OPINION
Understanding The State And Real Value Of The Commercial Pool Sector
In this last piece of the year, we highlight some of the statistics and thoughts published in Leisure DB’s ‘The State of the UK Swimming Industry Report 2024’ which highlights the need to reframe swimming pools as valuable assets for healthy communities, rather than financial liabilities for councils and operators By Jon Wadeson
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ach year, Leisure DB produce their ‘The State of the UK Swimming Industry Report’ and the 2024 edition is available now. Full of useful facts, figures, case studies and importantly, views from a range of leaders working within the commercial pools sector, this 128 page publication contains thorough, unique and essential information and is a ‘must read’ for anyone wanting insights into this aspect of the pool industry. One of the biggest take away messages from reading the analysis contained within the 2024 edition is the many challenges faced by the sector along with concerning statistical information regarding the declining number of actual pools and the direction of travel. The report found that the number of swimming pools is declining, with a 1.8% reduction from 4,351 in 2023 to 4,272 in 2024. These figures compare to 4,559 pools reported in 2019, and despite a pause of collating the statistics due to the pandemic, the trend is clear with pools closing at a steady rate. The report identifies key challenges for operators, including rising energy and maintenance costs, ageing infrastructure, and difficulties in recruiting personnel, including swimming teachers and lifeguards. However, it’s not all bad news as a lot of innovation is also taking place, for example, advancements in AI-assisted lifeguard technologies which are improving safety and operational efficiency. In his foreword, after quite rightly highlighting personnel issues as a key issue, David Minton, founder of LeisureDB points out that as an industry ‘We must challenge ourselves to review how we position pools. Local authorities are focused on appropriate provision for their communities, and swimming and water-based sports are clear contributors to health and wellbeing. Going forward, we must find ways to (re)position what we offer so pools cease to be viewed as a drain on the budget and instead are celebrated for the value they bring to communities’.
As a platform, the report not only does a great job of shedding light on statistics, but also looks to highlight the challenges faced by the sector, with David also noting that ‘a number of key players are already addressing this critical task’ and references other contributors whose opinions and thoughts are published within the comprehensive report. And it’s this combination of content that makes for a truly interesting and thought provoking read.
A REBALANCING ‘We take seriously our wider responsibility of keeping local communities healthy, so this is our direction in terms of product and positioning’ comments Places Leisure’s Mark Haslam who is one such contributor with a dedicated piece. In it, he adds ‘With everything that’s going on in the broader sector the pressure on pools, with closures outweighing new openings and forecasts suggesting the number of UK facilities will halve by 2029 – we also feel a responsibility to optimise our pool assets generally’. As an organisation, GLL, the largest provider of publicly accessible swimming pools in the UK, are already positioning their pools around health and water safety objectives. ‘Leisure feels like a choice. Health feels essential’ states Andrew Clark, GLL’s Head of Sports And Aquatics, who also has an in-depth contribution within the publication. In it, he also has some interesting thoughts on developing a standardised model for a community pool which should boost the UK’s pool stock. Andy Salmon, Swim England’s new CEO states ‘I’m focused on better communicating the social, health and economic benefits of swimming, making a strong case for government to keep existing pools open and replace ageing stock’. Andy provides more insight within the report and highlights collaboration and speaking with one voice as a
I’ve witnessed first-hand the profound impact of swimming pools on communities. I believe it is our duty to protect these indispensable public assets for generations to come” 72 December 2024 SPN 72_SPN_December_2024_Opinion.indd 72
key factor going forward. Within another piece, Alliance Leisure’s Managing Director Paul Cluett says “We know that – with the right combination of investment, design and marketing – we can revitalise public sector pools, ushering in a new generation of modern, fit-for-purpose and above all, commercially viable pool spaces that meet the health, wellbeing and leisure needs of their local communities’. He goes on to say ‘With decades of experience working within public leisure, I’ve witnessed first-hand the profound impact of swimming pools on communities. I believe it is our duty to protect these indispensable public assets for generations to come’. The STA’s Dave Candler urges ‘rather than wait for government handouts and subsidies, leisure centres must manage their own businesses’ and says the public sector has much to learn from the private sector when it comes to swimming provision. With the above, just being a selection taken from the report, it’s worth viewing online as a digital edition or can be purchased and downloaded as a PDF file. LeisureDB 020 3089 8777 www.leisuredb.com
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk 12/12/2024 09:27