VILLAGE HEALTH CLUB Keeping members happy through an evolving offer has been critical to the ongoing success of the local gym and spa While a residents’ gym is often a selling point for a new development, it may pose some big management challenges to keep the facility running and sustainable. This one is too big, this is too small The Village Health Club, a privately owned facility, has been around since the early days of the Village at Caterham and one of the challenges from the outset has been its size. For a development of around 300 homes, it was too big to be a residents-only gym but not large enough to also have the kind of social space that would increase members’ dwell time and sense of community. The studios can only accommodate 10 people per class. At first there was only one studio but over the 10 years the gym has been open, it has undergone renovations to accommodate a second studio, in an area that was once used as a crèche (there is now another crèche at the development). This change to the gym was all about meeting demand as over 80% of the club’s members do studio classes and have to sign up a week in advance to secure a spot.
"Every gym must have a social centre, a hub." James Bodswoth, manager, village health centre
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