Workout July 2023

Is your gym equipment subject to heavy usage? Perhaps it's starting to tear or rip and starting to look dated ServiceSport UK gym upholstery repairs are the solution for you! Our team is skilled in re-upholstery and repairing gym equipment pads, either in keeping with existing styles and colour schemes or with new designs, including logo embroidery

Repairs can be carried out on-site with minimal downtime of the gym equipment, or a new pad can be built by our team in the workshop for installation on-site in a matter of minutes

ISSUE 352

July 2023

£3

Rower who suffered rib fractures creates gym equipment to support others

Page 6

The changing role of a personal trainer

Page 14

Campaign promotes muscle strength as a ‘building block’ for healthy ageing women

Page 21

Acoustic Solutions in Gyms

Eliminating noise and vibration disturbances, caused by gym activities, by providing effective solutions such as:

Rubber floor finishes in sheet and tile formats.

Force attenuating mixed cellular acoustic underlays.

Agglomerated cork and rubber underlays.

Impact absorbing isolation pads for treadmills.

Sound absorbent ceiling tiles, baffles, rafts and acoustic wall panels.

Isolated subfloor systems.

Musculoskeletal rehabilitation programmes launched by operator and its partners

PARKWOOD Leisure, one of the UK’s leading leisure facilities operators, and their partners Legacy Leisure and Lex Leisure, have launched two new exercise-based rehabilitation programmes at 24 leisure centres across England and Wales.

The launch is part of a two-year research project led by a health and fitness consortium comprising Good Boost, ukactive, Orthopaedic Research UK, ESCAPE-pain and Arthritis Action. The project aims to investigate how to transform leisure facilities into musculoskeletal hubs which can be accessed in every community.

More than 20 million people in the UK suffer from an MSK condition, which accounts for the third largest area of NHS

spend at £5bn annually.

The consortium aims to design a system-based approach to better integrate leisure facilities within the nation’s healthcare infrastructure, turning them into a locally accessible network of community ‘MSK hubs’.

The aim is to reduce health inequalities and the burden on the NHS by providing local, supported, self-management options for people to better maintain mobility, physical function and reduce pain through exercise.

The two programmes available are:

n Good Boost: An aqua and land-based exercise rehabilitation programme that uses AI technology to assess individual conditions and create tailored exercise programmes. These sessions are

Grow your profits with Blu Leisure Retail

DIVE into summer with Blu Leisure’s new, eye-catching collection of swimwear and active leisure apparel supported by an extensive range of Blu branded and customisable merchandise and accessories that will have members queuing at the door.

Let’s take a look at some collection highlights. Firstly, the sensational women’s Riviera Halter Neck Swimsuit. This comfort-driven one-piece wonder features a chic plunging V-neckline and a self-tie halter. With padded cups for coverage and support, it’s the perfect choice for both poolside lounging and beach adventures. Available in Khaki and sizes 10-22.RRP £29.99.

For men there are the versatile Presto

Multi-Purpose Shorts. With an elasticated waist and a drawstring cord, these shorts offer a tailored fit ideal for any activity, in or out of the pool.

Made from lightweight, quick-drying fabric and featuring a mesh lining, these shorts boast high resistance to chlorine.

Complete with two side pockets and a single back pocket, they effortlessly blend functionality with style.

Choose from sleek Black or vibrant Blue, available in sizes S-XL.RRP £16.99.

All our products are not only high quality and stylish, but they are also designed to maximise profits.

Most items in the collection allow for a compelling 50 per cent mark-up margin, ensuring a great return on investment.

To find out more about the collection and what’s on offer, visit www.bluleisure.com or contact us on 01908 582525.

delivered as group sessions to aid social support, whilst enabling individuals to benefit from a personalised exercise plan.

n ESCAPE-pain: An educational and exercise-based rehabilitation programme, supported by Orthopaedic Research UK, that reduces chronic pain and improves physical and mental wellbeing.

Selected sites are also running coffee mornings to support individuals living with arthritis.

Hosted in partnership with UK charity Arthritis Action, the free sessions are open to anyone with the condition and provide advice on leading more active lives, pain management and other activities available at the centre.

Glen Hall, managing director of Parkwood Leisure, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be a part of this project and we believe that there is a huge opportunity for leisure facilities to improve access to healthcare provision and help ease the burden on the NHS.

“Working with our partners, we strive to provide everyone within our local communities with the facilities and support needed to encourage healthy and active lifestyles; the launch of Good Boost, ESCAPE-pain and the Arthritis Action coffee mornings takes this even further, and we hope to expand the roll-out across even more sites in due course.”

Operator continues sustainability drive with launch of reusable cup initiative

PARKWOOD Leisure is launching a new initiative to reduce the use of single-use cups at 60+ facilities across England and Wales.

From July 1, customers will be encouraged to use reusable cups at all sites, which includes leisure centres, theatres, golf courses and outdoor activity centres.

Reusable cups will also be available to purchase at each facility, with customers receiving a complimentary hot drink with each purchase.

A surcharge will apply on all single-use cups.

All staff will also be receiving complimentary reusable cups to encourage them to support the initiative.

According to the University of Kent, 2.5 billion coffee cups are used and discarded annually in the UK. Of these, only 0.25 per cent – less than one in 400 – are recycled.

Parkwood Leisure currently purchases 750,000 disposable cups per year, and the new initiative aims to reduce this number by half by the end of 2023.

Alex Godfrey, operations director at Parkwood Leisure, said: “As one of the UK’s leading leisure operators, one of our primary objectives is to reduce the environmental impact of our facilities, while continuing to provide the same great service and access to facilities that

our local communities expect.

“The drive to significantly reduce our disposable cup use is just the latest in a series of sustainability initiatives, and we’ll continue to demonstrate to our customers, partners, and other stakeholders, our commitment to the environment, by promoting environmentally responsible practices and incorporating sustainable principles

into our work.”

This campaign is part of Parkwood Leisure’s ongoing commitment to reduce its carbon footprint across its portfolio of sites.

In the last year alone, the leisure operator has delivered a number of impactful sustainability projects, including:

n In partnership with Torbay Council

and energy consultancy Leisure Energy, Parkwood Leisure won the Energy Efficient Partnership of the Year award at the Energy Awards 2022. The project helped to reduce annual carbon emissions at Torbay Leisure Centre by 60 per cent.

n The opening of Bingham Arena Leisure Centre, a new £13.1million facility that uses air source heat pumps, combined heat and power technology, water efficiency measures, LED lighting and energy efficient building materials to achieve a 78 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared to other leisure centres in the borough.

n Legacy Leisure, part of Parkwood Leisure, partnered with the Vale of Glamorgan Council to secure funding to replace boilers at Llantwit and Cowbridge Leisure Centres, which will help to reduce energy consumption at the centres and lower each facility’s carbon footprint.

n Legacy Leisure was also successful in supporting Cherwell District Council’s leisure centres – Spiceball, Bicester, Woodgreen and Kidlington & Gosford – secure funding from the UK government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. The funding was used to deliver sustainability projects at the four sites, managed by Parkwood Project Management.

Motion passed in relation to Uckfield Leisure Centre

WEALDEN District Council has passed a motion to explore the possibility of keeping Uckfield Leisure Centre open.

At a meeting of the Full Council recently, a motion proposed by newly elected Councillor Ben Reed and seconded by Councillor Spike Mayhew was approved by fellow councillors.

The motion called on the council leader and chief executive to explore every possibility to keep the Uckfield Leisure Centre, including swimming pool open while alternative options are investigated and that all relevant parties are invited by Wealden to meet and resolve to explore every

Director of Operations: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmediagroup.co.uk

Studio manager: Paul Hopkinson ph@scriptmediagroup.co.uk

Assistant studio manager: Scott Firth sf@scriptmediagroup.co.uk

option to save the provision of leisure centre and pool services.

The motion also asked the leader and chief executive to consider including the continuance of a pool and dry-side facilities in Uckfield as one of the council’s priorities.

Ben said: “During our recent elections many Wealden residents became aware that ESCC is consulting about the Uckfield swimming pool and sport facilities.

“The community is campaigning to save these services alongside residents and other groups in and around Uckfield.

“I would like to thank council officers and elected members

who have worked together on this important motion together.

“The support received this early on is really welcoming and exactly what we need to make changes.

“Wealden residents voted for change and better solutions, and I hope that we can work as a team to secure facilities for Uckfield.”

Following a comprehensive leisure provision review, in October 2020, Wealden agreed to hand back the dual use leisure centre in Uckfield to East Sussex County Council at the end of its lease, in large part to remove a layer of bureaucracy in the operation of the centre that is run to serve the school to which it is

attached.

Following the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, to assist with an orderly transition back to ESCC, the lease was extended at Uckfield for a further year.

A public consultation by ESCC went live in March and closed on May 27. ESCC is continuing to look at the options for the site post July 2023. Spike added: “Our priorities should be to maintain and fix the facilities we have before we look at building new complexes.

“The motion is to explore and keep the leisure centre open, if it closes now, it will not reopen and that’s what we need to protect.”

Reef Leisure Centre shortlisted for an award

THE Reef Leisure Centre has been shortlisted for an RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence 2023 in Excellence in Planning for Health and Wellbeing –East of England.

The RTPI East of England Awards for Planning Excellence 2023 showcase and celebrate the region’s best plans, people and projects.

This award recognises and highlights the positive contribution planning professionals make to the communities they serve.

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Martyn Fulcher, director for place and climate change at North Norfolk District Council, said: “Being nominated for this award bears testament to the fantastic work of the Council in delivering this tremendous facility for our community.

“We are delighted to be nominated and it is highly pleasing to have the efforts of all concerned recognised.

North Norfolk is rightly proud of ‘The Reef’ and receiving a nomination for this prestigious award is a real honour.”

The Reef was designed by Saunders Boston Architects and opened its doors to the public on November 30, 2021, marking the completion of a flagship project for North Norfolk District

Council.

The Reef represents a £12million investment in health and wellbeing in North Norfolk.

The winners of the regional awards will be entered into the national shortlist and judged by the national judges, with a ceremony in November.

Rower who suffered rib fractures creates gym equipment to support others

A BRITISH rower who has hopes of becoming an Olympian has designed new gym equipment to support other athletes who may be prone to rib stress fractures.

Max Parker, 23, created the GymMax to support other sportspeople, like him, who endure such high training loads that they can fracture their own ribs.

The Nottingham Trent University student is a competitive rower with ambitions to represent Great Britain in the Olympics, and is currently training for the World University Games.

Max, who is studying BA Product Design, has fractured his own ribs twice, but says there’s no specific equipment available which focusses on strengthening the serratus anterior muscles which support the rib cage. His design went on public exhibition for the 2023 art and design Student Showcase at NTU, which is one of the UK’s largest displays of graduating art and design talent.

Max said: “I’ve been rowing at a high level for six years and I’ve had rib stress fractures twice now.

“It’s not an uncommon injury in competitive rowing, but from my perspective there’s not a lot of work that’s been done on how to prevent it occurring.

“The injury comes from the repetitive motion that puts a strain on the ribs. It normally affects the third or fourth rib down from the collar bone, usually on the front of the rib cage. It’s usually a very small fracture, often only a hairline crack, but is quite painful.

“During racing season, many people train through it and push through the pain, but a physio would probably recommend a couple of months out.

wasn’t as bad as I was able to have break.”

Made from a plywood base with two layers of sustainable natural rubber for grip, GymMax allows athletes to easily train with resistance bands by hooking them onto the stainless steel bars, while short yellow ropes limit the load.

It allows people to easily practice a range of exercises against resistance including side planks, press ups, scapula press ups and more.

“I would be keen to take it to market, as I think there’s definitely potential in it,” added Max, who aims to train fulltime after finishing his degree.

“I’ve had lots of people try it and have received great feedback from them all.”

Paul Kennea, senior lecturer in product design at Nottingham Trent University, said: “Max has taken his own personal experience of a competitive sports injury and used it to design something which will help other athletes, like him, to cope with the amount of training which is required to compete at the top level.

“His product is a sustainable and affordable way to improve the training experience for athletes who need to strengthen themselves in specific muscle areas to prevent seasonending injuries.” Advertiser’s announcement

“The first time I had it was during racing season and I just pushed through the pain. Luckily it did gradually heal. The second time

Gym upholstery made easy – 15 per cent off this July

ServiceSport UK doesn’t just repair gym equipment, we offer a range of different services, one of which is gym upholstery. Our team has decades of experience carrying out upholstery repairs in gyms, leisure centres and fitness clubs across the UK.

Are you tired of walking into your gym and being greeted by worn-out, uncomfortable equipment?

Does the faded and torn upholstery make your members’ workouts less enjoyable?

It might be time to refresh your gym and provide your members with a renewed sense of excitement and comfort.

Upholstery plays a crucial role in maintaining the aesthetics and functionality of your gym equipment. Over time, heavy usage and constant wear can take a toll on the padding, fabric, and overall appearance of your exercise machines.

However, with the professional gym upholstery services at ServiceSport

UK, you can breathe new life into your equipment without the need for costly replacements.

We even have an upholstery app to make the process smooth running and stress free.

Not only can our experienced technicians and engineers repair any kind of upholstery problem or damage, but we also understand the importance of minimising downtime for your gym.

Our repairs can be carried out on-site, or a new pad can be built by our team in the workshop for installation on-site in a matter of minutes.

Each member of the team carries a large supply of sundries as part of their van stock to help keep our first call fix rate high and our customers happy.

Investing in gym upholstery services is a smart move that doesn’t just enhance the appearance of your gym but also improves the overall member experience.

By creating a comfortable and visually appealing environment, you’ll attract and retain more members, ultimately boosting your gym’s reputation and success.

So why wait? Transform your gym today with professional upholstery

services and witness the positive impact it has on your members’ satisfaction and loyalty.

You can count on us for prompt and efficient service without compromising on quality.

Clubbercise celebrates 10th anniversary by raising thousands of pounds for charity

CLUBBERCISE celebrated its 10th anniversary by raising thousands of pounds for charity

Founded in the UK in 2013 there are now thousands of people taking regular Clubbercise classes all over the world, and many of them joined a huge online party to celebrate their milestone. Together they managed to raise more then £3,000, which will

be split between the mental health charities MIND and Beyond Blue.

The 90-minute livestream featured popular Clubbercise presenters, including Master Trainers Sonique Smith and Anna Martin, along with the best-loved tracks and routines from their back catalogue.

Most of the participants were from across the UK and Ireland, but

people logged in from as far afield as Australia and New Zealand where Clubbercise is growing in popularity.

There were also 30 lucky ‘Clubbers’ in the studio who won a competition to attend in person. With the famous strapline ‘Bringing a night out to your workout’, Clubbercise is a mix of fun and fitness.

The full-body workout combines

dance, toning and combat moves set to a soundtrack of club anthems from the 90s to the latest hits, and is held in a darkened room with disco lights and Clubbercise glowsticks.

The routines all have high and low impact options to make it inclusive for all fitness levels and abilities.

For more information on Clubbercise visit clubbercise.com

Are contracts impacting sales at your gym?

By Wayne Heath

HISTORICALLY, it was normal to be tied into a contract when you join a gym.

It was one of the things a customer would have to agree to in exchange for working out at your club.

However, with the cost of living rising and consumer priorities changing, is it wise to still be selling and enforcing contracts for your gym?

More importantly, could doing so be negatively impacting sales?

Is it really good business sense?

Signing your customers up for contracts has always made good business sense. It helps you forecast income, adds weight to your business plan and keeps your investors happy because they can get a glimpse of their return.

However, tying your customers into a financial commitment doesn’t necessarily guarantee you stability.

Just look at how easily the pandemic disrupted everything as we know it! If your customers are unsure of what their future holds (like many of us post-Covid), they’ll likely be put off by a long-term financial commitment like a gym contract.

You should consider the possibility that you’ll be able to sign up more leads if you promise them flexibility and control over their memberships.

In doing so, you’re dismantling the potential contract barrier – which means you can get them to start paying and

focus your energy on retaining them.

Are contracts as effective as they seem? Did you know consumers still have certain legal rights surrounding cancellations, even if they’re tied into a contract?

A customer that has joined your gym and entered a contract will normally have to pay the full cost of the contract if they want to cancel the membership early.

For example, if they cancel a one-year contract after six months, they’ll usually have to pay for the remaining six months of the term.

Despite this, there are still a few occasions when your customer can cancel their membership without paying the remainder of their contract:

n If the customer is injured or has a serious illness.

n If they can’t afford to pay anymore.

n If they think your contract terms are unfair (more info on what this means here).

Contracts can also mean very little because some gym contracts are service agreements, not consumer-regulated credit agreements like that of car finance or mobile phone fees in which case you’re receiving a tangible product. Plus, if one of your members wishes to cancel mid-contract and go somewhere else, pursuing that legally can be both expensive for you and leads to bad PR if the local area catches wind of your club taking a customer to court.

It’s much easier to give your members the freedom to come and go as they please under a flexible membership that suits their lifestyle and focus on retaining them through a fantastic workout experience and unrivalled customer service.

Take us at ClubRight for example. We don’t tie our users into a contract to use our system – gym owners stay with us because they love the functionality we offer them, not because they’re forced to.

Gone are the days of sleepers. Sleepers are no longer an issue these days, especially post-pandemic. Redundancies, income uncertainty and the rising cost of living have made people more vigilant than ever when it comes to their monthly bills.

They won’t hesitate to cancel a bill that they no longer see value in.

Your energy will be far better spent building an exceptional customer service strategy that retains your customers and makes them stay because they want to; because they see value in the service you offer.

Besides, having a large proportion of sleepers will end up costing you money in the long run. Any one of them (or all of them) could wake up tomorrow and cancel their membership, leaving you out of pocket.

Use referrals to your advantage. Those long-standing, advocate members

are walking advertisements for your business.

Their friends and family will be asking them about their fitness journey, and your club will be one of the first things they mention.

So set up a robust referrals programme in place of worrying about contracts so that you can reward those that get their friends to join your gym.

In some ways, referred customers are more valuable than cold leads because they have real social proof to influence their buying decision.

Referrals are also a great way to measure customer satisfaction: happier customers are more likely to tell their friends about your club.

ClubRight has automated communications as part of our complete solution to help you keep in touch with customers, so setting up that referral scheme brings no added work on your part.

In summary, contracts can impact sales at your club. It’s understandable why clubs are tempted to sell and enforce contracts, but nowadays people want control and flexibility. If your customers don’t feel like they have those key things, it can create a barrier for them before they’ve even joined.

n Wayne Heath is the founder and CEO of ClubRight.

Regardless of the memberships you offer, ClubRight can help you make sure they sell and retain those customers for longer. Learn how by speaking to one of our experts on 0203 884 9777.

Fully integrated card machine service launched

SINCE the dawn of the digital age, a key reason for using technology has always been to make things simpler.

A major sector that has been transformed by this sentiment is how we collect payments for our goods and services. When technology evolves in this area, it is essential that businesses evolve with it.

From cheques and cash to entirely contactless payments, the goal is to provide clients with current solutions to age-old procedures.

In that regard, EZFacility has once again partnered with Clover to bring a fully integrated card machine payments service to EZFacility users via their EZPayments module.

What is EZPayments?

The security of our hard-earned money is a high priority for everyone.

The Finance Conduct Authority in the UK started to design ways to prioritise the security of customers.

This new security meant those with payment methods online needed to ensure their side was as secure and up to date. EZFacility went on a journey to find a Merchant Processing Partner to work with us to create the best secure Processing system.

Clover was a match, and thus EZPayments was born in March 2022.

Understanding the fully integrated card machine service

One thing EZFacility clients have been asking is “When can I add a PDQ machine to the system to be able to take face-to-face payments?”

First of all,

What is a PDQ machine?

PDQ stands for process data wuickly, these are more commonly known as chip and pin machines or card readers.

With the new PDQ machines, you will now be able to accept payments via:

n Apple Pay

n Google Pay

n All major debit and credit cards.

When can I start using my PDQ machine?

Once your Clover Flex Terminal is set up and integrated into your EZFacility system you can start taking payments through the card machine straight away.

How do I get a PDQ machine?

First, you will need to already have EZPayments set up. Then you can get in touch with our support team on the contact details below and we can inform Clover on your behalf. The machine will then be sent straight to you.

You will need to do a few things to get the machine

fully connected to your system but have no fear, our support team can assist you along the way so that you are fully integrated and ready to go.

What next?

I don’t have EZFacility:

If you aren’t already using our system and want to know what else it can do, why not book a live online demonstration with one of our product specialists? https://www.ezfacility.co.uk/request-demo/

I do have EZFacility:

If your location is already set up with us, we can action a referral for a Clover Flex card machine. Just reach out to our support team at support@ezfacility. co.uk

The changing role of a personal trainer

By Katie Bulmer-Cooke

I CAN say whole heartedly that I love being a personal trainer as much now as I did 15 years ago when I proudly received my Diploma in Personal Training, but my view on my role and the ‘job’ has changed significantly.

In my early days as a trainer I was convinced that the most important things I could give my client were their workout programmes alongside some nutrition recommendations.

Now, I know that there are three things I can give my clients that are much more impactful than these things.

Of course I still pride myself on well constructed programmes, carefully planned sessions and nutrition support and resources, but these things can only be at their most effective when the elements that clients really need help with are in place.

First up, clients need help to implement change.

Using body fat reduction as an example goal, let’s face it, most people know what they should be doing to get their desired results.

They know about a calorie deficit,

workouts are just a scroll away on Instagram and there are countless recipe ideas online, but where they need our help as fitness professionals is to take that information and implement it into their life specifically.

They need to know how to weave these new behaviours and actions into their life.

It is our job to listen and coach clients to find the answers to questions like, ‘how will I fit my workouts around my job and my kids after school activities, without it feeling overwhelming?’

Next, clients need accountability.

Accountability is defined as being responsible for one’s actions, something which is generally heightened when another person is involved.

Typically we are more likely to do the things we say we will if someone else is holding us accountable, but for me, accountability is about that and more.

Working with a trainer should feel like having someone else on your team,

someone in your corner, cheering you on and believing in you, much like a boxer has someone in their corner.

Once we’ve found a way to successfully implement a personalised plan and create accountability, we are much more likely to achieve the thing that really is the difference between short and long term results…the holy grail of consistency.

Ultimately, as trainers, we can write the most incredible programme in the world and deliver 10/10 sessions, but without appropriate implementation, accountability and support, and consistency, the long term results that clients crave will remain out of reach.

When the changes are gradual, personalised to the individual, and they feel supported, clients feel unstoppable and as a client-trainer team life-changing things can be achieved.

n Katie Bulmer-Cooke is an awardwinning fitness trainer, speaker and consultant.

Platform reveals £170m growth in social value of leisure centres, transforming lives and economy

DATA from Sport England’s Moving Communities platform has shown that the social value generated by activity undertaken in leisure centres in the UK is on the rise, with close to a £170million increase over the last 12 months.

Based on a sample size of 771 sites across the UK, leisure centres are contributing more than £945million in social value, compared to £778million over the previous 12 months.

Moving Communities is a Sport England driven initiative delivered by 4GLOBAL and a group of consortium members; Leisure-Net, Right Directions and Sheffield Hallam University.

Together, Moving Communities provides the largest data set ever gathered reporting on local authority leisure centre performance.

Social value is measured across four major categories: physical and mental health, subjective wellbeing, individual development, and social and community development.

The numbers are growing across all four categories but subjective wellbeing – which is the value of higher wellbeing derived by participants from engaging in sport and physical activity – generates the most social value at £529million.

“The growth in social value demonstrates that the public leisure

sector is playing a vital role in improving the health of the nation,” said Steve Mann, director at 4Global.

“Measuring social value not only empowers leisure operators and local authorities to showcase the impact of their investments in sport and physical activity, but it also uncovers the scale of their contributions.

“While we have long recognised the important role of leisure in saving the nation millions in health and social care costs annually, we now have an accurate and benchmarked tool to show the extent of the sector’s impact.”

Data from Moving Communities showed that physical and mental health indicators are also on the rise with social value reaching £168million in the last 12 months compared to £152million in the previous 12 months.

This figure is calculated by estimating the number of reduced cases of health conditions like Type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancer, hip fractures, back pain, dementia, and depression that result from physical activity, multiplied by the average annual cost of a person diagnosed by the condition.

It also considers the reduction in GP visits and A&E attendances related to sports injuries.

“Shifting beyond conventional fitness facilities and pools, the leisure sector is transforming centred around an active well-being approach,” said Emma Bernstein, strategic project lead for Sport England.

“This new direction can include an array of services, ranging from musculoskeletal hubs and pharmacies to vibrant community centres, all of which

contribute to wider benefits for local communities each year.”

Social and community development contributed a total of £241million over the last 12 months.

This category measures the savings in the criminal justice system from reduced crime rates among young people, plus the increased social capital from enhanced social networks, trust and reciprocity.

Individual development is also an important indicator that looks at the improved educational attainment through sports participation.

This is calculated using lifetime productivity returns and higher starting salaries following graduation.

Based on data from Moving Communities, individual development contributed approximately £6million over the past 12 months.

“The Moving Communities social value calculator is an important development that takes national research and applies it to local public leisure facilities,” added Emma. “It provides a picture of how community sport and physical activity significantly contributes to the five outcomes identified in the government’s sports strategy, and encouragingly, our data is showing a positive trend: that social value is growing each year.”

New leadership brings opportunities for growth

EXCELSIOR has announced the appointment of Andy Phillips as director of business development to lead the business as new opportunities for growth arise.

Andy first joined Excelsior in 2021 as development manager, having previously worked internationally as head of training and content at Escape Fitness.

In his new role, Andy will lead the development team as they identify new areas for growth within the health, fitness and wellness space. Working with some of the world’s

top fitness professionals, athletes and strength coaches, Andy has developed his skills and knowledge in training.

He has subsequently represented some of the largest brands in the world including; Holmes Place, Fitness First, David Lloyd Clubs, Life Fitness and Hammer Strength, and Be Military Fit supporting the development of hundreds of trainers globally.

He said: “I am excited to be leading Excelsior’s development team as we continue to grow as a team

and identify new opportunities for improved education and learning within the sector.”

Excelsior Development Technologies works with customer centric businesses including Total Fitness, Edinburgh Leisure and Teesside Active, as well as working in partnership with Escape Fitness, Origin Fitness and Gym Gear to deliver bespoke ‘people focussed’ training programmes to their customers.

or visit edt.education Andy Phillips

Katie Bulmer-Cooke

Panatta Super Shrug Machine

The Super Shrug Machine Panatta is a machine that introduces unique features compared to similar achievements in the world, allowing more effective stimulation of the elevator and adductor muscles of the scapula: mainly the trapezius (upper portion) with the help of the scapula elevator and rhomboid (small and large). The exclusivity introduced by the Panatta machine lies in the particular movement of the two exercise arms, which, contrary to what has been seen so far in competing creations, does not occur in the sagittal plane but in the frontal plane, with a circular trajectory that, converging upward, follows the natural course of scapular elevation and adduction.

The machine is equipped with independent exercise arms, with a lever system that modulates resistance and develops a physiological load curve, in line with the force curve exerted by the target muscles involved in the movement. Thanks to this lever system, muscle contraction is kept high and constant throughout the ROM, maximising the effectiveness of the exercise while preserving the integrity of the muscle and connective tissues, which are not overloaded in the position where they are most vulnerable.

The Super Shrug Machine Panatta is equipped with rotating, jointed handles that, in addition to allowing maximum freedom in grip, eliminates any stress or forcing on hands and wrists; height adjustment of the handles allows users of all heights to find the right starting height, facilitating positioning and initial setup. Finally, counterbalance springs reduce the unloaded weight of the exercise levers, allowing the machine to be used by athletes of all levels.

EXECUTION:

After adjusting the height of the two handles, simply stand with your feet in the centre of the platform, grasp the handles, and reach the working position with your torso erect, arms extended along your sides, and shoulder blades down (depressed).

From this initial position simply perform the classic shrug movement by elevating and adducting the shoulder blades to the maximum allowed.

When the series is over, all one has to do is return the handles to the rest position again; the other great advantage of the Super Shrug Machine lies precisely in avoiding the hassle of having to move heavy dumbbells or barbells before starting and after finishing the series.

Panatta Srl – Via Madonna della Fonte 3/c , Apiro (MC) Italy

ATHLETE: BIG RAMY – 2X MR OLYMPIA AND PANATTA BRAND AMBASSADOR

Why building muscle is more important than weight loss

By Dean Zweck

THERE are many reasons why people turn to exercise or start a new fitness programme or routine in the gym, with two of the main drivers being to lose weight or build muscle.

While it’s important to set goals which are right for you, if you want to achieve both weight loss and muscle definition, building muscle should be the initial focus.

Firstly, it can be challenging to achieve both muscle gain and weight loss at the same time – achieving muscle definition typically requires a small calorie surplus, while losing weight requires you to be in a calorie deficit, making it difficult for these two situations to co-exist. However, this is not impossible if you put in the hard work and focus on building muscle first.

Toning

It’s common for people to use exercise to help them look toned, but to do this, you need to have some level of muscle development. To help achieve this, it’s important to do an element of resistance training, whether that be body weight exercises or lifting weights in the gym. If you prioritise weight loss before focusing on building muscle, it’s likely you will be disappointed with the results

Strength

As you start to build muscle, you will notice that your strength begins to improve too. Building up your strength can help you during your day-to-day life, from simple tasks like keeping up with the kids to walking up the stairs, which shows how fundamental incorporating strength training into your workout routine is.

Balance

Your muscles are also important as they help to support your balance. Balance is an integral part of our daily lives, both when we’re in and out of the gym. It’s

essential for reducing the risk of injury and also helps the body to stretch, which improves posture and coordination.

Building strength and muscle around your joints, such as your glutes and quads, will help to stabilise your hips and knees and ultimately improve your balance. This is extremely important as you age, as not only do your muscles help you stabilise, but they also add some cushioning should you slip, which will help to protect you further.

Confidence

Building muscle, increasing strength, and seeing the weights you lift increase, session by session, can also have a profound effect on your mental health and is bound to boost your confidence. This will build your self-esteem throughout all areas of fitness, meaning you’ll be inclined to keep it up, and set regular goals that challenge you.

Lose weight

Finally, building muscle can ultimately help you to lose weight. Muscle is around three times more metabolically active than fat, meaning the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn.

These calories will mainly come from stored body fat helping you lose weight.

This is why it’s important to focus on achieving muscle definition first, as this will help you to lose weight and will leave you happier with the results.  If you don’t regularly use your muscles, you can quickly lose the strength and definition you have built.

Regular resistance training is required to maintain and build muscle so it’s important to factor this into your workout plan. Try incorporating two or three full body resistance sessions a week as this will help you build muscle and tone your body.

Looking at the best exercises to help you achieve this, I’d suggest focusing on the ones which target multiple muscles at once, such as squats, lunges, press ups, bench pressing and deadlifts. For those less experienced, most gyms will have resistance machines that can help to guide your movement and show you exactly which muscles are worked.

If you prefer to be guided by other people, classes such as Body Pump focus on lifting weights to help build muscle and are a great option for those who prefer to train with and feel motivated by others.

There’s also the option of a personal trainer too.

n Dean is the product development manager at Total Fitness.

Wigan Warriors reduce rehabilitation time with the help of Matrix Gym

MATRIX Fitness has been a proud partner of the Wigan Warriors rugby league team for more than five years, providing fitness equipment for the club’s world-class training facility, which is proving essential both for performance and rehabilitation purposes.

Never has the Matrix Fitness equipment become more indispensable than in the recent rehabilitation of star player Liam Farrell, who suffered a Grade 2 MCL tear during a game at the end of last season.

Ian Bentley, head of performance at

Wigan Warriors, said: “Injuries are a stressful time for players.

“They feel isolated when unable to contribute to the team. Often an injured player can be encouraged to avoid the gym altogether.

“But not here, thanks to our varied equipment set up from Matrix, the gym is a place where our injured players are still able to train around the rest of the squad.”

The gym now includes an increased variety of fitness equipment from Matrix Fitness, allowing the coaches more flexibility and versatility when planning

sessions.

For strength and conditioning work, there are four Magnum series mega racks, two Magnum half racks with cables and several Magnum posterior chain machines.

There are also isolated Aura stack machines, free weights, treadmills and bikes from the 7xi range, S-drive, S-force and Matrix rowers.

On his recovery, Liam added: “Having the best quality equipment in the Matrix gym makes rehabilitation so much easier and has given me the confidence to come back strong.

“Being able to still train around the rest of the team gives you motivation to become part of the playing group again.”

Ian added: “Not only did the Matrix gym equipment help speed up Liam’s recovery process, but it also allowed us to build strength, control, and resilience to ensure that he returned to fitness as robust as possible.

“Not only to reduce the risk of re-injury to his knee, but also to reduce the risk of sustaining secondary injuries that could be attributed to de-loading or undertraining during his period of time out.”

Dean Zweck

Advertiser’s announcement

Pulse supports Neurokinex to enhance spinal cord injury rehab programme

PULSE Fitness has donated two Concept2 rowing machines to Neurokinex, a specialist activity-based neurorehabilitation charity, to provide vital support in the ongoing recovery of its clients.

Neurokinex is a specialist organisation with sites at Bristol, Gatwick and Hemel Hempstead. Each of the specially equipped centres helps to enhance the lives of adults and children living with partial or complete paralysis.

As a not-for-profit organisation, Neurokinex relies heavily on donations, grants and funding programmes to safeguard its rehab programmes.

This donation from Pulse Fitness will enhance its life-changing therapies for clients.

“Over the last four decades we have had the pleasure of installing and providing fitness equipment to a multitude of gyms, facilities and operators; seeing first-hand the positive benefits that movement and exercise can bring,” said Chris Johnson, managing director of Pulse Fitness.

“So, it is a real honour to be working with Neurokinex who use the power of movement to create life-changing impacts each and every day.

“It has been great to see how the rowing machines are being incorporated into the training of different clients and how just one piece of kit can be used in so many different ways.

“We hope the donation continues to help clients at each of the centres progress in their individual rehabilitation journeys and we look forward to working with Neurokinex again in the near future.”

The donated Concept2 rowing machines, worth more than £1,000 each, have been specially adapted to support the broad range of client abilities present at Neurokinex.

The machines are involved in the dayto-day training of Neurokinex clients, and dependent on the client’s goals and capabilities, trainers can adapt how the client uses the machine to attain the best outcomes.

The rowers are particularly beneficial for targeting global strength improvements of the core, upper and lower extremities and increasing cardiovascular fitness, which is vital to reduce the risk of co-morbidites associated with spinal cord injury.

“We are hugely grateful to Pulse Fitness for its generosity in giving us two Concept2 rowing machines,” added Harvey Sihota, Neurokinex CEO and founder.

“We have been hoping to add rowing to our programmes for a while and within days of the rowers arriving, our trainers were busy adapting exercises to suit a range of clients.

“This is certainly a very versatile piece of kit and our clients will benefit greatly from this new way of exercising to build strength, improve core stability and raise their heart rate.”

The machines will also play a key role in this year’s Step Up Challenge – the Neurokinex annual event that raises vital

funds to keep its Step-Up Scheme open. An initiative that provides a lifechanging set of six free rehab sessions to adults and children with a new spinal cord injury, the Step Up Scheme provides a lifeline for newly injured people wanting to access the Neurokinex facilities and expertise. It costs Neurokinex £420 per person to provide the Scheme and without donations it cannot continue.

This year’s Step Up Challenge will see the Neurokinex community kayak or row as far as they can go.

Neurokinex trainer Laurence Green will attempt to kayak 250km in a week, while clients and trainers will aim to match his distance on the new Concept2 rowers.

Best cities for fitness enthusiasts revealed

DURHAM and Salford have been named the best cities in the UK for fitness enthusiasts, according to new research.

Sports nutrition experts at Bulk. com analysed eight factors they felt contribute to a city being attractive to fitness fanatics and scored the 62 most populated UK cities out of 100 to create their Fitness Index.

The factors analysed within the index included the number of gyms, healthy restaurants according to TripAdvisor, pools, CrossFit facilities, as well as hiking, jogging, road cycling and mountain bike routes relative to the population size of each city.

Durham and Salford tied as the best cities for fitness enthusiasts, with a Fitness Index Score of 89.68 out of 100 across the eight examined factors. Durham was found to offer the highest number of gyms at 69 per 100,000 residents, as well as the highest number of road cycling routes (897), jogging routes (635) and hiking routes (684) per capita.

It also has the second-highest number of CrossFit facilities relative to its population, with four per 100,000 residents and the thirdhighest number of healthy restaurants per capita, with 35 per 100,000 residents.

Salford on the other hand boasts

137 healthy restaurants and five CrossFit facilities per 100,000 residents, the highest proportion relative to its population, out of any major UK city. Salford also has the second-highest number of gyms per capita, with 56 per 100,000 residents.

A spokesperson for Bulk.com said: “This data offers a fascinating insight into the UK cities that boast the highest number of amenities suited to a healthy lifestyle.

“It may come as a surprise that Durham and Salford are tied for first

place, especially due to both cities’ relatively small size. However, closer examination reveals that these cities offer a wealth of options for fitness enthusiasts when compared to their population size.

“Durham, for instance, is a city that encourages movement, with a significant number of road cycling routes, jogging and hiking trails, and gyms. Meanwhile, Salford stands out for its abundance of healthy food options and abundance of gyms.

“It is important to note that many

factors contribute to overall fitness, but having access to a variety of fitness facilities is undoubtedly a great starting point for anyone looking to embark on a fitness journey.

“Taking advantage of the resources available in your city, will enable you to take meaningful steps towards achieving your health and wellness goals.”

Scoring 81.49 out of 100, Bath ranked as the second best UK city for fitness enthusiasts. It was found to offer 582 hiking routes and 46 healthy restaurants per 100,000 residents, the second-highest figure of all UK cities for both of these factors.

Bath also offers 584 road cycling routes, 98 mountain biking routes, and 476 jogging routes per 100,000 residents, the third-highest city for all three aforementioned factors.

The 10 best UK cities for fitness enthusiasts:

1.= Durham 89.68

1.= Salford 89.68

2. Bath 81.49

3. Cambridge 76.99

4. Bristol 71.56

5. Lincoln 69.91

6. Manchester 68.99

7. Nottingham 68.13

8. Hereford 68.05

9. Preston 67.92

10. Exeter 67.86

Campaign promotes muscle strength as a ‘building block’ for healthy ageing women

SHEFFIELD Hallam University has secured £125,000 of URKI funding for a healthy ageing project to make muscle strength training easier for women in midlife.

It is recognised that strength declines with age but can be maintained through exercise.

Half of women over the age of 45 years old do not undertake any regular strength exercises.

Strength training is a low-cost exercise intervention that has a ‘powerful impact on women’s health’.

It maintains function and independence as women age, and improves mood and sleep, maintains muscle and bone strength and helps maintain a healthy weight.

The project, delivered by Sheffield Hallam’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre in partnership with Westfield Health, aims to create an accessible, codesigned app that helps to democratise the health benefits of strength training and meet the specific exercise needs of women in midlife.

The goal is to address a gap in existing wellbeing offers for women at work, by co-designing an app that will make it easier for women in midlife to improve their wellbeing by engaging in a personalised exercise programme.

It will integrate behaviour change and exercise science to address major barriers and help women arrive at the ‘start line’ of later life in better health and with greater physical reserves.

Dr Anna Lowe, project lead at Sheffield

Hallam University, said: “Working women in midlife face a unique set of challenges including stress, burnout and musculoskeletal problems, all of which can be compounded by perimenopause.

“Work becomes challenging for many women in midlife and evidence suggest that many women consider leaving work at this time because of health-related issues.

“Exercise is a powerful way to manage symptoms and improve wellbeing, but it is often overlooked and under-used.

“We are delighted to be working with Westfield Health to explore the exercise

needs of working women in midlife and to co-design an app that makes it easier for busy women to get the health benefits of exercise.

“Our overall aim is to help women to be happy, healthy and productive in the workplace for as long as they want to be.”

Kate Platts, head of research and innovation at Westfield Health, added: “We are ambitious and determined in our desire to bring impactful, evidencebased health and wellbeing solutions into the workplace, and we are delighted to be working with the AWRC on this

ground-breaking project.

“Targeted solutions for women in the workplace, especially those in midlife, are not always readily available to those who need and want them.

“An app that provides simple, yet powerful instructions related to strength-training for women is muchneeded.

“Through this work we hope to support our female colleagues, customers, and communities in achieving a high-quality mid- and later life, enabling people to work healthily and happily for as long as they choose.”

Falls in later life are a major threat to healthy ageing and can lead to pain, injury and loss of independence.

Falls also have a significant impact on health services, both immediate hospital care and long-term aftercare.

The 60+ age group is growing faster than any other age group, therefore it is anticipated that problems related to falls will increase.

Research has found that women express more of fear of falling than men, and sustain more hip fractures from falls, but current approaches focus on older people who have had a fall or are at risk of falling.

The funding has been awarded by UK Research and Innovation as part of the Healthy Ageing Challenge.

UKRI creates knowledge with impact by investing over £8bn a year in research and innovation through the UK’s nine leading funding councils.

Kirkby Leisure Centre car park is handed over by contractor

KIRKBY Leisure Centre’s new car park has opened after it was officially handed over to Ashfield District Council by contractor, Kier.

The new car park has spaces for 89 cars, including disabled parking and six electric charging points.

It will also accommodate greener transport methods with 10 cycle hoops and lockable cycle storage.

The old Festival Hall was

demolished in February and material from the demolition was crushed to form a recycled aggregate that has been used in the construction of the new car park.

The £15.5million leisure centre has welcomed more than 207,000 visitors through the doors since opening in August. Kirkby Leisure Centre provides leisure and sport facilities for the whole community and

includes a new swimming pool.

Jason Zadrozny, leader of Ashfield District Council said: “Kirkby Leisure Centre is now a modern landmark in Kirkby and has been welcomed by residents and users of the centre.

“It is fantastic to see the final phase of the project completed and we know how invaluable the larger accessible car park will be for leisure centre visitors.”

How to keep a community eager and engaged

THROUGH embracing heart rate training and technology that drives community experiences, Snap Fitness has seen a notable increase in member attendance and engagement in and out of the gym.

With the sense of accountability

Myzone provides, personal trainers and gym staff can use the app to engage with any member activity that, in turn, encourages them to stay committed and keep coming back.

“Myzone provides our staff with excellent talking points, allowing them to engage members in meaningful interactions,” said head of fitness at Snap Fitness, Scott Walker.

“The platform enables us to create groups comprising like-minded individuals, fostering a sense of camaraderie and connection among our members.

“We are able to create inclusive fitness challenges that cater to diverse needs

and preferences of our members, ensuring everyone feels involved and motivated to participate.

“The one standout for us is the

app. It offers an incredibly engaging and interactive, we’ve used this a lot to communicate with our Myzone community.”

Community is a fundamental aspect of a successful gym

Using technology that inspires physical activity in and out of the gym is what brings people together and gets them moving with you, even away from your four walls.

“The emphasis on community is a fundamental aspect that sets our gym apart from others in our areas,” Scott added. “We recognise the importance of fostering a sense of belonging and connection amongst our members.

“By prioritising community building, we have created an environment where individuals feel supported, motivated, and valued. This strong sense of community resonates throughout our gyms, creating a distinct and exceptional experience that sets us apart.”

For more information on getting communities moving through heart rate technology visit www.myzone.org

Advertiser’s announcement

Operator opens first-of-a-kind wellbeing drop-in hub at Havant shopping centre

HORIZON Leisure, a charitable health and wellbeing provider in Havant, has opened a wellbeing drop-in centre for local residents at Meridian Shopping Centre.

The Horizon Wellbeing Hub is located on the ground floor of the shopping mall.

The drop-in centre will offer the local community:

n Free health checks.

n Health interventions, such as weight management programmes.

n Exercise orientation through its ‘Foundations Programme’, which has been designed as a supportive route into physical activity.

n Small group exercise classes.

The hub is an informal, welcoming and relaxed safe space to access exercise and advice, staffed by Horizon Leisure’s team of professionals.

Horizon Leisure is committed to inspiring healthier and happier communities and, as part of that, is keen to increase public accessibility to physical activity in a wider range of places and spaces.

CEO Mike Lyons said: “We are

committed to providing community health initiatives for the people of Havant, and this first-of-its-kind outreach programme, which was funded through Havant Borough Council, is designed to connect with anyone and everyone.

“We understand that coming to our leisure centres may not suit everyone, and so this drop in centre allows local

people to pop in and meet with our team of experts, helping them to access physical activity and positive lifestyle choices in an environment that’s familiar to them.

“Everyone is welcome, but we are particularly keen to target those who are not confident with physical activity, and particularly those who find the leisure

centre a daunting space.

“Health and wellbeing should be available to all, whatever your age, background or ability, and this initiative reduces barriers by meeting people where they are.

“We urge the local community to pop in on their way to the shops or on their way to meet a friend.”

The launch was attended by the Mayor of Havant, Rosy Raines, the Mayor’s Consort Mr Graham Raines and Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Gwen Robinson.

Attendees to the launch were shown around the facility and received health checks from Horizon Leisure’s team of experts.

Councillor Alex Rennie, leader of Havant Borough Council, added: “I’m delighted to see the launch of the Horizon Wellbeing Hub, and proud to have worked in partnership with Horizon Leisure to provide such a fantastic facility. The council recognises the tremendous benefits this can provide to the health and wellbeing of our residents, and I look forward to seeing the hub flourish.”

The latest strategies in gym marketing: unlocking success in the fitness industry

By Kate Landers

IN THE ever-evolving world of marketing, gyms and health clubs need to stay ahead of the curve to attract and retain customers.

The following strategies are proving to be effective in the current landscape, driving engagement and fostering brand loyalty.

Authenticity and personality: the power of raw and genuine content.

Authenticity is crucial both in your marketing efforts and within your business itself. Gone are the days of needing overly polished, high-budget video productions to capture attention. Yes, there is a time and a place for this, however, with the correct tools and know-how, a sharp video can be produced in less than 30 minutes on a smartphone.

Today, consumers crave real and relatable content that showcases the personality behind the brand. Embrace the off-the-cuff style that resonates with your target audience.

Focus on delivering messages that are engaging, whether they are educational, entertaining, inspirational, or simply timely. By being authentic and true to your brand’s voice, you can establish a genuine connection with your audience.

Social proof: leveraging customer reviews and testimonials.

In today’s digital age, customer reviews hold more weight than ever before.

However, it’s essential to ensure that these reviews are genuine and

trustworthy, as people have become increasingly aware of fake reviews.

Authenticity should also extend to your selection of customer testimonials. By featuring a diverse range of customers from different walks of life, your audience can better relate to your brand.

Taking social proof one step further, consider incorporating photo and video reviews. These visual testimonials can provide a more powerful impact, allowing prospective members to see real people achieving their fitness goals with the help of your gym.

When selecting individuals for these reviews, be mindful of choosing those who align with your target audience.

This way, you can ensure that your marketing efforts have the desired effect. For instance, if you are targeting

30-50 year old deconditioned females with a digital media advert, it would be counterproductive to use a video review from a 24-year-old male competitive athlete. The aim is to create a sense of connection and establish trust with your potential customers.

Building communities: cultivating a sense of belonging.

Marketing for gyms is not limited to paid advertisements and signage. It encompasses everything you do as a brand, both inside and outside the gym. Building communities that people want to be a part of is a powerful strategy for attracting and retaining customers.

Take inspiration from successful models like F45, where members proudly showcase their affiliation on social media, taking photos with company branding and posting about their experiences.

To cultivate a sense of community, consider organising club events and partnering with other companies or charities that align with your brand values. These initiatives not only provide opportunities for engagement but also showcase your commitment to creating a positive impact beyond fitness.

Additionally, emphasise the importance of your staff’s interactions with members and potential customers. The way your team engages and supports individuals can significantly influence their decision to join or stay with your gym. Systems like Myzone are also brilliant at creating that sense of community within your club.

Precision targeting: tailoring your message to your ideal customers

Competition in the fitness industry is at an all-time high, making it crucial to differentiate your gym from others.

Not only are you competing against gyms and health clubs, but there is also an abundance of alternative fitness offerings available today, such as online workouts, functional fitness, cross-fit, box fit, running groups and everything in between.

It’s vital to have a clear understanding of your target market. Precision targeting involves identifying your ideal customers and tailoring your messaging to speak directly to them.

By focusing on a specific niche or demographic, you can create a unique value proposition that resonates with your target audience.

Craft your marketing messages to highlight the benefits and features that are most relevant to their needs and aspirations.

Whether it’s convenience, community, or specialised training programs, your messaging should be tailored to address their pain points and showcase how your gym is the perfect fit for them.

In conclusion, the marketing landscape for gyms is constantly evolving, and it’s essential to adapt to the latest trends and strategies. This is by no means an exhaustive list and in fact, I have only scraped the surface, but I hope you were able to take something away you can implement at your club.

n Kate Landers is the advertising accounts manager at Creative Fitness Marketing.

Kate Landers

NOMINATION FORM

Category entered:

Gym name:

Gym opened: Postcode:

Full address:

Telephone number: Job title: Mobile number:

Main contact:

Email:

Total size (in sqm) of the gym/centre (including pool, studios etc):

What is the total of your current membership:

What is the total number of staff (Full Time):

What is the total number of staff (Part Time):

How many studios (if any) do you have:

Facilities provided: (tick all that apply)

Gym facilities Sports hall Pool Creche Restaurant/cafe Spa facilities

Do you offer any other facilities? Please specify:

Do you offer any classes? Please specifiy:

Person making nomination:

Telephone number of person making nomination:

Email of person making nomination:

Supporting information must be sent to via email to events@scriptmedia.co.uk (tick if evidence sent)

Please see overleaf for the rest of the form

Please return to: Megan Prince, Script Events, Script Media Group LTD, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS

NOMINATION FORM

Please state, in 300 words or less, why you are entering the category indicated and why you think that your gym/centre/individual should be shortlisted:

Please see overleaf for the rest of the form

Please return to: Megan Prince, Script Events, Script Media Group LTD, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS

New initiative to deliver unique sporting opportunities for people with disabilities

LEISURE operator Everyone Active has joined forces with Superhero Series powered by Marvel, to increase sporting opportunities for people with disabilities.

The Superhero Series – the UK’s only mass-participation sports series dedicated to people with disabilities –will be supported through sponsorship and free training facilities at Everyone Active facilities, for all competitors.

The partnership will kick off at The Superhero Series At Home event – a virtual race open to everyone from July 8 to August 6. The event will see teams participating at home, in the garden or at a local park to complete a combined distance of 51,060km.

With more than 2,400 total

participants, aged between three and 81, already signed up – the first event of this year’s series will see people with any kind of disability come together to compete in a unique, solo or team challenge from their home.

Everyone Active will be offering all participants the chance to train at their leisure facilities ahead of the event, with two months free membership across their public swimming sessions at all swimming pools (available between July 8 to September 10).

The second event of the summer series will be a Superhero Tri powered by Marvel on August 12. The event will take place at Dorney Lake, Windsor, with three distances to choose from and many ways to take part in these unique

tri challenges. Participants can take on all three stages on their own (swim, cycle and push or run), or share the fun in a team relay, or Superheroes can recruit teammates to help them around the entire course.

Everyone Active’s strategic lead – health and wellbeing, Rebecca Phillips, said: “We are proud to support this fantastic series of events, which champion inclusive activity for all. Over the coming months, we’ll be engaging with our customers and Superhero Series participants, to support their training and showcase the benefits of physical activity.

“We’ll also be using the opportunity to further educate our colleagues and ensure our sites are inclusive and

accessible for all disabled people.

“Inclusivity is one of the Everyone Active core values, and this is a brilliant example of what can be done to help break down barriers in physical activity and make a real difference to support people with disabilities.”

Superhero Series founder Sophia Warner added: “We are delighted to be working with the team at Everyone Active. We understand the importance of providing accessible facilities for people with disabilities and more importantly that they have the confidence to use them.

“We are excited about the opportunities that this partnership brings for the Superhero Series and for the disabled community as a whole.”

BPL appoints Joni Millthorpe as its new head of operations

AWARD winning charitable trust BPL has appointed Joni Millthorpe in the newly created role of head of operations.

Joni has worked for BPL for almost 20 years, starting as a sales advisor at Hoyland Leisure Centre.

She previously worked as contract manager across BPL’s Barnsleybased sites, and in her new role will be covering the full portfolio of the operator’s facilities across Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.

Joni said: “BPL is a great place to work. It’s such a diverse organisation where no two days are the same.

“This is a unique role, looking after a huge remit across our contracts including our fitness facilities, waterpark and events arena.

“It’s a really exciting opportunity to do something different and I’m looking forward to a new challenge.”

The head of operations role has been created at a pivotal time for BPL, as the

trust looks to set out its new strategy and vision for the future.

Joni added: “We’re consulting with local partners and stakeholders to look at our vision and purpose moving forward and the positive contribution we can continue to make to the health of our communities.

“There are some fantastic opportunities. Our teams and facilities are a huge part of the solution to helping reduce health inequalities, so

we’re looking forward to continuing to strengthen pathways with our partners and ensuring we’re integral in making our communities feel good.

“This is a pinnacle moment for BPL, as we set our direction as a force for good.

“I’m really excited about what that will bring for us. To be able to make a difference to people’s lives as part of your job is amazing.

“I love this industry. I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

Campaign attracts 218 new members in eight weeks

JUVENATE Health & Leisure Club in Edinburgh recently experienced a significant boost in membership numbers with the successful completion of an eight-week sales and marketing campaign.

The campaign, spearheaded by Creative Fitness Marketing, brought in a healthy 218 new members, resulting in a monthly income increase of £3,000. This marks the third successful campaign run by CFM at this location, solidifying its reputation as experts in fitness marketing.

In an industry as competitive as fitness, it is essential for health clubs to continuously innovate when it comes to marketing strategies.

CFM understands this well and combined various marketing channels to maximise reach and attract new members.

One of the key elements of the

campaign was the use of print media which was designed to give prospective members a snapshot view of the club and to build value in the offering. An eye-catching design was created

following the ‘Z flow’ advertising pattern to ensure both style and effectiveness was achieved.

Recognising the power of digital marketing, CFM also made use of various online platforms.

They created a strong online presence through targeted advertising on platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram.

By reaching out to potential members through these channels, the club effectively tapped into the online community and generated significant interest in the club.

Jonny from CFM said: “Video marketing also played a vital role in showcasing the club’s facilities and USPs it offered.

“Engaging videos were shared on social media platforms, providing potential members with an immersive glimpse into the environment that awaited them at Juvenate.”

The success of this campaign demonstrates the effectiveness of combining different marketing channels to achieve maximum impact.

By utilising print media, signage, and digital marketing, CFM were able to target a wide range of audiences.

Their expert team completed the process with a value-building sales process to sign new members up.

With these outstanding campaign results, Juvenate Health & Leisure Club has now solidified its position as a premier fitness destination in Edinburgh.

As the fitness industry becomes increasingly competitive, health clubs must remain proactive in their marketing efforts to stay ahead of the game. CFM provide its services to any location in the UK and Ireland.

To find out if your club is suitable for a campaign visit www.cfm.net or call Jonny or Harry on 0115 777

Advertiser’s announcement

Trio added to ukactive’s executive team

ukactive has formally announced three new additions to its executive team –Clemency Lion (neé Huggins), Marianne Boyle and Jules Booker.

Clemency is the latest executive to be appointed, taking over from Jack Shakespeare as director of research, policy and communications as he ends six years with the organisation and joins ukactive partner, 4Global,.

Clemency has spent the past year working in government as a special advisor and in Parliament as a chief of staff, building on three years of parliamentary experience.

She has also held a variety of policy, public affairs and strategic communications roles, both inhouse and as a consultant, delivering campaigns across a range of sectors.

Clemency said: “I am looking forward to using my experience of government and parliamentary campaigns to drive ukactive forward in achieving its policy goals, delivering results for members and the wider sector.

“During times of political and societal uncertainty I will be keeping my finger on the pulse to provide strategic guidance and deliver exceptional results for ukactive and our members.”

Marianne Boyle has been promoted to director of membership and sector development following three years as head of partnerships and strategic lead for infrastructure. She takes over from Steven Scales, who recently joined ukactive partner, Gladstone.

With more than 15 years’ experience in the fitness and leisure sector, including senior management roles delivering multi-million-pound projects in public health and leisure services and higher education, Marianne brings extensive knowledge and experience to the role.

She said: “It is an absolute honour to be stepping into the role of director for member services and sector

development. The last three years at ukactive have enabled me to witness the vital role our members play in contributing to the health of the nation, from suppliers, to the independent, budget, public and private operators, whose facilities are at the very heart of local communities across the UK.

“My promise on behalf of ukactive is that we will continue to keep our members at the heart of everything we do and every decision we make.

“I am excited to play an integral role in supporting our sector to thrive, by providing outstanding member experience, impactful events and marketing, and expertise and research across health, inclusion, digital, children and young people, infrastructure, and policy.”

Chartered certified accountant Jules Booker joined ukactive in 2019 as head of finance and, after leading several successful finance transformation projects, was promoted to finance director in 2022, before this year becoming director of business operations.

As well as driving operational improvements at ukactive, she has been a key contributor to the organisational business plan and strategy and brings substantial senior experience from the non-profit and charity sectors.

Jules said: “I am excited to progress ukactive’s strategic priorities by developing highly efficient business operations, systems and processes to support high-quality services for our members, and to ensure ukactive

continues to be a great place to work for our colleagues.”

CEO of ukactive, Huw Edwards, added: “I am delighted to welcome Marianne, Jules and Clemency to our executive team, marking the next phase in our organisation’s evolution as we strive for the highest possible standards for our members and society.

“Each of these individuals brings the experience and knowledge to drive us forward at a pivotal time for our sector’s development, growth, and ambition to lead a more active, healthier population.

“We are excited about their contribution to ukactive’s Vision 2030, and I am confident they will help ukactive and our members to go from strength to strength over the coming years.”

Brand goes from strength to strength

STRENGTH and fitness brand PRIMAL has delivered its most successful trading period to date with £17million of new business wins.

The business has also seen a substantial boost in invoiced sales revenue over the past five years, with annual turnover reaching £15.5million in the year ending April 2023, a 400 per cent increase from 2019.

The UK-based company, which specialises in the manufacture of premium strength equipment and the design of bespoke fitness spaces, is now working towards its ambitious threeyear plan to reach revenue of more than £25m.

Founded in 2016, PRIMAL has a growing portfolio of high-profile clients in the domestic and overseas markets. It counts JD Gyms and Energie Fitness as customers, as well as having PRIMAL Performance Centres at Celtic and Burnley football clubs.

It has also fitted out bespoke home gyms for major sports stars and film personalities including James McAvoy, Jonny Bairstow, Jason Robinson and Sam Warburton.

The fitness brand, which is led by founder and CEO Steven Rinaldi and backed by Flywheel Partners, links its recent success with the growing strength training trend around the world. In the past year, PRIMAL recorded its largest

growth in the international sphere, expanding into 25 countries worldwide including in Europe, United Arab Emirates and South Africa where it is set to install its equipment in more than 100 locations for Virgin Active.

Steven said: “The way people perceive fitness has changed massively in the last decade. Gyms used to be stacked with rows of running and cardio machines, but now there is a real appreciation and understanding of the benefits of weight training.

“Strength work is essential for improving fitness and can help to prevent injury. It also burns calories and

improves heart health. There has been a distinct surge in this type of training in recent years, particularly amongst females.

“We pride ourselves on being an industry-leading and innovative brand, which provides first-of-its-kind equipment. This mindset has allowed us to stay ahead of industry trends and coupled with the growth in working out at home, has created a fantastic opportunity for a premium brand like PRIMAL to flourish.”

PRIMAL’s strategic focus is now on further penetration of commercial gym spaces in the UK as well as continued

growth in selected global territories through exclusive distribution relationships. It will also target sales to home consumers through its refined online platform.

During Covid the business saw an opportunity to expand into the home gym market and began creating compact equipment that fits seamlessly into the home space.

With demand for home gym spaces continuing, today its Personal Series accounts for 30 per cent of its total business.

Steven added: “PRIMAL is driven by a belief that ‘strength is in us all’, and we have set out to create world-leading functional spaces that anyone can use.

“We are on an upward trajectory with the best team in the business and after a few years of establishing the brand, we’re now making our mark on the domestic and global stage.

“We have a number of strategic partnerships in place, which we will continue to grow and maximise as we work towards our vision of making PRIMAL a household name and Europe’s leading strength and fitness brand.”

With the backing and support of Flywheel Partners, PRIMAL is also selectively evaluating strategic acquisition opportunities that may further enhance the company’s scale and customer offering.

Marianne Boyle, Clemency Lion and Jules Booker.

Precor reaffirms itself in the premium sector with all-new executive team

PRECOR has made a series of appointments to its executive team.

Following the appointment of Dustin Grosz as chief executive officer and Frank O’Rourke as senior vice president of global sales earlier this year, the fitness equipment supplier has now appointed Simon Overing as its new UK sales leader.

A seasoned industry professional, Simon began his fitness career as a PT in the armed forces. He has a wide range of UK/EMEA sales leadership experience spanning 23 years.

Based in Nottinghamshire, Simon is ideally located in the heart of the country to lead the Precor UK sales team.

He said: “I was excited by the chance to work with one of world’s leading brands; a product of this quality was too big to say no to – it’s an awesome opportunity.

“We are directly responsible for our own destiny and are super clear on what we are trying to achieve and how.

“For me, that’s making sure our customers know we’re here to support them and ensuring our actions speak louder than words.

“People, whether that’s customers, staff or Partners, are what the

business is all about and we must prioritise them with our time, empathy and integrity; that’s where success comes from.”

In his most recent role prior to joining Precor, Simon developed and executed sales and marketing plans to increase sales and market share throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.

Thanks to further appointments, Precor now has an all-new global executive team.

Dustin Grosz has more than 30 years of experience in the industry and brings a deep knowledge of fitness and wellness alongside

a proven track record of leading companies through transformational growth.

Frank O’Rourke joined Precor to lead company engagement with customers and grow the company’s sales and distribution relationships across multiple geographies. He brings three decades of industry experience from senior leadership and sales management positions at Core Health and Fitness and Nautilus, Inc.

Kelsey Hennessy, an experienced HR professional, joins as global head of human resources while Mitchell Pavao has been appointed vice

president of global technology.

Kelsey, most recently a senior people business partner with Peloton, will support Precor by establishing best people practices during this period of growth and transformation.

Pavao has contributed expertise to the Precor team for the past two years in his role as senior director, M&A technology at Peloton.

He has previously held head of technology positions at Myspace, SpinMedia and Leaf Group.

Jon Sullivan joins the team as chief financial officer, having worked for eight years at Amazon, supporting Amazon Web Services and the Prime Video business.

Dave Mendenall joins as senior vice president of global operations and supply chain, coming to Precor with more than 20 years’ experience in the fitness and technology industries.

“These appointments mark an important milestone, signalling the next chapter for Precor,” added Simon.

“Precor is back to doing what it does best, producing reliable commercial fitness equipment and delivering on our customers’ needs through a full-service hands-on consultative partnership approach.”

Absolute Performance collaborate with Hawkin Dynamics

ABSOLUTE Performance, the Cardiff based gym design and installation business, has announced a new collaboration with US movement solutions specialist Hawkin Dynamics.

Hawkin Dynamics is world-renowned for its range of athlete testing products that make the most of technology.

Products such as force plates are used for the measurement of ground reaction forces for example power, displacement and asymmetry during movements such as jumping, the latest wireless force plates enable the user to see accurate data output on a paired mobile device.

Alistair Rosier, head of sales and marketing at Absolute Performance, said “The collaboration with Hawkin Dynamics is a great demonstration of

the growing appreciation there is for Absolute Performance in the strength and conditioning industry.

“It allows both businesses to benefit from knowledge sharing and product development which will ultimately mean we bring even better products to our customers.”

The collaboration between the two companies sees Hawkin Dynamics select Absolute Performance’s Isometric Pull Rig with Back Squat Extension as their preferred product for European distribution.

The Iso Pull Rig has been through several stages of advancement with development input from leading universities and Premier League football clubs.

When combined with the force plates, the rig allows athletes to develop strength and power and be able to test and show development progress. At 65kg the rig is relatively lightweight, easily transportable and simple to pack away when athlete testing is completed. A recent improvement to the rig is the introduction of a Belt Squat attachment.

Hawkin Dynamics has chosen to take advantage of Absolute Performance’s European distribution network as it continues to expand product availability beyond its traditional US home market.

For Absolute Performance the collaboration further demonstrates its strategy of only aligning with top-tier manufacturers that share the same values of quality and performance.

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