01
20/7/11
11:26
Page 1
August 2011
The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine
Could you be a Workout award winner? By Christina Eccles THE National Fitness Awards are on course for a record-breaking year, with nominations flooding in from all corners of the UK. The awards, organised by Workout, were launched last year to celebrate excellence in the fitness industry and reward those clubs and individuals leading the way. Gyms up and down the country have already got behind the event, with winners from last year looking to retain their titles and shortlisted entries aiming to go one better and scoop an award. A number of clubs have also entered for the first time, hoping to follow in the footsteps of last year’s finalists, who gained priceless publicity from their local press and valuable marketing material by entering the awards. As well as categories from last year – such as regional gym of the year, gym team, gym based personal trainer of the year and lifetime achievement – new categories including ladies’ only gym of the year, newcomer of the year and budget gym of the year are also proving popular with clubs eager to shout about their achievements and motivate their
staff and members. But if you haven’t already put your club in the running for an award, time is running out. Nominations close on September 2, when the judging panel then has the difficult task of choosing the worthy clubs, which will make this year’s shortlist. Last year, the Workout team covered about 6,000 miles visiting every shortlisted gym before the winners were chosen by an expert industry panel which included Olympic swimmer – and last year’s host – Sharron Davies and sprinter Jennifer Stoute. This year’s winners will be crowned at a ceremony on November 25 at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham, hosted by Coronation Street favourite Katherine Kelly. The awards dinner is open to all clubs – not just the lucky ones which have made the shortlist – and promises to be an exciting end of year party the whole industry can enjoy. To book your place at the event, contact event organiser Liz Lee on 01226 734459 or email ll@whpl.net or for more information about how to enter the awards, visit the website www.nationalfitnessawards.co.uk
No 215 £3
Aaron in charity call to gyms
The name of David and Victoria Beckham’s new baby daughter provided the idea for a quirky marketing campaign from Harpers Fitness. The celebrity couple named their new arrival Harper Seven and to celebrate, Harpers Fitness offered a free seven day pass to people who ‘liked’ or commented on the announcement on the Harpers Fitness Facebook page or re-tweeted it on Twitter. Full story, Page 3
GYM manager Aaron Howlett is calling on clubs up and down the country to get involved in his latest charity challenge. Aaron – who runs Peak Physique in Hull – is walking 1,700 miles from John O’Groats to Land’s End and back again to raise money for the NSPCC. The walk, which begins next March, is already being supported by a number of famous faces including Suggs, Jeremy Kyle and David Jason. And Aaron told Workout, he would like to see other gym owners and members join him on the walk, to raise as much money for the charity as possible. He said: “I would like to see some gym owners and members on the walk. Even if they don’t take part in the whole thing, it would be nice for them to walk a mile with me when I pass through their town or city.” Aaron is aiming to complete the challenge in 56 days – meaning some days he will be walking up to 60 miles. Any interested gym owners can email Workout at ce@whpl.net and we will pass your details on.