Winter 2022 YOUR SOURCE FOR THE LATEST NEWS FROM EVERYONE ACTIVE
AGES
THE COMMUNITY EVERYWHERE SUSTAINABILITY IN FOCUS Find out about our colleagues leading the business and Net Zero Strategy PAGE 4
FAMILY Our campaign to get families active, cook together and get outdoors this summer PAGE 8
SUPPORTING ALL
IN
EVERYONE IS
Check out the brilliant events taking place at our centres across the country PAGE 12
NEWS AND EVENTS
A WORD FROM OUR MANAGING DIRECTOR DAVID BIBBY
At Everyone Active, we are proud to continue playing our part to support the health and wellbeing of many people across the country, but we cannot underestimate the challenges we all face as a consequence of the current energy climate.
Due to the high energy demands within centres and the running of facilities such as swimming pools, the leisure sector is disproportionately affected by the energy crisis.
Although, we’re currently doing all we can to mitigate these costs by reducing energy usage through innovation, investment, and education campaigns. We understand the need for further support.
As part of our current work, we will be engaging with our colleagues, customers and partners over the winter period. We’ve launched our winter energy campaign ‘Everyone is Reducing Carbon’ (read more on page 8 and 9). Our ambition is to raise further awareness for the energy saving measures we have in place in-centres and host different themes, such as recycling and green travel, to engage customers and colleagues.
We have seen across the national news, that other leisure operators are now having to take drastic measures to manage these increasing costs. While it is not our intention to follow suit, we do need to be aware of the impact this is having on the industry.
We also understand this is a long-term issue facing us, so we will continue to work closely with our partners to secure the future of our leisure centres.
As we look back on 2022, we are proud to be working with over 60 local authority partners and have grown our business with several exciting new facilities joining our over 200 centres.
But to ensure we can continue to deliver our core ambitions for the local communities, we will need to understand the challenge ahead and work together.
As we enter the winter months, we understand the current situation our industry is facing, and the wider impact of the increasing energy costs the UK is experiencing.
COLLEAGUES LEADING THE WAY FOR EVERYONE ACTIVE
To achieve our net zero ambitions and implement our business strategy principles, we pride ourselves on having expert colleagues leading the way.
To share insight on new roles and responsibilities at Everyone Active, we’re delighted to introduce our new Head of Operations, David Greenwood and Group Sustainability Manager, Peggy Lee.
LEE
Peggy’s experience ensures she will play a leading role in advising on environmental and sustainability issues, as well as helping to implement our newly-ratified Net Zero Strategy.
As a specialist in advising senior management teams on environmental and sustainability strategy, she will provide expertise to ensure we reach our net zero targets.
Peggy understands the changes that will need to be implemented industry-wide to ensure the right expertise and understanding is in place to tackle climate change
MEET PEGGY
MEET DAVID
As Head of Operations, David will oversee the day-to-day running of our centres and help deliver key elements of our business strategy.
At this exciting time for the business, he will support colleagues and lead the way in ensuring our processes are effective and efficient.
David started his career at SLM as a General Manager and set up our 39th site back in 2005. His career has since grown in line with the company as we have gone on to develop more than 220 sites, with more to come this year.
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PEGGY
DAVID GREENWOOD
HOW WE ARE TACKLING THE CHALLENGES THAT LEISURE FACILITIES FACE TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS
To provide some context and education on the changes that need to be implemented, Peggy Lee has provided insights for the key steps to reach net zero. These changes include the following areas:
TRAINING AND AWARENESS
We are looking to upscale and engage all colleagues with climate and carbon knowledge, building relevance in work and personal life to drive behavioural changes, as small changes can make a big difference.
We have appointed Carbon Reduction Coordinators and will be providing carbon literacy training to all Contract Managers empowering them to take forward discussions around net zero internally and externally.
RENEWABLE / SMART TECHNOLOGIES AND ENGAGEMENTS
We are working with our local authority partners to ensure we’re optimising building and equipment energy efficiency through operational controls, smart technologies and building fabric improvements at our leisure centres.
We will also be gradually reducing the reliance on gas for heating through low carbon or renewable technologies, such as heat pumps, solar thermal, local heat network. We will also maximise opportunities of onsite renewable energy systems and EV charging points in our centres.
Our relationship with local authorities will see us support them in seeking funding through the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme
INTERNAL AND OPERATIONAL CHANGES
As a business, we have started taking steps to make our head office building (support hub) net zero in terms of carbon emissions by the end of 2023. This is the only building throughout the 220+ sites that we operate across the country that we own ourselves. Therefore, it’s the place we have the most control over what can be changed. With that in mind, Everyone Active has committed to implementing several changes by the end of 2023 to ensure this target can be met..
We will be introducing onsite renewable energy system and EV charging points, decarbonising heating and using 100% renewable electricity. This will open the door to switching our vehicle fleet into electric vehicles by the end of 2026, and providing incentives for employees to decarbonise commuting.
We now have an increased understanding of the operational characteristics of low carbon technologies. This will help us to optimise their integration into existing plant systems for the best utilisation.
100% RENEWABLE ENERGY AND CARBON OFFSETTING
This starts by transitioning into 100% renewable tariff at our leisure centres, in line with local authority partners’ ambitions or by the end of 2030. While maximising our ability to reduce our direct and indirect emissions through the above, we will offset residual emissions preferably alongside other environmental co-benefits.
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We’re proud to be working alongside our local authority partners, as part of our Net Zero Strategy to help make our company’s carbon emissions net zero.
WATCH OUR FILM TO FIND OUT MORE
SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL AUTHORITY PARTNERS
BRISTOL LEISURE CENTRE USING SOLAR THERMAL TECHNOLOGY
One of our Bristol-based leisure centres, which welcomes 40,000 visitors per month, has been using renewable energy to heat its swimming pool water this summer, thanks to newly-installed, innovative, solar thermal technology.
Bristol City Council’s six-figure investment at Easton Leisure Centre will work to reduce the centre’s carbon footprint, saving nearly 13 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere every year.
Easton Leisure Centre is managed by Everyone Active in partnership with Bristol City Council. It is one of eight sites across the area and the first to introduce the technology.
The solar thermal technology was installed by the Bristol-based renewable energy company, Solarsense, after the centre was chosen by the council to trial it alongside its current Solar PV system.
The technology involves more than 800 tubes of viscose liquid which absorb the sun’s energy before the solar thermal array transfers the heat generated into the site’s existing hot water storage.
Chosen due to its multiple benefits, the new technology can be easily integrated into existing systems, creating cost savings of up to 60% less energy to heat water and up to 35% less energy for space heating, alongside reduced consumption of fossil fuels and no CO2
emissions during operation. It takes about three months to install.
“It’s exciting to see such a vital and visible part of the community as Easton Leisure Centre taking action to reduce their emissions and supporting Bristol’s climate ambitions,” said Councillor Kye Dudd, Cabinet Member for Climate, Ecology, Waste and Energy at Bristol City Council.
“The decision to utilise these forms of renewable energy will play a big part in combatting climate change locally,” adds Gary Teagle, Everyone Active contract manager.
“We’re delighted Easton Leisure Centre has been selected to trial the new technology and are looking forward to reviewing its impact, with the aim to replicate it at our other sites across the Bristol area.”
Solarsense CEO Stephen Barrett says while the technology has been used for smaller-scale facilities, it has been underused so far in the UK for bigger operations like leisure centres.
“This technology, we know, has the ability to make an ongoing and very powerful difference, cutting energy bills in even the darkest winter months when the solar supply can simply be topped up with gas,” explains Stephen. “It has the potential to pay for itself multiple times over the course of its life and we’re thrilled Easton Leisure Centre, based in the heart of this busy community, will be the ones to showcase that.”
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This summer, we launched our second year of the Everyone is Family campaign, helping families to reconnect with the benefits of physical activity, while showcasing the wide range of facilities in centre and online.
Our aim was to help families get active by providing free, fun-filled and flexible activity plans for use throughout the summer holidays. We created five weekly activity plans to suit a variety of family needs, from toddler-friendly activity to keeping teenagers entertained.
That wasn’t all! We also introduced £2 weekly sessions for families to enjoy at our centres, from ice skating to racquet sports, and climbing to football – we had something for everyone.
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OUR CAMPAIGN TO GET THE WHOLE FAMILY ACTIVE!
Campaign results
Families signed up to our activity plans and took part at their local centre
£2 family sessions ran at our centres throughout summer
Family in uencers helped to showcase our fantastic range of activities
Families attended our special £2 sessions
Reach across social media
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CHEF CHRIS BABER
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PARTNERSHIP:
You
ingredients.
his
delicious
One from my book Easy. This recipe offers a fresh summery spin on a classic beef burger. This one was inspired by a trip to California! • 500g turkey thigh mince 1 large tomato cut into 4 slices • 1 baby gem lettuce • 2 avocados • 4 slices cheddar cheese • 4 brioche burger buns Sweet chilli sauce or ketchup • 1 lime 1. Remove the flesh from the avocado. Add to a bowl with a squeeze of lime, salt and pepper. Mash with a fork. Set aside for later 2. Put the mince into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix together to form a compact mixture 3. Divide the mix into four then use wet hands to roll into balls. 4. Press each ball down to flatten into a burger shape around 1cm thick. Season the outside of the burger with salt then drizzle with a little olive oil. Set aside 5. On a clean board. Slice each bun in half and spread with butter 6. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Place the buns in the pan cut side down and toast for around 60 seconds until just golden. Remove from pan and set aside for serving 7. Put the pan back on the heat. Fry the burgers for around 4-5 min utes each side until golden and cooked all the way through with no pink meat remaining 8. When cooked through put a slice of cheese on top of each burger then add a splash of water to the pan. Cover with a lid or foil for 1 minute until the cheese has melted on the burger 9. Spread the crushed avocado across the base of each burger bun followed by a slice of tomato, a lettuce leaf and the turkey burger. Spread your sauce of choice onto the inside of each bun lid and serve. INGREDIENTS METHOD Serves 4 INSTANT FRO-YO An instant frozen yogurt that makes a tasty alternative to ice cream using frozen fruits and Greek yogurt. love this as a snack or post workout! You can play around with different frozen fruits to keep it interesting. • 2 small handfuls frozen berries of choice 6 tbsp Greek yoghurt • 1 tbsp honey 1. Put the berries and yoghurt into a food processor with a squeeze of honey. 2. Wizz up until smooth 3. Eat straight away or make a larger batch and store in the freezer! INGREDIENTS METHOD Serves 2 Top tip: if you have any over ripe bananas, peel them and cut into slices and store in a freezer bag. Perfect for fro-yo or smoothies! More than 43,000 reach across our five simple Everyone is Family recipes on social media! More than 41,000 views across our Instagram recipe videos
NEW
INTRODUCING CELEBRITY
A CELEBRITY CHEF WITH AN AIM TO MAKE HOME COOKING MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR FAMILIES. WE PARTNERED WITH CHRIS TO CREATE SIMPLE RECIPES FOR EACH WEEK OF THE CAMPAIGN
may recognise Chris from the M&S Food adverts – a company for which he consults –which sees him meeting the amazing farmers and producers the UK has to offer, focusing on quality British
Furthermore, he has in excess of 200,000 followers across his social media channels. This allows him to get
recipes across to his audience, encouraging them into the kitchen to enjoy his easy and
meal ideas. TURKEY BURGERS
BRINGING OLD TRAINERS BACK TO LIFE!
To launch the partnership, we opened collection bins at 91 leisure facilities, where members of the local community can drop off their unwanted running shoes.
The shoes are then sent to JogOn, who liaise with logistics and distributions partners to ensure that reusable pairs are sent around the world to people who most need them, with the help of charities and non-governmental organisations.
The public can access a full list of our sites taking part using JogOn’s interactive map.
JogOn estimates that every year in the UK alone, more than 30million pairs of shoes end up in landfill, while elsewhere in the world around three million people suffer from sole diseases.
But it is hoped this nationwide partnership will make a valuable contribution to drastically improving those statistics.
Our Group Sustainability Manager, Peggy Lee, said: “We are delighted to partner with JogOn for this hugely positive initiative, which means that local communities can make a real difference
“We would encourage people of all ages to donate their unwanted running shoes so that they can experience a second life, rather than simply going to landfill.
“It’s just a matter of dropping the shoes into collection bins at our centres and Everyone Active and JogOn will do the rest.”
Tony Piedade, JogOn’s CEO, said: “We know from trials that leisure centre users are very engaged in this type of initiative and we fully expect to see 6070 pairs collected per centre, each month.
“With a push, this partnership alone could keep 100,000 pairs a year out of landfill.”
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IN THE NEWS...
We are proud to have joined forces with the JogOn campaign – which is aiming to keep 1million pairs of running shoes out of landfill.
NEW PARTNERSHIP: ST ALBANS
WELCOMING SEVEN NEW FACILITIES
TO OUR GROWING PORTFOLIO
In addition to our management of Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre, we will now be operating seven new sites including
• Abbey View
• Harpenden Leisure Centre
• Batchwood Golf Course and Sports Centre
• Cotlandswick Leisure Centre
• The recently launched Cottonmill Community and Cycling Centre
The partnership will allow us to build on the current leisure and arts development offering in the local area, and deliver the exciting events calendar at theatres – Alban Arena Theatre and Eric Morecambe Centre
The partnership will see an investment of £2million across the area’s facilities, which will benefit the community for years to come.
Improvements to the centres include gym refurbishments, new group cycling and group exercise studios, a specialist FORTIS studio and a soft play facility.
These projects aim to support the Council’s vision for leisure across St Albans by providing attractive facilities for the whole community, contributing fully to the health and wellbeing objectives of the Council.
Steve Cox, Area Contract Manager, said: “We’re very eager to get going on managing a variety of new facilities, including a first for the company with two theatres being added to our portfolio.
“It’s an exciting prospect for the entire team in St Albans and we’re keen to deliver an outstanding experience for the local community to enjoy at both our leisure centres and theatres.”
To find out more, or to register your interest, visit www.everyoneactive.com/news/your-new-st-albans/
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We’re delighted to expand our successful partnership with
St Albans City
& District Council for the next 10 years.
OUR NEW CHARITY PARTNER, DEMENTIA UK
We are delighted to be supporting the dementia specialist nurse charity, Dementia UK, to increase awareness of dementia and raise vital funds to support families living with the condition.
Dementia UK provides specialist dementia nurse support through their Admiral Nurse service. Admiral Nurses offer life-changing support and guidance for families affected by all forms of dementia in communities, hospitals and hospices, on the free national Dementia Helpline and in clinics.
Our Group Development Director, Ben Beevers, said: “We have the opportunity to really drive awareness of the condition and educate people on the role that physical activity can play to help people living with dementia.”
Dementia is a huge and growing health crisis. Every three minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed and more than 900,000 people live with dementia in the UK, with this number expected to rise to one million by 2025.
Paul Edwards, Director of Clinical Services at Dementia UK, said: “We will also be exploring how our Admiral Nurses can provide practical advice to help make Everyone Active’s facilities more accessible for families affected by dementia. Together we can drive awareness of the positive impact that being active can have on people living with dementia and their carers.”
Throughout our partnership with Dementia UK, we will be working together to educate our colleagues and members about the condition and the positive impact that being active can have on people living with dementia and their families.
In September, we welcomed Sarah Merrill, a specialist dementia nurse with our charity partner Dementia UK, to Enderby Leisure and Golf Centre.
To find out more information on the partnership, visit the Everyone Active website: https://www.everyoneactive.com/about-us/ourcharity/
We are hoping to raise £50,000 for the charity which could cover essential operations, including the basic costs of 17,500 people contacting their Dementia Helpline so that they can benefit from life-changing advice and support.
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EVERYONE IS REDUCING CARBON
As we all know, times are tough for everyone right now. Whether that’s food prices, mortgage or rent costs, the fuel you put in your car or how much it costs to heat and power your home –everyone’s feeling the pinch.
WHAT IS ‘EVERYONE IS REDUCING CARBON’?
Over the next four months – from November 2022 until February 2023, we’ll be sharing what we’re doing to reduce the significant running costs and environmental impact that one of our leisure centres has, and how our customers and colleagues can help, as well as sharing ideas of how to reduce running costs and carbon emissions at home.
Click here to find out more: https://www.everyoneactive.com/everyone-is-reducing-carbon/
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If you have any questions about this newsletter or would like to offer any ideas about how we can improve it, please email: newsletter@everyoneactive.com
