Health Club Management January 2013

News and jobs updated daily on www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk Edited by Tom Walker. Email: tomwalker@leisuremedia.com Budget brands join forces

Low-cost fitness operator The Gym Group is to partner with budget hotel chain Travelodge as part of plans to find 10 new co-location sites in London and the south-east. The two companies will

invest a total of £70m in the venture. As part of its expansion plans in London, The Gym Group has set itself the target of 20 gyms in the capital by the end of 2013. Meanwhile, Travelodge is

Female-focused sports project Us Girls expands

Us Girls has launched a new national scheme designed to improve the wellbeing of young women in England through increased sports participation. Us Girls Alive will add to the existing

The Gym Group and Travelodge will seek development sites together

seeking to secure deals for an additional 50 hotels (5,030 rooms) by 2020. The new deal is an extension of an existing

partnership between the two companies: The Gym Group currently operates four clubs at Travelodge hotels, in Plymouth, Guildford, Waterloo and Wembley. Travelodge’s MD for development, Paul Harvey, says: “The four co-locations with The Gym Group have worked enormously well for both parties, so it makes

absolute sense for us to look for, and secure, sites together. This really helps us with our growth plans for London and the south-east. “Given the space requirements of both

companies, as well as our compatible business models, it really is the perfect fit: The Gym Group on the ground or lower ground floor and Travelodge on the floors above.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=5I4d7

Confidence ‘on the up’ among managers

More than a third (42 per cent) of all senior managers working in the UK health and fitness industry are confident that the performance of their businesses will improve over the next 12 months. The figure – from the latest Fitness Industry

Confidence Survey (FICS), compiled by customer insight specialist Leisure-net Solutions, is considerably higher than two years ago, when only 17 per cent of managers were optimistic about their business’ future. The industry’s confidence in improving

primary income streams is also up – the figure has risen to more than a third (39 per cent) this year, up from 23 per cent in 2010. However, when asked about the state of the

UK economy as a whole, 40 per cent expect things to get worse and only 13 per cent are optimistic about the next 12 months – the remaining 47 per cent expect the economy to remain roughly the same. When asked about the one major challenge for 2013, 37

42 per cent feel their business will improve this year

per cent saw the economy in general as the main threat. The uncertain economy and the rapid

expansion of budget fitness chains has left its mark on the industry in 2012 – 59 per cent of health club managers said they had experienced increased competition for revenue in the past 12 months. Details: http://lei.sr?a=R0k3g

Vodafone invests in redevelopment of HQ gym

Telecoms giant Vodafone has appointed interior design and brand communication expert Platform to redevelop its employee wellness space at its HQ in Newbury, Berkshire. Working with provider of employee wellbeing services, Nuffield Health, which

January 2013 © Cybertrek 2013

operates the franchise within Edison House, Platform has been tasked with turning the gym into a dynamic exercise space that fits with the corporate branding. The new space is spread over 1,430 sq m. Details: http://lei.sr?a=K4U4p

Xercise4Less has seven gyms in the north of England

Xercise4Less secures new site in Hull

Budget fitness chain Xercise4Less has secured planning permission for a site in Hull. The chain currently has seven sites – in Bolton, Castleford, Wigan, Doncaster, Leeds, Wakefield and Stockton- on-Tees – and offers memberships for as little as £9.99 a month. Following the blueprint, the Hull site will

have 30,000sq ft of gym space zoned into different areas, including cardio, free weights and a combat zone with a full size boxing ring, a women-only area and space for personal training and indoor cycling classes. Details: http://lei.sr?a=C2Y6I

Fraserburgh leisure centre ahead of schedule

Fraserburgh residents are to be given the chance to have their say in the running of a new £9m leisure centre, which is currently ahead of schedule and will be ready to open in February. A public open day will give members

of the community the opportunity to express their views on the facilities and how the amenities can be used to help as many residents as possible. Details: http://lei.sr?a=r1W3z

Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 13

Us Girls sports participation programme – a female-only scheme delivered by a consortium of organisations and led by national sport development charity StreetGames. The initiative will support young female volunteers to assist in the development of Us Girls Alive clubs and to promote local physical activity programmes. Details: http://lei.sr?a=2a9r2

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