such wellness services in their offering. As a sector we need to continue to drive change in order to future proof our industry.
