M/Jun 2023. £6 www.paf-media.co.uk also in this issue: Free heat for pools New technology provides free hot water for leisure centre Body Composition technology How to make the most of these increasingly popular products NTU’s new Sport and Wellbeing Academy University aims to cut health inequalities and boost students’ employability
Welcome... paf-media.co.uk 3 leader Sport and Wellbeing Academy Nottingham Trent University is launching a Sport and Wellbeing Academy at its Clifton Campus to offer exercise and nutritional support for patients via NHS referral, while providing students with essential experience to equip them for skilled roles in the sector. (P13) Editor Vicky Kiernander Sales director Julian Walter Production Nicola Cann Design Sandra Cid Managing director Toby Filby Publishers Stable Publishing Limited SBC House, Restmor Way, Wallington, Surrey SM6 7AH, England. t. 020 8288 1080 f. 020 8288 1099 e. info@stable-media.co.uk www.paf-media.co.uk The publishers do not necessarily agree with views expressed by contributors and cannot accept responsibility for claims made by manufacturers and authors, nor do they accept any responsibility for any errors in the subject matter of this publication. Moving in menopause MENOPAUSE is a natural part of a woman’s life and 51 per cent of the population will experience menopause. Yet, this demographic is not particularly well-served by the sport and physical activity sector. The benefits of exercising during menopause are wide-ranging, but with symptoms including 'brain fog', fatigue, joint pain, migraines and anxiety, the menopause can present real barriers to exercise. According to research by Women in Sport, just under a third of women drop off from physical activity during menopause, despite wanting to be active. The subject of our interview, Christien Bird, is determined to change this. A women’s health physiotherapist and exercise champion, she is co-founder of Menopause Movement, a provider of specialist online training for health practitioners, fitness professionals and organisations to treat and train women in menopause. The company has partnered with Places Leisure to create its inaugural Move through Menopause course and is working with other health and fitness providers to improve women’s experience of menopause through exercise. She wants the sector to remove the barriers to exercise for women going through menopause, provide safe and judgement-free environments where they can be active and help them take control of their health and wellbeing. (P15) Also in this issue, we look at a new pilot being run by London Sport along with a variety of partners which has seen a vacant unit in Lewisham Shopping Centre transformed into an activity space offering free sessions for the community. (P24) Part of the charity’s wider Space for Girls project which aims to tackle the high levels of inactivity amongst women and girls in London, the hub aims to showcase how ‘dead spaces’ can be repurposed into informal activity spaces to meet local need. According to Green MP Sian Berry, there are 442 council-owned sites which are currently out of their normal use. These include industrial units, retail units and offices, which could be used to create similar activity hubs offering accessible sport and physical activity opportunities. Vicky Kiernander Editor vicky@stable-media.co.uk SUPPORTED BY
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paf-media.co.uk 5 contents paf-media.co.uk 07 News Green light for £9m Community Health Hub and WilkinsonEyre appointed to redevelop the Tavern and Allen Stands at Lord’s Cricket Ground 13 Health & wellbeing: New Sport and Wellbeing Academy Nottingham Trent University’s new academy aims to reduce health inequalities in the local community while boosting students’ employability skills 15 Interview: Christien Bird The women’s health physio who is determined to improve women’s experience of menopause through exercise 19 Event preview: PAF 2023 The must-attend event for all those involved in the design, build, management and supply of sports, play, recreation and leisure facilities 21 Sustainability: Free heat for public pools Brand new technology is supplying free heat to a public swimming pool to cut energy bills 24 Community: Repurposing dead spaces for activity London Sport and its partners transform a vacant shopping unit into a wellbeing hub offering free activities 27 Event preview: Elevate 2023 The UK’s largest trade show for physical activity, fitness and sport therapy returns with over 200 expert speakers 29 Fitness: A more accurate picture of health With increasing demand for body composition products, how can operators maximise this technology? 33 Sports lighting: Time is running out for the fluorescent lamp Fluorescent lights are being phased out; it’s time to plan your sports lighting future inside this issue
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paf-media.co.uk 7 news Grants to improve lives through tennis THE LTA Tennis Foundation has announced a £1.5m cash boost for a range of tennis projects. Initiatives set to benefit from the funding include those supporting disabled people, lower socio-economic groups, mental health, the rehabilitation of ex-offenders and families living in temporary accommodation. The foundation is a grant and loan making charity and opened its first application window at the end of last year. In total 29 applications were submitted from a diverse range of organisations and projects including other tennis charities. Following a rigorous assessment process, a total of £1.5m in grants was approved across three years. Both the organisation and the projects proposed were evaluated against key themes of eligibility, assurance, capability, relevance, benefits and value. There will be a second window for grant applications later this year, which will close in September. Successful projects include Living Well UK’s Tennis Got Served, which will receive funding to support children living in temporary accommodation in developing their physical health and mental wellbeing as well as increasing their confidence, reducing social isolation and bringing together people from different backgrounds. Access Sport will create and launch a new disability inclusive tennis offer for children and young people. Initially launching in three target locations across 10 clubs, the one-year test and learn project will enable Access Sport to shape the offer and create a national programme with new resources that will enable them to scale the project nationally. “By collaborating with other charities and third sector organisations the foundation is challenging the status quo, looking for opportunities to invest in new and innovative projects that will make a real difference through tennis,” said Tim Lawler MBE, LTA Tennis Foundation chair. WORK is set to get underway on a new community hub in a Nottinghamshire town after the district council approved plans and secured significant funding for its Health Hub project. The Warsop Health Hub in Mansfield has received £3m from the government’s Towns Fund and a £1.8m capital grant from Sport England to kick-start the project. The new Hub will be delivered by Alliance Leisure, in partnership with Abacus as project manager and principal designer, architects Roberts Limbrick and contractor Pellikaan Construction. Once complete in October 2024, facilities will include a 15m x 8m pool with a splash play area for younger children, a gym, a two-court sports hall and an improved multi-use games area. The facility will also offer a café with views of the swimming pool, reception area and community facilities, including multi-purpose spaces and an IT suite. “Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy aims to provide opportunities for all people to access sport and physical activity, regardless of their backgrounds, bank balance or postcodes. The Warsop Health Hub is one of the first facilities to use our new Leisure Local concept and the site will work towards the vision set out in our recent ‘Future of Public Leisure’ report,” said Lisa Dodd-Mayne, executive director, place at Sport England. Ground works for the Warsop Health Hub are anticipated to begin this summer. Green light for £9m Community Health Hub
8 paf-media.co.uk news THE UK’s First National Open Water Swimming Centre on the beach will open to members of the public this month. More than 1,250 members have signed up to the Sea Lanes National Open Water Swimming Centre. The 50m, six lane open air heated swimming pool will be open to members of the public on a pay per swim basis. There are also beachside cold showers and lockers available for sea swimmers to use free of charge. The business space on site is fully let. Tenants include South Downs Leisure, Swimtrek, Brighton Surf Life Saving Club, Sea Gym Brighton, Paddle People, Reach Physio Therapy and Luna Wave Yoga. Following the approval of planning in March 2021, Sea Lanes Brighton was formed by a passionate group of Brighton-based businesses and open water swimming enthusiasts and is centred on physical wellbeing and environmental sustainability. The design of the scheme also respects the adjacent Grade II Madeira Terraces. “We have been on a long journey working with the local community adapting our design to reflect Brighton’s heritage and environment whilst regenerating a derelict brownfield site with what we believe will become another iconic Brighton destination,” said Joe McNulty, Sea Lanes Brighton director. Sea Lanes Brighton opens to the public Images of new-look Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre NEW images showing how Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre will look following a major redevelopment have been released ahead of planning permission, which is expected to be granted within the coming weeks. The design by architects LK2 include improved provision for football, tennis, cricket, cycling, netball and hockey with the addition of three new artificial grass football pitches and a new sports hall with indoor tennis and netball courts. Further improvements include a regenerated alpine Snowsports centre with a new ski lodge and extensions to the ski slopes, new athletics grandstand, clubhouse and changing facilities, car parking and cycle park. The former boating lake will be transformed into a family zone providing open space access to an outdoor gym, ‘learn to ride’ cycling, skatepark and children's play. The project inception first surfaced in 2013 when the Football Association requested LK2 review the football provision as a key member of the framework for a project valued at £12m. Years of engagement, investment and planning ensued with multiple stakeholders and National Governing Bodies, resulting in a significant selfsustaining project now valued at £24m. The facility is set to welcome over 260,000 visits per annum, stimulating significant social and economic benefits for the local and regional Solent community.
ess. facilities forum the physical activ 21st - 22nd Septembe De Vere Cotswold Water Park Delivering active for a sustainable vity do busine connect. meet. er 2023 e wellbeing e future m.co.uk 8 1080 ysical lored meetings, he latest trends , build or recreational ntary delegate. co.uk -events.co.uk www.paf-forum active wellbeing for a sustainable future’ call now: 020 8288 Share best practice, network and explore the latest in operation, design and delivery across phy activity facilities. With a dedicated seminar programme, ‘Delivering ’, tai drinks receptions, lunches and gala dinner. Our unique formula brings the community together providing the perfect platform to discuss th and developments whilst also offering endless networking opportunities. Attend as a supplier delegate As a supplier, you will have unprecedented access to the key decision-makers working on active projects across physical activity facilities. Book your place - julian@stable-events.co.uk Attend as a project delegate If you are involved in the design, management of sports, play or facilities join us as a complimen Secure your space - georgie.smith@stable-events.c stable- info@stable-events.co.uk
ARCHITECTS WilkinsonEyre have been appointed to redevelop the Tavern and Allen Stands at Lord’s Cricket Ground. The project is the latest in the programme of facilities upgrades at the Home of Cricket, as MCC continues to improve the match day experience for members and visitors. The Tavern Stand will be stripped back to its steel framework to enable the stand to be extended and completely rebuilt, while the smaller Allen Stand (parts of which date from the 1930s) will be demolished and a new building constructed in its place. WilkinsonEyre has previously designed and delivered the Compton and Edrich stands, which provide integrated facilities while increasing the seating capacity by 2,600. The Tavern and Allen stands are situated close to the principal members’ entrance through the Grace Gate. As well as accommodating members and guests, the buildings lead to the Grade II*-listed Pavilion. “The Tavern and Allen stands are much cherished by members. Redevelopment will greatly improve the accessibility of the stands, increase our seating capacity by approximately 1,000, provide more flexible hospitality with increased catering facilities, and will be vastly more sustainable,” said Robert Ebdon, MCC estates director. 10 paf-media.co.uk news A NEW multi-million pound Sports and Leisure Hub will consolidate Stevenage’s health and wellbeing offering, which is currently positioned across three different sites. Morgan Sindall Construction has been appointed by Stevenage Borough Council (SBC) to help deliver the facility as part of the town’s wider regeneration plans funded by the government’s Town’s Fund initiative. Stevenage Sports and Leisure Hub will be a flexible facility with swimming, studios, gym space and sports facilities. In addition to improving sports facilities for Stevenage residents it will also provide improved links between The Forum, Town Centre Gardens, Stevenage Old Town, King George V Playing Fields and residential areas beyond. As part of Morgan Sindall’s Intelligent Solutions approach, the project team will be working with SBC to embed sustainability into the design of the facility at all stages. The new facilities will be highly insulated and have equipment that will reduce running costs and greenhouse gas emissions. “Stevenage Sports and Leisure Hub will be a new focal point for the town. Having a state-of-the-art facility with the whole health and wellbeing offering under one roof, will encourage greater levels of participation in sport, delivering improvements to quality of life across Stevenage,” said David Rowsell, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Northern Home Counties. New Sports and Leisure Hub planned for Stevenage Image: © Hufton + Crow WilkinsonEyre to design new stands at Lord’s The recently completed Compton and Edrich Stands were also designed and delivered by WilkinsonEyre Image: Peter Landers Photography
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paf-media.co.uk 13 health & wellbeing Nottingham Trent University’s new academy aims to reduce health inequalities in the local community while boosting students’ employability skills for the health and fitness sector. THIS September will see the launch of a Sport and Wellbeing Academy at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) offering exercise and nutritional support and advice for patients via NHS referral. Following a year of planning, Clifton and Meadows NHS Primary Care Network Social Prescribing Service will refer patients to the academy located at NTU’s Clifton Campus. In addition to enhancing the health and wellbeing of local people, the academy will provide students with essential experience, under qualified supervision, during their studies to equip them for skilled roles in careers such as clinical exercise physiology, youth coaching and sports performance. It will also help them develop the skills needed to launch their own consultancy services in associated health and fitness and sports industries. “There is a clear health inequality for numerous groups and areas around the UK. We are passionate about helping to bridge that gap and at the same time give students the opportunity to develop hands on experience of working within the health and fitness industry, NHS Social Prescribing Service and Sport Performance sector,” says Professor Angus Hunter, head of Sports Science in Nottingham Trent University’s School of Science and Technology. “As far as we are aware, we are one of the first universities offering this type of service whilst giving students the necessary employability skills for graduate employment.” Housed within existing space at NTU, the academy will offer a studio equipped with functional fitness and assessment equipment as well as consultation rooms for private client one-to-one discussions. Five new roles will be created - two senior health and wellbeing practitioners, one marketing, one admin and one technician – to run the academy. The practitioners will work with students to oversee and supervise them working with members of the community and referred clients. Patients will receive a health and fitness assessment and supervised exercise prescription in an accessible and friendly environment run by qualified practitioners. Running five days a week, subject to demand, the academy will also support NTU sports teams in areas such as strength and conditioning, performance and biomechanical analysis. It will also offer a pathway to sports coaching in primary and secondary schools in the Nottingham area, helping to facilitate local provision of ‘The Daily Mile’, a schoolbased physical activity initiative, and involve coaching multi-sports and specialist sports in schools. “We are a research-led teaching institution with a fantastic reputation for employability and research. NTU is committed to serving local communities and has numerous projects that have evidenced these relationships. This important initiative will provide a free referral service and tackle local inequalities to support people’s health and wellbeing. Newlyappointed practitioners, university researchers and students will combine to make this a safe, welcoming and dedicated space. “Sport and exercise science at NTU has rapidly evolved over recent years and this is an opportunity to bring together our world-leading expertise and state-of-the-art equipment to create a real impact in the community.” www.ntu.ac.uk New Sport and Wellbeing Academy
CONTACT US JOIN W3FIT in 2023 Premier hosted buyer event connecting owners and operators from Europe’s top health, fitness, and leisure clubs and hotels with executives from global supplier companies innovating the fitness industry through pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings, education, and networking. W3Fit EMEA 10-13 October 2023 • Le Méridien Lav Split, Croatia Le Méridien Lav, Split a stylish, modern, luxurious resort perfectly located to explore the Croatian coast. Situated 8 km south of Split in Podstrana on the Dalmatian Coast, Le Méridien Lav, Split, enjoys a beautiful beachfront setting with fantastic sea views across to the city and surrounding islands. Its elegant guestrooms, wide choice of restaurants, spacious meeting space and, a world-class spa make this five-star resort the perfect choice for W3Fit. As a supplier, getting quality time with industry buyers is key, and W3FIT certainly provided that. Three days packed full of meetings and networking opportunities with new and existing customers has left me with lots to follow up on. Would highly recommend it. Supplier: Luke Januszek, Escape Fitness David Zarb Jenkins Co-founder, W3Fit EMEA +356 99448862 david@weworkwellevents.com www.weworkwellevents.com • www.w3fit.com Well organised and hosted event that will undoubtedly become a showpiece networking event for the fitness industry going forward. Excellent breadth of suppliers which will likely lead to exciting new partnerships for us. Buyer: Adam Watson, Nuffield Health
paf-media.co.uk 15 interview The health professional and exercise champion who is on a mission to get women fitter and stronger to improve their experience of menopause. MENOPAUSE is in the media spotlight more than ever before, yet despite this, many women are unaware of the symptoms that can assault them during this stage of life and are unprepared for how the menopause can impact their mental and physical wellbeing. Christien Bird, a seasoned women’s health physiotherapist and exercise champion, was no different. “A lot of women feel rubbish but they don’t know it’s because of the menopause. Even as a health professional, the menopause took me by surprise, so I started researching what happens to women during menopause for myself, my family and friends and also my patients.” Bird’s research uncovered a worrying amount of disinformation and a lack of evidence-based training around menopause. This discovery set her on a path that seven years on would see her launch Menopause Movement along with Jo McEwan and Ann Stephens, founders of another menopause business PositivePause. Driven by a shared belief in the power of exercise in menopause, the three ‘passionate menopause warriors’ launched Menopause Movement in 2021 to provide specialist online training for health practitioners, fitness professionals and organisations to treat and train women in menopause. “Drawing from a range of multi-disciplinary perspectives, our training allows health and fitness professionals to build their knowledge and expertise so they can work with women, share the latest information, clarify myths and ultimately help improve women’s experience of menopause.” In addition to the training, Menopause Movement offers a community where health and fitness professionals can connect with others, share experience, best practice and access ongoing training. Move through Menopause Places Leisure recently partnered with Menopause Movement to develop its inaugural Move through Menopause course. Funded by Wyre Forest District Council via the National Leisure Recovery Fund, the 12-week course aims to give women a better understanding of the menopause, what happens during each Co-founders of Menopause Movement, Christien Bird (centre), Jo McEwan (right), Ann Stephens (left)
interview stage and how exercise can help improve symptoms and quality of life. Each 90 minute session covers a different menopause related topic and includes a fitness activity, ranging from time in the gym, to table tennis or a taster group exercise class. The course aims to give women the knowledge and tools to make the menopause a more positive experience and provides an opportunity to share, and learn from likeminded people. “It took just one meeting with Places Leisure to realise that we shared the same values and were aligned in wanting to reach a wider audience of women. Awareness of the menopause is much better among the middle classes, but Places Leisure has a wide social economic demographic it can access.” Following the completion of the course, Places Leisure and Menopause Movement will collaborate to assess its impact. The company is also working with other health and fitness providers as well as women in the police and in active service. dropping out of exercise Affecting 51 per cent of the population, menopause is hardly niche yet it is woefully underserved by the health and fitness sector. But it makes business sense to target this demographic, says Bird. “Menopause is a fast growing population group and once you hook them in, you stand a good chance of keeping them for life. They have more spending power than younger demographics and they are an interesting group to work with.” They’re also a willing audience. “Research by Women in Sport shows that women in menopause want to be active, but they need support. We know the desire is there, we just need to find a way to get women moving.” Published in 2018, Women In Sport’s Menopause, Me and Physical Activity report found that women’s perceptions of menopause can influence how they engage with physical activity. Just under a third of women drop off from physical activity during menopause, yet the desire to be active is high. The study found that menopause 16 paf-media.co.uk
interview symbolized a loss of health, fertility, youth and femininity for some women. The social stigma associated with this loss, increased women’s fear of judgement in sport and exercise environments where they felt more vulnerable. Some women became isolated and withdrawn, resulting in reduced social support from friends and family to be active. Women often experience a lack of control during this life stage and many of the symptoms of menopause make it more challenging for women to exercise – they don’t sleep well, they experience hot flushes, they lose body confidence etc. “We need to make a real commitment to removing the barriers to exercise. For example, if a women leaks while she runs, she is generally advised to stop running. Instead, we should teach her how to run without leaking. Women may not feel comfortable going to a gym because they feel they are too unfit or overweight. We need to take away these fears and provide safe and judgement-free environments where women can exercise,” says Bird. “Evidence shows that physical activity has so many benefits for women going through menopause, from maintaining muscle mass, bone mass and strength to improving cardiovascular health. It can help women to manage their symptoms and improve their mental health. It really is non-negotiable. We need to get women fitter and stronger in menopause.” www.menopausemovement.co paf-media.co.uk 17
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paf-media.co.uk 19 event preview PAF 2023 The countdown is on to this year’s physical activity facilities forum, the ultimate meetings and networking event giving you access to key decision makers. THE physical activity facilities forum (paf) returns this September offering hours of networking and focusing on the key issues for sports, physical activity and leisure industry. The popular forum is supported by event partner ukactive as well as by event supporters Independent Gyms and the API and is mustattend event for all those involved in the design, build, management and supply of sports, play, recreation and leisure facilities. The paf forum continues to attract leading industry professionals to its seminar programme, who share their knowledge and experience giving delegates the opportunity to learn from best practice to advance their business. This year’s speakers include: David Minton, founder of the Leisure Database Company. Industry veteran Minton will deliver a thought-provoking session about active ageing. He will share his thoughts on why the NHS has a financial incentive to keep people independent and out of hospital, but the fitness industry doesn’t. He believes that the fitness industry is missing out on a billionpound business opportunity that could mean doubling in size. As executive director of Place at Sport England, Lisa Dodd Mayne heads up the Place directorate which is pivotal to supporting the delivery of Sport England’s 10-year strategy “Uniting the Movement”. In a session entitled, The Future of Public Leisure – pivot to Active Wellbeing, she will explore the future of public leisure following the report that was published by Sport England in December 2022. She will explore the principles as well as a discussion around how areas can pivot from a traditional leisure service to an active wellbeing service. Ollie Bell, co-founder & CEO of Roster, is an award-winning entrepreneur and consultant with over a decade of experience successfully scaling organisations within the sport and physical activity sector. Bell has top-tier certifications at Harvard and Oxford University, studying Public Narrative and more recently, Blockchain Strategy. In this session he will discuss the ways that Web3 is set to transform how organisations engage participants and members, build communities and deliver services in an ever-evolving digital era. The session will discover what Web3 is, the opportunities and challenges that providers, operators and organisations face, diving deep into how Web3 is set to disrupt the traditional business models ushering in a new era of innovation in the sector. You can learn from these speakers and more while networking with new and existing contacts at the PAF forum on 21st & 22nd September 2023 at The De Vere, Cotswold Water Park. For more information about the physical activity facilities forum, please contact Julian Walter at julian@stable-events.co.uk or call 020 8288 1080. www.paf-forum.co.uk
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paf-media.co.uk 21 sustainability Exmouth Leisure Centre is the first site in the country to benefit from heat-recapture by cloud data centres slashing carbon emissions and saving over £30,000 a year. IN a UK-first, brand new technology is supplying free heat to a public swimming pool to cut energy bills and reduce its reliance on carbon-intensive fossil fuel boilers. British tech start-up, Deep Green, is behind the ‘digital boiler’ technology. Founded in 2016 by Mark Bjornsgaard (pictured above), an entrepreneur with an interest in technology and energy, Deep Green is a 100 per cent selffunded and uses the latest in ‘immersion cooling’ technology to extract heat from on-site ‘edge’ data centres to provide free hot water for swimming pools and other industries. The idea for Deep Green’s digital boilers came from Microsoft’s 2011 paper into data furnaces, which proposed re-purposing heat from data centres to act as the primary heat source in homes and office buildings. Following five years of research and development to perfect the technology, Deep Green now plans to spread the benefit of the technology to as many communities as possible. reduce energy bills Deep Green’s digital boiler is a set of computers (a mini data centre) that are adapted to be immersed in inert oil. This oil captures the heat the computers generate. The oil is pumped through pipes to a heat exchanger where the heat is transferred to the cold pool water, raising its temperature. This reduces the pool’s reliance on their gas boiler to warm the pool - saving them costs on energy bills and reducing their carbon footprint. Around 96 per cent of the heat generated by a Deep Green digital boiler is re-cycled. Exmouth Leisure Centre in Devon is the first site in the country to benefit from heatrecapture by cloud data centres. The surplus heat donated to the leisure centre by Deep Free heat for public pools Mark Bjornsgaard CEO of Deep Green
22 paf-media.co.uk sustainability Green’s unit will reduce the pool’s gas requirements by 62 per cent, saving them over £30,000 a year and reduce their carbon emissions by 25.8 tonnes. “Deep Green’s innovative technology will dramatically reduce our energy bills and carbon footprint, meaning we will continue to be a key asset for the local community. We are already seeing the benefit. I’m certain this will transform leisure centres up and down the country for the better,” said Peter Gilpin, CEO of LED Community Leisure, the charitable trust which operates Exmouth Leisure Centre on behalf of East Devon District Council. The installation contains 12 servers of the highest grade computer equipment and is able to support a number of computing services such as cloud services, artificial intelligence, machine learning and video rendering. making use of waste heat "Data is critical to modern society and demand for data centres is growing exponentially. However, this comes at a cost. Current data centre infrastructure is inefficient, using a huge amount of energy and generating a vast amount of waste heat. Yet, at the same time, there are many businesses that need heat and face increasing energy bills,” says Mark Bjornsgaard, CEO of Deep Green. “By moving data centre from industrial warehouses into the hearts of communities, our digital boilers put waste heat to good use, saving local businesses thousands of pounds on energy bills and reducing their carbon footprint. Pools are just the start and around 30 per cent of all industrial and commercial heat needs could be provided by this technology. “Organisations that are serious about supporting society and reducing their carbon emissions should not forget the massive impact of their computing needs. Deep Green now provides an answer.” The company has partnered with Swim England, the national governing body for swimming in England, which has been promoting the technology to pool operators. LED Community Leisure were the first to volunteer to work with Deep Green and help to install the equipment. There are over 1,500 pools in England alone that could all benefit. According to a recent survey of ukactive members, energy costs for leisure facilities have increased by 150 per cent since 2019. “At a time when so many swimming pools are struggling with massively increased energy bills, it’s great to see pools embracing innovative solutions like this which have the potential to support facilities to operate more sustainably, both environmentally and economically,” said Jane Nickerson, CEO of Swim England. The installation in Exmouth will be followed by further installations in Bristol and Manchester. Any business with consistent heat needs, that is relying on carbon intensive fossilfuel boilers, could benefit from Deep Green’s free heat, says Bjornsgaard. “The future of the technology is a move to embed data centres into the fabric of society. Local data demand could be delivered from local modular data centres, like Deep Green’s, which in turn, could provide the heating needs of local businesses and reduce their carbon footprint in the process. The work of the local council, processing administrative records online, could heat the local swimming pool; a local teenager playing online games could melt chocolate in a local factory. In total, we estimate 30 per cent of all industrial and commercial heat needs could be provided by Deep Green Digital Boiler technology.” www.deepgreen.energy www.ledleisure.co.uk
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24 paf-media.co.uk community Repurposing dead spaces for activity London Sport has worked with Lewisham Council and other partners to transform a vacant shopping unit into a wellbeing hub offering free activities for local residents. AS a charity focussed on helping Londoners live longer, healthier and happier lives through being active, London Sport’s work concentrates on the areas of the capital where inactivity levels and inequalities around access to physical activity are highest. The charity’s insight identified Lewisham as one such area. In a pilot project designed to understand how spaces can be utilised to benefit the community and improve access to sport and physical activity, London Sport and its partners have created a free health and wellbeing space for local people at Lewisham Shopping Centre. “A key pillar of Lewisham Council’s emerging physical activity strategy was a focus on opening up new, less traditional environments for people to be active within, especially those who are less active,” says Chris Donkin, strategic lead for active environments at London Sport. A number of options were considered, including libraries and community buildings, but the shopping centre was an obvious opportunity due to its central location and its accessibility thanks to good connections to public transport. The centre already enjoys high footfall, it is safe so people are already comfortable visiting it and the site had a high number of empty units to support the delivery of a physical activity offer. London Sport met with representatives from Landsec, the centre owners, and quickly identified synergy in their targeted outcomes. After months of consulting with community groups, engaging partners and securing the funding to run activities in the unit, the facility is now open to local residents. positive partnerships Known as the CommUNITY Space, the venue runs Tuesday to Saturday between 10am and 8pm (2pm on Saturdays) and can accommodate 60-100 people depending on the activities. Each of the partners has invested in the unit. London Sport provided £30,000 for the project via funding from Sport England’s Together Fund to cover the delivery of the activity sessions and some of the equipment. Landsec have provided the space free of charge and covered the utility costs for the initial pilot period. It has also provided a large amount of equipment needed for the food element of the project (ie cookers, tables crockery etc) as well as supporting marketing materials inside and outside the unit. Not-for-profit activity provider Enable delivers the activities and is responsible for connecting community organisations to the unit and promoting the sessions to local stakeholders. The unit is staffed full time by Enable and local volunteers, and all sessions are free to the local community. People can pop in to use any of the free-standing equipment like table tennis, hula-hoops and indoor archery, and can turn up or pre-book other organised sessions. Activities include table tennis, indoor archery, dance classes, boxercise, self-defence classes, yoga, seated dance, other seated exercises as well as a range of women-only sessions such as strength & conditioning and hula-hooping. Finally, ReThink Food and the Felix Project offer free food and refreshments to local residents visiting the space. space for girls The project is part of London Sport’s larger Space for Girls project which aims to tackle the high levels of inactivity amongst women and girls in London. A recent report from London Sport highlighted that only 41 per cent of girls in London are doing enough physical activity
community for their mental and physical health, eight per cent lower than their male counterparts. “It’s vital that we give more girls the opportunity to reap the benefits of an active life. We know that inactive girls are more likely to grow up to be inactive women too,” says Donkin. Safety is also a key issue for many girls in London and a barrier to being active. Research from Girl Guides found that 80 per cent of girls aged between 11-21 feel unsafe when outside. “The Space for Girls project looks to build positive active experiences for young women and ensure that they can take part in engaging sessions in a safe environment. By finding innovative solutions to turn non-traditional spaces into active and safe environments, we can help more girls build an active habit for life.” London Sport’s Space for Girls project is running across a number of London boroughs using local assets to deliver smaller scale initiatives to encourage teenage girls to be active. The next phase of the programme will see areas of Decathlon’s flagship store in Surrey Quays used to deliver a co-designed programme of physical activity for teenage girls. Initially running for six months, it is hoped the scheme will become permanent thereafter. utilise dead spaces London Sport says more spaces like CommUNITY Space in Lewisham are needed across London, particularly in light of its latest cost-of-living report, which shows that two thirds of Londoners have changed their activity behaviours due to the cost-of-living crisis, and one in five have increased their use of free activities. “We need to work closely with councils and the private sector to increase investment in this area and open up more opportunities for accessible sport and physical activity,” says Donkin. A report from Green MP Sian Berry found that there are 442 council-owned sites which are currently out of their normal use. These ‘dead spaces’ include industrial units, retail units and offices. “We need to think innovatively about how these can best serve the community. It’s also vital that we work with the target audiences to ensure that the space and the activity serves their specific needs – it’s not enough to just create a space and hope they enjoy sessions. That’s why we conducted research and consulted local residents to ensure we provided activities that they wanted and needed.” London Sport is working to encourage local councils and other owners of dead spaces to utilise these spaces to help more people take part in sport and physical activity. www.londonsport.org paf-media.co.uk 25
paf-media.co.uk 27 event preview OVER two days, 7,000+ decision makers from gyms, studios, sport clubs, sports therapy practices, universities, personal training, schools and private practice meet over 250 leading suppliers, showcasing thousands of product innovations specially designed to ‘elevate’ the UK’s physical activity levels. Elevate 2023 will also offer unrivalled networking and deliver learning from over 200 expert speakers, and it is made possible by the support of over 50 industry associations, media partners and NGOs. “Elevate is the perfect event to connect with our UK key accounts, initiate new opportunities and showcase our latest products and innovations,” says Matt Pengelly, managing director, Johnson Health Tech UK. speaker programme Elevate is the largest live learning opportunity for the UK fitness industry and physical activity sector. Five streams have been created with insight from key industry leaders including Sport England, ukactive, CIMSPA, Future Fit, Physios In Sport, Moving Medicine, LeisureDB, Europe Active and many more partners and industry experts. The entire programme remains free-toattend – allowing the whole sector to come together without a paywall barrier. The seminar content focuses on the key issues, opportunities and successes in the sector. Through the sharing of ideas, options and experiences the sector is able to develop, learn and grow. Following the success of last year’s EDI sessions, The Thought Leaders Conference will once again host an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion series – focusing on creating true accessibility for those with impairments, ensuring racial inclusion and supporting the transgender community within sport and physical activity. Other big sessions include – • Controlling your Controllables Supported by Orbit4, we explore what the sector can regulate in these challenging times. Focusing on energy costs, equipment and people - how can you look at each of these aspects and make datadriven business decisions about how to cut costs without cutting corners and eroding the customer experience? • Does the industry need a rebrand? Can we really call ourselves a leisure industry anymore? As the realms of sport and physical activity become even more intertwined with health and wellbeing, how do we identify as a sector and what are the implications if we change? • Why different community groups won't swim and making water-based activities more accessible What are the practical, social, cultural and economic barriers to swimming and how can they be overcome? Each designated theatre targets a different subject matter – whether you want to explore how to get more people active (Activating the Nation) learn from the latest trends and technology to build your business (The Business of Physical Activity) discover the latest from wellbeing and nutrition (Future Performance and Wellbeing) or see the best practise and science from Sports Therapy (Sports Therapy in Practise) the Elevate programme has it covered. Elevate 2023 runs 14-15 June 2023 at EXCEL London. www.elevatearena.com Elevate 2023 Elevate is the UK’s largest trade show for physical activity, fitness and sport therapy with thousands of decision makers and over 200 expert speakers in its free seminar programme.
paf-media.co.uk 29 fitness Demand for body composition technology is at an all-time high, but how can health and fitness operators make the most of these products? “OUR experience tells us that users in every sector, across the world, want to know the same three things: where am I, where I should be and where is everybody else?” says Tom Stillman, head of business development at Boditrax. The company is seeing significant increased demand from the health and fitness sector, in addition to the medical industry, for body composition, digital measuring and assessment technology. This is due to a number of factors, including the rising number of local authority leisure providers offering GP referral programmes, a return to cap-ex heavy projects that were parked during the recent pandemic and a heightened awareness of co-morbidity impact on general health with both professionals and the population, says Stillman. “The requirement to deliver accurate, measured and evidence-based outcomes and ever wider acceptance and adoption of digital health technology is seeing the market mature in these sectors.” Other suppliers are experiencing the same. “The health and fitness industry has undergone a hugely transformative period in the past 24 months. The pandemic (and its aftermath) has forged permanent changes in the habits and behaviours of gym-goers. One of these changes is the elevated role that technology – and digital solutions – now play in people’s fitness journeys,” says Tracy Morrell, director at React Fitness, suppliers of Styku. The combination of digitalised fitness and increasingly tech-savvy consumers means that exercisers want to track their workouts and their improvements, she says. “With body composition technology, people can quite literally see the full picture of their health.” benefits for operators and users Embracing body composition technology can offer a myriad of benefits for health and fitness operators. Ultimately, they can be a key tool in generating revenue, says Simon Wilkinson, sport and fitness lead UK at Tanita Europe. “That revenue generation can be either direct, as a paid-for additional service, or indirect through member retention, as members can see the progress they're making in more detail than ever before and become extra invested in their health and staying on track.” The technology can help operators extend their reach beyond the four walls of their facilities to add to their bottom line. “The equipment is ideal for outreach activities to attract new members, for example, A more accurate picture of health
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