J/Aug 2023 . £6 www.paf-media.co.uk also in this issue: VAT changes to leisure services How will the ruling affect the delivery of local authority leisure? Moving communities Latest data shows profound impact of leisure centres on local communities The Marina Centre £26m leisure centre provides a year-round boost to Great Yarmouth seafront
Welcome... paf-media.co.uk 3 leader Marina Centre Built on the site of its 1980s predecessor, the £26m Marina Centre has attracted over 154,000 individual users, with 20,000 additional people using the café and even more visiting the centre for its seaside views since opening last year. (P20) 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. Landmark VAT ruling for local authorities MILLIONS of pounds could be repaid to local authorities after a landmark VAT ruling. Mid-Lothian Council, Mid-Ulster District Council and Chelmsford City Council went to court to challenge HMRC about the tax status of their leisure services arguing that they shouldn’t pay VAT on income derived from leisure services. The courts found that local authorities’ leisure services should be treated as non-business for VAT purposes. The ruling means that local authorities that provide in-house leisure services pay no VAT on their income. They can also make a one-off refund claim for VAT they have previously paid to HMRC. How will the change impact the future delivery of leisure services? Will more local authorities decide to take their leisure services in house? Read our interview with Lisa Forsyth, managing director of Max Associates, to find out. (P14) Keeping on the theme of public leisure, we also look at the significant impact of leisure centres across the country. (P28) Sport England’s Moving Communities platform is the largest data set ever gathered on local authority leisure centre performance. Its latest results show a staggering £170m growth in social value - measuring physical and mental health, subjective wellbeing, individual development, and social and community development - generated by leisure centres in the last 12 months. This brings the total contribution to over £945m, once again proving the case for accessible, affordable, fit-for-purpose sports and physical activity facilities in local communities. This is my last issue as editor of paf magazine. After 13 years at Stable Publishing, it’s time to pass the baton on to my colleague Jo Makosinski. It’s been a privilege to work on the title and with the rest of the Stable team to develop the brand and its popular networking event – the paf forum. I’ll be sticking around this sector, which I’m so passionate about. I look forward to following all of the inspiring projects and programmes that makes this industry so special in future issues of paf. Vicky Kiernander Editor vicky@stable-media.co.uk SUPPORTED BY
paf-media.co.uk 5 contents paf-media.co.uk 07 News New Woolwich Leisure Centre breaks ground and the sole surviving Victorian public baths in Ireland reopen following £17m restoration 14 Interview: Lisa Forsyth The managing director of leisure consultants Max Associates on the impact of recent VAT changes to local authority leisure 18 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 20 Facility focus: The Marina Centre One year old, the £26m Marina Centre is already helping to regenerate the seafront in Great Yarmouth 23 Fitness: Fitness roundup A look at some of the latest products to hit the UK health and fitness sector 27 Event preview: W3Fit EMEA The European networking event for the fitness industry returns after its successful launch last year 28 Community: The power of public leisure Compelling data from Sport England’s Moving Communities platform shows the vital role of the public leisure sector 31 Access & security: Serving an ace for sports facilities Showcasing a variety of security and access control solutions to give operators more control and peace of mind inside this issue
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paf-media.co.uk 7 news PARKWOOD Leisure, Legacy Leisure and Lex Leisure have launched musculoskeletal rehabilitation programmes at 24 leisure centres in England and Wales to improve access to care in the community. The initiative is part of a two-year research project led by a health and fitness consortium comprising Good Boost, ukactive, Orthopaedic Research UK, ESCAPE-pain and Arthritis Action. The projects aims to investigate how to transform leisure facilities into musculoskeletal hubs. More than 20 million people in the UK suffer from an MSK condition, which accounts for the third largest area of NHS spend at £5bn annually. The consortium aims to design a system-based approach to better integrate leisure facilities in the nation’s healthcare infrastructure, turning them into a locally accessible network of community ‘MSK hubs’. The aim is to reduce health inequalities and the burden on the NHS by providing local, supported, self-management options for people to better maintain mobility, physical function and reduce pain through exercise. The two programmes comprise Good Boost, an aqua and land-based exercise rehabilitation programme that uses AI technology to assess individual conditions and create tailored exercise programmes. The group sessions aid social support, while enabling individuals to benefit from a personalised exercise plan. The second programme, ESCAPE-pain, is an educational and exercise-based rehabilitation programme, supported by Orthopaedic Research UK, which reduces chronic pain and improves physical and mental wellbeing. Selected sites are also running coffee mornings to support individuals living with arthritis. Hosted in partnership with UK charity Arthritis Action, the free sessions are open to anyone with the condition and provide advice on leading more active lives, pain management and other activities available at the centre. MSK programmes launch at 24 leisure centres New Woolwich Leisure Centre breaks ground A GROUND-BREAKING ceremony has taken place at Woolwich Leisure Centre, marking the start of construction of one of the country’s largest urban leisure centres. Located in Woolwich town centre, the 12,800sq m, three-storey facility is a key part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s regeneration plans for Woolwich. Morgan Sindall Construction has worked with the council to design and develop a centre that will provide the local community with opportunities to get more active, including people with disabilities and those with dementia. Due to the confined nature of the site, the Morgan Sindall team is delivering a stacked solution with sports hall, gym and cardio rooms on the upper floor. The new centre will include three swimming pools for various uses, wet changing facilities, spa and relaxation areas, two spin studios, two gym areas, a five-a-side 3G pitch, multi-use sports hall, two squash courts and Woolwich’s first indoor cricket facilities. The centre will also feature flexible and accessible community spaces, along with a commercial café, kitchen, creche and soft play area as well as two studios that will be linked to the neighbouring Tramshed theatre and community arts hub. The rooftop carries a planted green roof and 1,700sq m of photovoltaic panels to generate sustainable power for the leisure centre. The building is targeting a BREEAM Outstanding rating. The project team includes FaulknerBrowns Architects, Buro Happold Engineers, Hadron Consulting, property and construction consultants Gleeds and Van Zyl & de Villiers.
8 paf-media.co.uk news HORIZON Leisure has opened a Wellbeing Drop-in Centre for local residents at Meridian Shopping Centre. Located on the ground floor of the shopping mall, the Horizon Wellbeing Hub offers free health checks, health interventions such as weight management programmes and exercise orientation through its ‘Foundations Programme’, which has been designed as a supportive route into physical activity and small group exercise classes. Staffed by the Horizon Leisure team and funded through Havant Borough Council, the outreach programme is designed to increase public accessibility to physical activity in a wider range of places and spaces. “We understand that coming to our leisure centres may not suit everyone, and so this drop-in centre allows local people to pop in and meet with our team of experts, helping them to access physical activity and positive lifestyle choices in an environment that’s familiar to them,” says Mike Lyons, CEO of Horizon Leisure Centres. Leisure DB report shows industry recovery THE value of the UK health and fitness sector has reached an all-time high according to Leisure DB’s annual State of the UK Fitness Industry Report. The UK has fewer gyms overall than in 2022, yet more members, with penetration rates also recovering. Industry market value is up 11.5 per cent driven by a rise in average monthly membership fees. In the 12 months to the end of March 2023, the total number of gyms in the UK was down slightly on the previous year (-0.9 per cent). In spite of this, total UK membership (+3.9 per cent) and penetration rate are both up. The 2023 report found that percentage increases in member numbers and market value were greater in the private sector than in the public sector. In the private sector, the UK’s top 10 operators account for almost a third (30 per cent) of all private clubs, but over 60 per cent of private sector members and almost 60 per cent of private sector market value. The last 12 months have seen private sector penetration rates recover from the post-Covid dip and rise above 10 per cent. In the public sector, the UK’s top 10 operators account for just under 30 per cent of all public gyms, but almost 40 per cent of both public sector members and public sector market value. From 2013 until Covid-19 hit, public sector penetration rates remained above the 5 per cent mark; the current rate of 4.9 per cent was last seen in 2012. Although the last 12 months have seen public sector penetration begin to recover from its post-Covid dip, it is yet to fully rebound. Wellbeing Drop-in Centre opens at shopping centre
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10 paf-media.co.uk news Places Leisure to invest £6m at Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex DEVELOPMENT works worth £6m will get underway at Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex later this year. In April, Elmbridge Borough Council awarded Places Leisure the new leisure management operator contract until 2033. The new contract includes the running of Xcel Leisure Centre, Hurst Pool and Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub on behalf of the council. As part of the new contract, Places Leisure has pledged to deliver more energy efficient, affordable facilities and committed to a £6m investment package into further improving the Xcel leisure complex. The investment includes a new health suite, immersive cycling studio, climbing wall, an extension to the existing fitness suite, a Costa Coffee store and a new soft play area. “It is important to us to be able to offer high quality, affordable and sustainable facilities for residents to enjoy. Our partnership with Places Leisure will play an important part in the delivery of our Elmbridge Vision 30 as we are working towards a thriving Elmbridge,” said Councillor Simon Waugh, portfolio holder for leisure and culture. The new development works commence later in the year. A MIXED-USE leisure scheme has opened in Morpeth, Northumberland combining sport and leisure with community facilities in a high street setting. Morpeth Sports & Leisure Centre was designed by GT3 Architects and constructed by Willmott Dixon. It was funded by Northumberland County Council and delivered by Advance Northumberland – the development arm of the county council. The facility, which acts as a bookend to the high street, incorporates a new community services hub, which includes a double height community library, a customer service centre, plus a new adult learning facility with classrooms for a number of courses. There is also a six-lane swimming pool with spectator gallery, flexible learner pool, spa facilities, a variety of fitness spaces, a multi-use sports hall and large studio space designed to hold community events and a café, with connections to a poetry garden and outdoor terraces that act as a social space for families and tourists alike. “With the modern high street in decline, this facility offers the unique opportunity to not only provide sports and leisure but a central place for residents to gather, learn and socialise – a true community hub that complements the nearby town centre offering,” said Paul Reed, director and sports and leisure lead at GT3 Architects. The complex is run by Active Northumberland, the charitable trust that manages leisure services across the county on behalf of Northumberland County Council. £21m community leisure hub opens on high street
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
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paf-media.co.uk 13 news TEMPLEMORE Baths, the sole surviving Victorian public baths in Ireland, has reopened to the public following a £17m project to restore and expand the historic building. Many of its original features have been sympathetically restored including the ‘major pool’ which is fully operational again and the old slipper baths. A newly built 28,000sq ft extension has more than doubled the building’s footprint. It includes modern leisure facilities including a 25m six-lane swimming pool with spectator seating, an 80station gym, spa facilities and changing rooms. The former courtyard area has been transformed into a café within an atrium. “Templemore Baths is one of the city’s most historically significant buildings, so to see it transformed from a crumbling, derelict shell into a beautifully restored space for the local community and visitors is just fantastic,” said Belfast Lord Mayor, councillor Ryan Murphy. “The opening of the new extension also means that east Belfast will be blessed with three state-of-the-art leisure facilities following the opening of Lisnasharragh in 2019 and Avoniel last year.” The redevelopment of Templemore Baths was funded by Belfast City Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. It is the sixth of seven new centres to be completed as part of Council’s £105m Leisure Transformation Programme. The leisure facilities at Templemore will be managed by GLL. Historic Templemore Baths reopens after £17m refurbishment Dronfield Sports Centre secures funding and gets set to become carbon neutral DRONFIELD Sports Centre is set to reduce its carbon emissions by 100 per cent after North East Derbyshire District Council received £1.33m to de-carbonise the facility. The council secured the funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as part of its Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, delivered by Salix. The project will see old gas-powered boilers replaced with air source heat pumps and the installation of solar panels helping offset 25 per cent of the centre’s energy, which is already sourced from renewable energy. Cavity wall insulation has been installed around the building, as has new energy efficient LED lighting. This further investment will result in a 100 per cent decrease in carbon emissions as the centre will become carbon neutral upon completion of the works. The council will continue to investigate other opportunities to further reduce energy consumption at the facility. The 340T carbon saving is equivalent to not having to heat 126 family homes in the district every year. “This is a real statement project that I hope makes headlines across the UK to empower other leisure centres to follow suit in decarbonising their centres,” said Cllr Alan Powell, North East Derbyshire District Council cabinet member for leisure. “Climate Change and saving money and energy are the core values for our residents and us as an authority and this project will see us making incredible efforts to ensure the safe and green future of the facility for our residents for the long term future.”
14 paf-media.co.uk interview We talk to the managing director of leisure consultants Max Associates about how the recent VAT changes to leisure services will affect the delivery of local authority leisure. CHANGES to VAT for local authority leisure came into effect this March after Mid-Lothian Council, Mid-Ulster District Council and Chelmsford City Council went to court to challenge HMRC about the tax status of their leisure services. Prior to this, local authorities managing inhouse leisure centres were required to treat services such as gym memberships and other facility visits as business activities for VAT purposes and pay VAT to HMRC from the income. However, as a result of the court ruling, these services are now classified as nonbusiness supplies for VAT purposes, meaning local authorities which manage leisure centres in-house pay no VAT on their income. The transfer of VAT payments are automatic, resulting in an immediate financial uplift for local authorities, who can also make a one-off refund claim for VAT they have previously paid to HMRC. Traditionally, VAT reclaims can only date back four years but there may be exceptions, with some councils submitting claims that date back longer. “This is welcome news for many local authorities struggling to manage the escalating operating costs of leisure services due to increasing energy costs. It also gives noncharitable local authority owner/operators comparable advantage to their not-for-profits and charitable trust counterparts. As a result, when management contracts come up for renewal, we are likely to see more local authorities seeking advice on the VAT and other tax and legal aspects before deciding on the future management of these services,” explains Forsyth Lisa Forsyth, managing director at leisure management consultancy Max Associates. in-house vs contracting out The company has supported local authorities and councils to optimise leisure services management for more than 20 years. Since the VAT changes, it has seen an increase in the number of councils considering bringing their leisure service in-house. “The question of changing delivery models particularly arises in devolved council areas, or councils which have merged from a number of smaller district councils. Where this has happened there is often a range of operating model across the new area. We have been undertaking reviews in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and North Northamptonshire which have a mix of in-house, local trust and external operator models.” Councils which have set up local trusts or trading companies may also decide it’s politically more desirable to bring services back in-house, as the financial governance benefits of the former models have been eroded. But where services have been outsourced to a larger external operator, apart from political preference, there is little evidence of councils changing the model ‘en masse’, says Forsyth. However, there are some local authorities bringing their leisure services in-house, particularly in London. Recent examples include Southwark, which launched its new inhouse service in June 2023, and Lambeth which launched its Active Lambeth service in
paf-media.co.uk 15 interview April 2023. Tower Hamlets has also chosen to do so, and its service is due to mobilise in 2024. “These decisions were taken before the new VAT treatment and were driven by the councils’ preference for in-house services and greater direct control over their operational delivery. However, the VAT changes are likely to add further weight to councils who prefer insourcing,” says Forsyth. She believes councils which prefer to transfer commercial risk to the market are likely to continue to use the contracted-out model, particularly where the service has been transferred out for a number of years and there is little operational skill and experience in council teams. a balanced assessment Exciting as the VAT changes are, they shouldn’t be the sole reason for bringing leisure services in-house; there are a number of other considerations councils should also assess. “For example, larger external contractors have 20 plus years’ operating in the market. They have built good relationships with core suppliers and developed in-house services such as fitness, front of house systems and CRM suppliers. They will also have fostered relationships with NGBs to deliver programmes like This Girl Can and GP/cardiac referral schemes. That’s not to say councils (or local authority trading companies) can’t directly do this, but they shouldn’t underestimate the time and resource it takes to do so,” says Forsyth. It's important to remember that local authority leisure competes in the open market, whether that’s the budget gym sector, local cinema, 10-pin bowling complex or simply Netflix and PlayStation. “Services therefore need to have strong, agile and targeted marketing, comms and social media channels, be data driven and have a robust digital offer. Local authorities need to be fully aware of this and ensure back office systems are in place to support service delivery.” Staffing costs are another consideration. Council salaries are generally more attractive than in the private sector due to nationally agreed pay awards, alignment to existing council pay bands and eligibility to local government pension schemes. “This is great for staff working in a sector of historic low pay, but with staff costs being one of the largest costs to the service, it can lead to a significant increase in total expenditure, which could start to erode the VAT benefits.” funding an evolving service The changes in VAT have reignited the discussion around the most suitable delivery model for local authority leisure services. But Services therefore need to have strong, agile and targeted marketing, comms and social media channels
councils need to be able to answer a host of other questions before they can determine the appropriate operating model, says Forsyth. “When councils are reviewing their leisure services, they first have to understand the purpose/role of their leisure services, the measurable outcomes they are trying to achieve, how well the current service is delivering for their communities, the financial parameters they are operating in, the level of risk they are comfortable accepting and the skills and experience they have in-house. It’s not until councils can answer these key questions, that they should start to consider the delivery model.” Forsyth believes the culture of an organisation is always more important than its governance structure. “We’ve seen great in-house teams delivering innovative, commercial centres and facilities, while achieving significant outcomes for residents. But we have also seen services where there is silo working, a focus on reducing expenditure and little innovation or investment.” For Forsyth, the more pressing question is how centres will be funded going forward. “Prior to Covid, Sport England highlighted the capital cost required to invest in the ageing stock of swimming pools and leisure centres, and since then we have experienced significant increases in staff and utility costs. At the same time, the sector is taking steps to transition to an ‘active wellness service’ and align itself to delivery of health outcomes. “But until the service is genuinely seen as a health promotion service with cross department support, rather than being a community service with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the issue of funding the bricks and mortar of swimming pools and local leisure centres will remain with local authorities and reducing costs will be a driving factor.” www.max-associates.com 16 paf-media.co.uk interview About Lisa Forsyth Lisa has worked in the local authority leisure industry for over 20 years. Starting out at an operational level managing local authority leisure centres, she went on to head up the business development department of one of the leading local authority leisure contractors in the UK. Lisa joined Max Associates as a consultant in 2008 and is now managing director of the firm, which delivers both consultancy and project management across the sport, leisure and cultural sectors. Lisa is a former member and board member (treasurer) of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport & Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
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PAF2023 The physical activity facilities forum, the ultimate meetings and networking event for sport, physical activity and play professionals, takes place in September. The physical activity facilities forum (paf) returns next month offering hours of networking and focusing on the key issues for the 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, Leisure Database Company Industry veteran Minton will deliver a thought-providing 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. Lisa Dodd Mayne, executive director, Place, Sport England 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. Lyndsey Barrett, director & lead occupational therapist, Sport for Confidence In 2020, Sport For Confidence embarked on a strategic partnership with Adult Social Care at Essex County Council and Active Essex, to deliver the Prevention and Enablement Model (PEM). The pilot sought to evaluate the impact of a whole system approach, placing physical activity at its core and measured the impact on improving the lives of people living with disabilities and/or long-term health conditions. Barrett’s session will discuss the delivery and outcomes of the pilot independently evaluated by The University of Essex and State of Life which evidenced elevated physical activity levels amongst participants in line with the rest of the population and delivered social value of £58.71 for every £1 invested. 18 paf-media.co.uk event preview
paf-media.co.uk 19 event preview Ollie Bell, co-founder & CEO of Roster Bell is an award-winning entrepreneur and consultant with over a decade of experience successfully scaling organisations within the sport and physical activity sector. In this session Bell 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. Lisa Forsyth, managing director, Max Associates In March this year, HMRC announced a significant change to the VAT treatment of Local Authority Leisure Services. The revision means services are classified as non-business supplies for VAT purposes. This means local authorities pay no VAT on their income, as well as reclaiming all the VAT they incur on the related costs (revenue and capital) unconditionally. Forsyth considers this revision in the light of the political landscape where a number of councils are choosing to in-source their leisure centres and Sport England’s ‘Future of Public Sector’ report in 2022, which aligns leisure services to an active wellbeing service. How will these and other factors impact how leisure services are managed in the future? Mark Bjornsgaard, CEO, Deep Green Bjornsgaard, an entrepreneur with an interest in technology and energy, launched Deep Green in 2016. He will explain how the company 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. Exmouth Leisure is the first site in the country to benefit from heat-recapture by cloud data centres. The surplus heat donated to the leisure centre by Deep 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. 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
20 paf-media.co.uk facility focus The Marina Centre Opened last August, the £26m Marina Centre in Great Yarmouth is already helping to regenerate the seafront, says Alister Broadberry, Morgan Sindall Construction's eastern counties area director. URBAN regeneration projects that breathe new life into local communities are high on the agenda for many local authorities right now. At Morgan Sindall, we’ve seen first-hand how leisure centre developments can meet a wide variety of vital levelling up goals, ranging from enhancing health and wellbeing levels to unlocking career opportunities and strengthening local economies. Creating such facilities however is easier said than done, and it requires paying close attention to factors such as community-level demands and how the leisure centre will align with the area’s appearance, geography, market needs and future plans. This was well illustrated recently when we worked with Great Yarmouth Borough Council to create a new £26m Marina Centre. This facility was built on the site of its 1980s predecessor and means that the town’s residents can now enjoy a high-end, modern centre that offers two swimming pools (one competition standard and one with a moveable floor), in addition to a leisure water area including splash play and flumes. It also has a climbing wall zone, four court sports hall, spin studio, large gym, studios, a café that overlooks the pool and nearby beach, as well as a new 200-space car park built. The centre is directly adjacent to the seafront and its design means that users can enjoy panoramic views of the coast while also being able to walk through the centre from the beach. This has made it a more integral part of how people move around the town and its picturesque surroundings. local investment, local benefits Right from the start of the project, the new Marina Centre was intended to play an important role in Great Yarmouth’s regeneration plans by boosting its year-round economic resilience. Like many coastal towns, Great Yarmouth is keen to regain the popularity it enjoyed during the 20th century and attract UK families that are rediscovering the joys of staycations. This is an important aim, as the seasonal nature of the tourism industry can turn the town from a booming hub of activity to a sleepy seaside spot. To bolster Great Yarmouth’s annual appeal, the Marina Centre was designed to deliver experiences that would extend beyond its boundaries and benefit the entire coastal front. This would be achieved by offering a wide range of exciting and accessible facilities and The Marina Centre is operated by Freedom Leisure
paf-media.co.uk 21 facility focus by creating a tangible connection between the beach and Great Yarmouth’s ‘golden mile’. Funding was provided by the council, drawn in part from a successful £20.1m Towns Fund bid, with an additional £2.5m from the government’s Getting Building Fund, via New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, £1.6m from Sport England, and £500,000 from Pooled Business Rates. Since its doors opened in August 2022, this investment has already led to some significant returns. For example, the centre has seen more than 154,000 individual users, with 20,000 additional people using the café and even more going to the centre for access to the amphitheatre seating and its seaside views. This popularity is having a direct impact on the surrounding businesses and overall appeal of the town, with recent surveys showing that it has helped boost footfall along the coastline by 20 per cent compared to pre-pandemic figures. In fact, the economic benefits started before the first user stepped foot in the new centre, as 75 per cent of the project’s supply chain was drawn from SME companies in Great Yarmouth during construction. community value Improving wellbeing levels was a target area for the council, with obesity, particular in children, being a key focus. To help as many people as possible, the council looked at what was happening elsewhere in the country during the concept design stage and adjusted their plans accordingly. One example of this is that by working closely with the operators they made sure the costing was appropriate to avoid pricing out local residents. Leisure centres can also improve wellbeing in ways beyond health, such as helping people learn new skills, boosting careers and enhancing local areas. During this project, more than £23m of social value was generated through work experience and apprenticeships, community volunteer projects, charitable work and positive sustainability initiatives. finding a long-term fit Alongside its health and community aspects, the new centre also had to look interesting and be aesthetically aligned with the town and coastline. Saunders Boston Architects achieved this by designing a building with a striking shape and multiple levels as well as a curved glass facade facing the sea. Internally, aggressive chlorine-laden air could become a problem for building components unless protected. This saw the building’s wet area, which features the swimming pools, and the dry side housing all the other facilities, separated by a membrane consisting of a sheet pile wall that wraps around the building and houses the three pools and the basement containing the filtration systems. The development also posed some unique challenges, such as the fact that the piling strategy had to be designed around the needs of the marine life in the nearby SeaLife centre. what’s next? Thanks to these outcomes, the Marina Centre project is already acting as a catalyst for further regeneration. This can be seen by developments now in the pipeline for Great Yarmouth, including £13.7m secured from the Future High Streets Fund to rejuvenate the town centre and the £10m planned redevelopment of Great Yarmouth’s Winter Garden. The Marina Centre project shows that by encapsulating the perfect balance of research, funding and design, today’s leisure centres can deliver across a broad spectrum of transformative community-level benefits and act as a lynchpin for a town’s regeneration. www.morgansindallconstruction.com
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THE new Lanebreak Tread from Peloton is a gamified workout where users have to match and sustain their incline or speed according to animated cues on the tablet to get the highest score possible. Available to all Peloton Tread Members globally, the new cardio workout combines immersive visuals, fitness-inspired challenges and a playlist of top tracks that are designed to follow the flow of on-screen cues and the goal or type of workout. “Lanebreak Tread has been informed by member feedback and we’ve injected the excitement and competitive elements of gaming to create a fitness experience that is tailored to the Peloton Tread,” says Tom Cortese, Peloton’s co-founder and chief product officer. The new experience takes inspiration from Peloton Instructor-led classes and leverages the Tread’s hardware capabilities to provide an immersive auto-incline experience through a new hill moment. When entering a hill, the Tread will adjust its incline automatically to follow the curve shown to the user in the 3D world displayed on the Tread tablet. Other features include a Pacer mechanic designed to reward members for following an interval workout design, as well as updated visuals and controls that have been re-designed specifically with running and walking in mind, such as a new Treadinspired avatar and a breadth of pace-based difficulty options. www.onepeloton.co.uk paf-media.co.uk 23 fitness BALANCED Body is expanding its UK operation in a bid to optimise engagement and establish closer connections with its key overseas audience. As a global provider of Pilates equipment and education with a trading history spanning more than 45 years, the brand has been supplying the UK remotely from its headquarters in Sacramento, California for the last 20 years. Now, as the popularity of Pilates continues to rise and with the UK identified as a high growth market, Balanced Body has decided to build an equipment supply and distribution network, alongside an education provision to directly serve its UK audience. Naming AIT as its new, in-country, logistics partner, Balanced Body has established a large storage facility in Berkshire and appointed Katya Matiienko as its UK business development manager. “By housing high volumes of stock in the UK we can get equipment and accessories out to our customers much quicker. Katya will also be on hand to answer any queries, arrange product demonstrations and generally be our main representation, on the ground in the UK,” explains Tonhi Tran, director of sales. In addition, an Authorised Training Centre is being established in Putney with Pete Pallai, an experienced Pilates practitioner, former Olympian, semiprofessional Rugby player and Balanced Body educator. The company is also launching group reformer training for fitness professionals in the UK, which is designed to upskill club trainers, providing them with the training, tools and class development resources to deliver innovative, effective group reformer classes. Additional bespoke training programmes for fitness professionals will be delivered from Q3/Q4 of this year. www.pilates.com US based Pilates brand bolsters UK presence Fitness roundup We take a look at some of the latest releases and developments to hit the UK health and fitness sector. Peloton launches gaminginspired treadmill workout
24 paf-media.co.uk fitness VIRTUAGYM has launched Virtuagym AI Coach, a new coaching tool driven by Artificial Intelligence that instantly creates tailored workouts for users based on their specific requirements, inputted via a chat interface. Initially available for the consumer app, future plans include extending the feature to trainers, health clubs and corporate businesses already using Virtuagym software. The AI Coach delivers fully automated training support and education for users of all capabilities, experience and resources. Integrated within the Virtuagym Fitness mobile app and broader mobile app ecosystem, the AI Coach allows users to specify their requests into a chat conversation, including their preferences such as fitness goals, exercise level, preferred equipment, muscle groups, age or duration of exercise. The AI Coach subsequently provides the user with a personal workout fitting those needs, complete with exercise instructions, sets, repetitions and 3D-animated exercise videos. After receiving the workout, the user can either directly do the workout at home or in the gym, save it to their personal inapp workout library or schedule it into their activity calendar. The AI Coach is connected with other Virtuagym features, such as activity and heart rate tracking using wearables, body composition monitoring, nutrition coaching and gamification with challenges. “The Virtuagym AI Coach is a prime example of how technology can make fitness and health more accessible and personalised than ever before, empowering people of all fitness levels to receive tailored workout plans through artificial intelligence,” says Hugo Braam, CEO and Co-Founder of Virtuagym. “We believe this new solution is a real game-changer for individual exercise, but in the near future also for our business clients who are interested in making personalised coaching more efficient either through selfmanagement or by empowering trainers to use AI.” www.virtuagym.com Virtuagym launches digital coaching solution ZWIFT has added a new portal to its virtual cycling worlds to offer users a vibrant new environment that mimics real-world climbs. Born from gaming, the fitness company uses multiplayer online gaming technology to create immersive 3D playgrounds for cyclists and runners - London, New York, and Paris as well as its own Watopia. Zwift’s app connects wirelessly to exercise equipment: bike trainers, treadmills, and more, to allow users’ real world effort to power the avatar in the game. Zwift’s Climb Portal is the newest addition to the virtual worlds of Watopia and France. It recreates the Col du Tourmalet and other legendary Tour climbs, as part of a partnership between Zwift and A.S.O., organiser of Tour de France and Tour de France avec Zwift. Zwift is the official training software partner for both races in 2023. Inside the portals, cyclists can see the challenge ahead, illustrated by a ribbon that changes colour to mimic the gradient variations of the climb. The pitch and direction of the climbs match their real world inspirations, giving users the realistic challenge of these climbs, as well as a new visual experience. There will be two portals in Zwift: one just outside the volcano in Watopia, and one in France. To access the portals, cyclist can choose the portal climb options via a dedicated tile on their homepage, from within the routes list or they can navigate their own way to the portals ingame if riding in Watopia or France. The Climb Portal routes all feature a flat warm-up before cyclists enter the portal and begin climbing. www.zwift.com Zwift launches new virtual climb experience
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CONTACT US Reimagine how you connect 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 enjoys a beautiful beachfront setting with fantastic sea views across to the city and surrounding islands. Its elegant guestrooms, a 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 27 event preview W3Fit EMEA Following its successful launch last year, the networking event for the fitness industry takes place this October in Croatia. W3Fit EMEA, by We Work Well events, represents the next generation of hosted buyer events, bringing together like-minded leaders in the club and fitness industry through prescheduled one-on-one-meetings, networking activities, community and purpose. Buyers are carefully chosen; highly qualified owners and operators from EMEA’s top health, fitness and leisure clubs and hotels are carefully vetted based on purchasing plans. Vendor partners represent product categories that are innovating the fitness industry. The inaugural W3Fit event in Malta last year was a resounding success and for 2023 We Work Well looks forward to building on its programme, further challenging attendees to reimagine how they connect at a business event. David Zarb Jenkins, co-founder and event director of W3Fit EMEA is delighted to see a plethora of operators and suppliers come on board for the Croatia event. Returning suppliers who attended the inaugural W3Fit event include Technogym, Myzone, ActiveIQ, Gladstone, Les Mills and Keiser. Additionally, several new suppliers notably Primal Strength, Precor, Power Plate, SECA, Gym80, Keepme.ai and LeisureLabs will be joining. “We are excited to bring the fitness industry to a fabulous venue and beautiful Croatia for a programme of education, meetings, and networking, spiced up by our trademark wellness theme,” said Zarb Jenkins. On the operator side, the event has attracted the UK’s most prominent fitness operators, who will be joined by a selection of top operators from the rest of Europe and the Middle East. Buyers from the UK include David Lloyd, Nuffield, Everlast, Bannatyne, Virgin and Everyone Active. European companies such as Urban Gym Group, Hilton, Mars Athletic Clubs, Raison D’Etre, Solinca and Impuls/Lemon Gyms will be hosted as well as Leejam, Puregym, Armah Sports, TriFit and Ezdihar Sports/Evox Clubs representing the Middle East. The luxurious five-star resort, Le Méridien Lav Split, located on the Dalmatian Coast, offers beautiful meeting rooms and ample outdoor space, making it the perfect location to deliver a fresh and innovative programme that allows attendees to meet, network, and educate themselves all whilst prioritising their own health and well-being. More on attendees, the event theme and the education focus will emerge over the coming weeks as We Work Well continues to curate and shape the event programme. www.weworkwellevents.com/w3fit/ W3Fit EMEA When: 10-13 October 2023 Where: Le Méridien Lav Split in Croatia Contact: David Zarb Jenkins, event director, david@weworkwellevents.com
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