health and fitness Kiss Gyms to pursue UK expansion pETE HaymaN


Privately-owned health club group Kiss Gyms has announced that it has appointed Sports Solutions to identify and acquire new sites to push forward its “aggres- sive” expansion strategy. Kiss Gyms – led by CEO


Rupert McKenzie-Hill – launched its first 15,600sq ſt (1,449sq m) site in Milton Keynes earlier this year. McKenzie-Hill has already


revealed the company’s plans to expand its business across the UK, backed by a combi- nation of private, bank and venture capital funding. Sports Solutions has now been named as the chain’s property advisor and tasked with sourcing suitable locations for an additional 20 health clubs for Kiss Gyms by 2012. McKenzie-Hill said: “Sports Solutions’ experience in securing sites throughout the


West Sussex is one of the areas to be selected as an ‘early implementer’


UK will enable us to achieve our ambition to open good quality, low cost gyms.” Chris Bevan, the managing director at Sports


Solutions added: “We have been appointed to to assist [Kiss Gyms] in finding suitable sites in key areas in the UK and to help them achieve their exciting expansions plans.”


New fitness facilities for Redhill complex pETE HaymaN


Reigate and Banstead Borough Council (RBBC) has opened a new fitness suite at Donyngs Recreation Centre in Redhill – part of its wider £3.4m refurbishment at the venue. Te gym has been supplied


with 100 pieces of Life Fitness equipment, which includes cv, resistance and free weights stations. An audio-visual sys- tem has also been installed. Some stations feature


removable seating to cater for wheelchairs and ensure the centre can work towards the Inclusive Fitness Initiative’s (IFI) standard. Meanwhile, a youth gym has also been cre-


Life Fitness has supplied 100 pieces of equipment as part of the project RBBC executive member for leisure and


ated for 11-16 year olds, boasting dance mats and a target board, along with three new treat- ment rooms offering physiotherapy.


wellbeing Adam De Save said: “One of the aims of the refurbishment is to reach out to all members of the community including chil- dren, older people and families.”


Bridgwater swimming pool plans move forward pETE HaymaN


Plans for a new swimming pool in Bridgwater have received a boost aſter Somerset County Council approved detailed plans. Te complex – green lighted by the council’s regulation committee – will be sited at the new


6 Keiser is one of the members of the partnership


Equipment suppliers launch The FIT Group


Tom walKER


A new partnership has been launched, bringing together equipment firms within the fitness industry to offer operators choice and best value. Te founder members of Te FIT Group


include: gym80, Trixter, Keiser, BodyCore, Harlands Group, GymKit UK, Freedom Climber and Talk Twenty 1. Each member of Te FIT Group pays a


small monthly fee, which will collectively give the group a greater budget to spend on marketing, PR and lead generation.


Gwynedd moves forward with leisure review


pETE HaymaN


Chilton Trinity School being built under the Building Schools for the Future programme. Proposals for the Scott Brownrigg


Architects-designed facility include a 25m x 13m pool; a 13m x 7m training pool; changing rooms; and a 25-station fitness suite.


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital


Gwynedd Council’s care scrutiny commit- tee has backed plans to embark on the next phase of a strategic review into local sports and leisure services provision, as well as a number of “high-level outcomes” that the local authority will aim to achieve. Gwynedd Council corporate direc-


tor Dafydd Lewis said: “Tese priorities include ensuring that residents have access to a range of opportunities to undertake physical activities where everyone will buy into an active healthy lifestyle.”


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2011


Fergus Kee to join Fitbug Holdings as executive chair


Tom walKER


Fitbug Holdings, the AIM-listed online personal health company, has announced the appointment of Fergus Kee as execu- tive chair with immediate effect. He replaces Allan Fisher who is to step


down from the role to pursue other business interests – although he will remain with the company as a non-executive director. Kee has spent most of his career within


the health and retail sectors, which has included 18 years with the international healthcare company, Bupa.


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