HEALTH & FITNESS IN BRIEF
Work to resume on Oswestry leisure centre Work is to resume at the £7.5m
Oswald Park Active Lifestyle Centre in Oswestry, Shropshire, after a new contractor was appointed to deliver the scheme. Northern Ireland-based Graham Construction was awarded the contract after the Shrewsbury- based Frank Galliers – which started work on the project in March 2009 – left the project due to financial difficulties in January. The new complex will boast a 25m swimming pool, a training pool and a fitness suite
Wiltshire to invest £117m on facilities A number of local authority-
run leisure centres in Wiltshire are to be handed over to the public, but £117m will be spent on upgrading existing facilities or building replacement centres. Wiltshire Council confirmed that Corsham, Downton, Pewsbury, Tisbury, Westbury and Wootton Bassett leisure centres would be transferred, as well as Westbury and Bradford-on-Avon swimming pools. The decision was taken after the council said it would need to spend £93m to maintain the existing 23 facilities in the next 15 years, and in the present financial climate was deemed not to be "affordable or sustainable".
Fusion Lifestyle to run Enfield facilities Four facilities in Enfield,
London, are to receive nearly £9m worth of improvements over the next three years after Fusion Lifestyle was appointed to run council-owned sites. A total of seven sites will be run on behalf of Enfield Council, with Albany, Southbury, Southgate and Edmonton leisure centres to be revamped. The operator will also run Arnos Pool, Aspire Sports and Fitness Centre and Bramley Bowls Centre as part of the deal.
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Branson set to sell off Virgin Active? Health club operator "in talks" with a number of potential bidders for the business
By Tom Walker A number of private equity groups are considering making a bid for health and fitness operator Virgin Active. Blackstone and CVC Capital
Partners, both of which already have investments in the leisure sector, are among companies looking to take over "a considerable size" of the business. Part of Sir Richard Branson's
Virgin Group, Virgin Active currently operates 72 health clubs in the UK and also has operations in the Mediterra- nean and South Africa. It is understood that
Branson would retain a share in Virgin Active as part of any takeover deal. Two private equity compa-
nies – Permira and Bridge- point Capital – already hold stakes in the chain after being part of a deal to sell the
Work starts on Oxford scheme
Work has started on a revamp of Oxford's Barton Pool to provide a 40-station gym, improved changing facilities and a new reception area. Improvements will also
be carried out on the 25m pool and existing studio as part of work at the four-year-old facility, which is to be renamed Barton Leisure Centre and is run by Fusion Lifestyle. An extension next to
the pool and entrance will house the new facilities and is designed in the same style as the complex, while also incorporating eco-friendly measures.
Virgin Active currently operates more than 70 clubs across the UK
Holmes Place chain to Virgin in September 2006. Virgin Active is currently in
the midst of an aggressive expansion push in Europe. Last year, the company
announced plans to launch 25 new health clubs throughout northern Italy over the next three years, while also having
"sizeable" market shares in both Spain and Portugal.
The group has more than 90
sites in South Africa, with more scheduled to open this year, and an international portfolio currently standing at just short of 190 clubs. The group reported annual revenues of £391m for 2009
–a 15 per cent inrease on 2008. Pre-tax profits for 2009 were £101.1m, up from £85.5m in the previous year.
Two new openings for Gym Group By Tom Walker
Budget club operator The Gym Group has opened a new site in Birmingham, increasing the number of sites in the com- pany's portfolio to eight. The new club, located on
Birmingham High Street, is the second new Gym to open this month, following the launch of Brighton Gym on 7 July. The 22,000sq ft (2,044sq m)
Birmingham site – equipped by Matrix – is the operator's largest site to date and boasts 170 pieces of equipment. The Gym Group chief
executive officer John Treharne, said: "The opening of Birming- ham and Brighton is another exciting milestone for us.
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The budget chain plans to expand across the country
"We are now over halfway
through our national roll-out and it's great to see the concept coming to life. The Gym Group also operates
fitness facilities in Guildford, Surrey; Leicester; Liverpool; and Manchester, as well as a further two clubs in London – Hounslow and Vauxhall
© Cybertrek 2010
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