Inside Spa has shown that top quality facilities are not the prerogative of affluent areas
Steady growth:
Luxury facilities like the hydrotherapy pool have helped revenues at Inside Spa reach £344,000 a year
PHIL STOREY CEO PENDLE LEISURE TRUST
Why did you want to expand the spa? The trust sees Inside Spa as an investment opportunity and wants to maximise its potential as both a local and regional facility of note. Throughout 2010, demand for Inside Spa services rose to a level that indicated the need for capital investment to extend the facilities, and work was completed in March 2011. The spa is now in its fourth year of operation and the demand is incredible.
How would you describe your achievement so far? What makes the trust’s efforts unique is that the spa brings something to the public that’s normally a private sector venture, and specifically targets people from a wider variety of backgrounds.
august 2011 © cybertrek 2011
The management and therapy
team have established the facility as a community asset that not only caters for Pendle but also attracts customers from beyond the borough – a notable achievement given that the facility is in a deprived ward.
How did you create the business model for Inside Spa? The concept came about as part of the extension of Pendle Wavelengths leisure pool, with both the trust and Pendle Council deciding to move away from building a traditional sports hall facility and opting instead for a spa and fitness complex to rival anything the private sector could offer. Stress is a major health concern in the area, and a holistic spa helped meet this need.
What challenges have you faced? Getting people to believe that anything so good could exist in Nelson was a challenge, and lots of people were unsure about what we meant by a spa. Some had experienced one on holiday, but it wasn’t a regular activity for most Pendle residents. The initial challenge was
therefore getting people to visit and see the facility for themselves – having done so, they were converted.
What lessons have you learned? Inside Spa has shown that top quality facilities and services of this type are not the prerogative of more affluent areas. With a dedicated management team, creative marketing, partner support and community endorsement, there’s no reason why they should not flourish. The spa is now attracting customers
from up to 50 miles away as a result of our marketing strategy and word of mouth. This, in turn, has had additional benefi ts for the local economy and tourism as people explore the Pendle area.
What about future plans? Nelson is undergoing a programme of regeneration after years of under- investment and stagnation. Inside Spa has a strategic role to play within this regeneration, and within the health agenda locally and nationally. It provides a very good business model; we’re considering taking the brand to neighbouring boroughs to set up satellite treatment rooms.
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