ISSUE 1 May
WEEKLY
Issue 100 - 27 May 2022
YOUR REGULAR ONLINE UPDATE FOR THE UK FITNESS SCENE
Development specialist begins work on two energy efficient new centres – page 3 Digme partner with Wattbike on new indoor cycle offering – page 4
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WORKOUT WEEKLY
Development specialist begins work on two energy efficient new centres ALLIANCE Leisure is to begin work on the delivery of two extensive leisure developments that will transform leisure provision for the communities of Harrogate and Knaresborough whilst also supporting the Borough Council’s Net Zero Carbon ambitions. In Harrogate, The Hydro will benefit from an extension and refurbishment of existing facilities to include a 400sqm fitness suite, a new sauna and steam suite, improved reception, and café plus an overhaul of the existing pool and leisure facilities. The diving structure will also be replaced so it can continue to support and nurture young talent in the way that it has done for Olympians such as Jack Laugher MBE and Oliver Dingley. Externally, the building will be remodelled to complement the surrounding environment with landscaping, a reconfigured car park, bicycle storage and electric vehicle charging points. Energy efficient, air source heat pumps will replace the existing gas boilers and 250 solar panels are already in the process of being installed along with new energy monitoring and control systems. James Foley, commercial director and strategic project lead at Alliance
Leisure, said: “Funding for these game changing energy efficiency measures is the result in part of a successful bid we prepared for the Council to submit to the government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. “Measures are expected to half the carbon footprint of the leisure centre. Good news for the council’s net zero targets, good news for residents and ultimately, good news for the planet.” The project will be carried out in phases, with the refurbished pool hall and changing village re-opening next January and the ‘dry side’ activity space completing by April.
In Knaresborough, a new-build leisure and wellness centre will provide a six-lane 25-metre pool, activity pool with flume, sauna and steam room, fitness suite and studio, group cycle studio and café. Outside, a large modern play area will be added, with sustainable travel encouraged through the installation of electric car charging points and bicycle storage. The centre will be built to a BREEAM standard of ‘excellent’ and will incorporate high efficiency building materials, air source heat pumps and solar panels to reduce the carbon footprint. James added: “BREEAM is a
recognised scheme that provides third-party certification for the assessment of the sustainability performance of individual buildings. “Meeting the ‘excellent’ standard of efficiency will support the Council’s ambition to deliver a net zero-carbon economy by 2038.” Work is due to be completed by next July. James added: “These two developments at an investment of circa £28m will transform leisure provision for thousands of people. “Built to accommodate a wide array of community needs plus the integration of modern, energy efficient measures ensure these facilities will be fit for purpose both now and for many years to come.” Both projects will be delivered by Alliance Leisure, working with ISG Construction and GT3 architects through the UK Leisure Framework which is owned and managed by Denbighshire Leisure. Once complete, facilities will be managed by Brimhams Active, a community health and wellbeing company owned by Harrogate Borough Council dedicated to creating ‘a healthier more active population living longer more independent and happier lives’.
New scheme sees leisure centres welcome Ukrainian refugees GLL-operated leisure centres, gyms and sports facilities across the UK have launched a new initiative that offers Ukrainian refugees a free Better Health Centre membership or a lesson or course membership, for a fixed three-month period. The scheme is open to refugees who were living in the Ukraine prior to January 2022, along with all other International refugees who have been granted refugee or asylum status by the UK Government. The initiative has been structured to be as simple as possible, recognising the challenges already faced by this Publishing manager: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia.co.uk Studio manager: Paul Hopkinson ph@scriptmedia.co.uk Assistant studio manager: Scott Firth sf@scriptmedia.co.uk Sales and marketing director: Tony Barry Tel: 01226 734605 tb@scriptmedia.co.uk
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vulnerable group. Joe Rham, customer services director for GLL, said: “We have all been moved by the plight of Ukraine’s refugees and those from other countries who have found sanctuary in the UK in recent years. We know the huge benefits all forms of exercise can have our physical and mental well-being and hope that this initiative will play a small part in making refugees’ experience of life in the UK a positive one.” Individual refugees can apply directly, while family hosts, charities such as RESET, the Red Cross and
the Refugee Council and in-centre staff can also apply on behalf of a refugee by emailing either supported. membership@gll.org to apply for a leisure centre membership or supported.lessonandcourse@gll. org to apply for a specific lesson or course programme. Applications should include the following information: a. First name. b. Last name. c. Date of birth. d. Email address. e. Phone number. f. Gender.
g. Selected leisure centre. h. If applying for lesson or course membership, the name of selected lesson or course. Applicants are also asked to attach proof of eligibility for the scheme to their email. Better will accept any of the following documents: n A letter from the Home Office confirming refugee or asylum status. n A Ukrainian Family Scheme Visa. n Proof of application to the UK Government as a Ukrainian refugee. Applicants for the free membership scheme will receive a reply within three working days.
Management software company to exhibit at Elevate MAGICLINE will be participating in this year’s Elevate event in London. The event takes place on June 15 and 16. “It is great to talk to the industry in person during events like this,” said Maike Kumstel from Magicline, who will be present at the event. “Personal interaction with the fitness industry has always been the core to our work. With the feedback of clients, partners and the whole fitness industry we strive to provide the best software for gyms worldwide.” Magicline, Europe’s leading gym management software and part of the Sport Alliance umbrella company, will be located on stand H65. Visitors can learn about Magicline’s many new features and get a glimpse of what’s up next on their product
Maike Kumstel road map. They can also get to know the Open SPACE concept and how Magicline opens up to all industry
players, providing you even more opportunities to elevate your business. “We want to meet as many people as possible, talk about their challenges and find the best solutions for them, this is why we offer free tickets for everyone interested in the event,” added Maike. “Only register via typeform and we will send the free tickets during the next couple of days via email. “Of course, if people want to have a chat with us, they can either book an appointment or simply stop by.” For a free ticket visit https:// sportalliance.typeform.com/ elevate2022 To book an appointment visit https://calendly.com/maike-kumstel/ meet-magicline-at-elevate
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WORKOUT WEEKLY
Digme partner with Wattbike on new indoor cycle offering DIGME, Moorgate has partnered with Wattbike to take its indoor cycling offering up a gear with the installation of a bespoke High Performance studio to provide a fully connected structured workout offering. This means Digme now offers both an in-club Wattbike-based workout experience and fully digitally connected ‘Digme at Home’ class experience via the Digme app which will include Wattbike content and integrate with members’ Wattbikes at home. The High Performance concept utilises the latest Wattbike Atom X, the most advanced commercial smart bike on the market which boasts ground-breaking design and cutting-edge technology. The bike has dynamic resistance technology, allowing Digme to create a personalised, structured workout for riders, as well as a wide range of inbuilt workouts and challenges that are brought to life via the integrated digital shifters to deliver the most realistic ride. Geoff Bamber, CEO of Digme Fitness, said: “Digitalisation has allowed the world of commercial fitness to bring to the mass market training techniques and technology previously only available to elite athletes. “At our Moorgate studio, with the introduction of our new High
Performance concept, our customers can now access sessions designed by world class coaches that are entirely personalised to their own abilities. “These classes aren’t instructor-led, but are pre-programmed by our skilled team of Perform trainers, so we can run them through the day with total flexibility, allowing our members to improve their fitness when convenient for them.” The studio session is brought to life across two enormous 75 inch highdefinition screens with each Wattbike connected to a central server.
As the workout progresses, the Spivi servers talk to the Wattbike to automatically change the resistance of the Wattbike to mirror the session, be it a flat sprint or a tough hill climb section. “The partnership between Digme and Wattbike is the first of a kind, in which our members can enjoy a fully Wattbikeconnected class both in our studios and at home and, for the first time, Wattbike customers will have access to data-driven, instructor-led live at-home workouts with some of the world’s best trainers,” Geoff added.
“For keen cyclists their workouts in the studio and at home are fully connected to Strava and automatically uploaded at the end of the session. “We’re using technology to our advantage, bringing peoples favourite fitness apps in as an integrated part of our offering, allowing them to train with us, but train their way.” Digme runs more than 50 High Performance classes a week from the Moorgate club, as well as its signature instructor-led Cycle experiences in the 60-person Arena studio, providing a complete hybrid model class schedule to suit all member needs. Tom Crampton, head of commercial, added: “Digme’s cycling proposition has always had a performance focussed edge and we are delighted they have chosen Wattbike as their partner product as they look to offer a unique, in-club and at-home experience for its members. “Our digital team has worked in partnership with the developers at Digme to seamlessly integrate the software and hardware in order to deliver a truly innovative, fully connected fitness offering.” The Moorgate studio will launch the High Performance concept at the beginning of June.
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WORKOUT WEEKLY
Pioneering leisure industry collective appoints head of business operations PIONEERING leisure industry collective GM Active has announced the appointment of a new Head of Business Operations. He is Jon Keating, a director and vice chair at Active Tameside, one of the 12 leisure and community organisations that make up GM Active, a not-for-profit community impact company whose members manage the majority of the publicly owned leisure and physical activity assets and services on behalf of Greater Manchester’s 10 local authorities. Jon replaces Chris Turner, who has taken up a role with Brio Leisure, which runs leisure, fitness and entertainment facilities in Cheshire and the Wirral. He said: “When I came to Greater Manchester, it was only ever meant to be for the summer to watch the Commonwealth Games. “Two decades later, and with lots of career, voluntary and personal life experiences behind me, I’m excited by the opportunity to bring the GM Active vision and strategy to life in an area I call home. “An opportunity to reduce health and wellbeing inequalities, and support and encourage active lives.” Jon, who holds a BSc in Sports and Exercise Science, began his career as swimming development officer at
Jon Keating Stockport Sports Trust (now Life Leisure). He later became regional development director with the Swimming Teachers Association before joining the Amateur Swimming Association as school swimming advisor. Whilst at the ASA, Jon moved on to become aquatic officer and then programme manager for club development before becoming club development director at Swim England. He joins GM Active at a key time following the launch of a new strategy, ‘We Move as One’, to encourage active lives, reduce health inequalities and support those who need help the most
in the Greater Manchester city-region as it recovers from the pandemic. Jon added: “What really resonated with me when I first saw this role was the opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives and that really excited me. “GM Active is in a unique position to bring about change across the industry and impact lives positively. “We have a mental health pandemic on our hands, and we can be at the forefront of being part of the solution towards that. “Another term we use a lot is being a pivot away from the traditional health and fitness offer, into other areas where doorstep sports, for example, can take activity to people in their communities. “We’re only scratching the surface at the minute as we start out on what can be a hugely successful programme that can go far, and I look forward to being part of that.” To support the pivot, GM Active has launched a Transformational Leaders Programme designed to help its members’ employees transition from being ‘fitness and facilities’ managers to the vanguard of public health and wellbeing. It is supported by GreaterSport and made possible with investment from the National Lottery.
The programme has been designed and delivered in partnership with the training provider Future Fit Training, a learning and development organisation with more than 30 years of experience. Another notable success is the awardwinning Prehab4Cancer programme run in collaboration with the GM Cancer Alliance, which recently won the Best Not for Profit Working in Partnership with the NHS award from the Health Service Journal. P4C facilitates cancer patients to engage in exercise, nutrition, and wellbeing assessments and interventions before, during and after treatment. Since inception in 2019, P4C has supported 2,500 patients in Greater Manchester in preparing for the physiological challenges of cancer treatments and was chosen for the award for its impressive efficacy data. Jon added: “The transformational leaders programme and Prehab4Cancer show that if we work collectively we can really make a difference.” “My first priority is to connect with all the members and find out where we are up to with the four pillars of our ‘We Move as One’ strategy, breaking down what we need to achieve and looking at how to turn that strategy from a vision into implementation and action points.”
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WORKOUT WEEKLY
Falls prevention programme proving popular and beneficial at Barrow Park Leisure Centre EXERCISE classes to improve the strength and stability of elderly participants are proving both popular and beneficial. Barrow Park Leisure Centre instructor Nicola Molloy is running the Age UK ‘Stay Strong Stay Steady’ falls prevention classes three times a week in 10-week blocks – and such is their success that some of those taking part have gone on to join the centre’s Young@Heart and Zumba Gold classes. Nicola said: “We meet every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon for an hour and then I give all the participants exercises to take home to work on until we meet again. “The programme we are delivering was originally designed to be done at home, but the group aspect of the classes are proving really popular and successful - it is providing a social aspect with some of those involved staying for a coffee and a chat after class.” One of those taking part, 69-yearold Mike, said the classes have made a huge difference to his strength and stability, enabling him to visit the leisure centre and use the swimming pool. He added: “The classes with Nicola and Age UK have helped me no end. I feel fitter, stronger, and more confident on my feet.” Nicola has teamed up with Age UK’s Barrow activities co-ordinator
Lorna Simpson to deliver the programme, with Lorna identifying and encouraging participants to join the classes at the centre. The pair are delivering the OTAGO exercise programme specifically designed to prevent falls, injuries and improve cognition among older people. It consists of 22 exercises –
AN INDUSTRY stalwart has transformed the fortunes of a Milton Keynes gym less than a year after taking over. When Chris Hall, who in the past has run his own gym and has worked for some of the major chains, became manager of the Spirit Health Club at the Holiday Inn Central Milton Keynes last July he had no staff and no members. Fast forward to today and the gym is now thriving with approximately 200 members and four staff. Chris said: “Getting the club up and running again after it had been closed for 18 months due to the pandemic was a massive challenge. “We didn’t do a complete rebrand but rather invigorated the current one and I was lucky that one of the first members of the team that I appointed had experience in graphic design so we were able to showcase what we do and put some energy in to the site using fresh new imagery and fonts. “What we have done here has proved so successful that we’re now looking at doing something similar across the portfolio.” The size of the task for Chris was massive when he took over as members had either had their memberships frozen or heir money
returned, while staff had either been let go or furloughed. The building itself required a lot of work, with Chris having to spend more than £30,000 on the swimming pool alone. This now boasts an upgraded steam room complete with a new kettle system and essence infuser, while he is also looking into installing a sauna in the future. The gym also had an upgrade and a considerable amount of time has been spent improving the club’s presence on various social media channels to spread the word further. Chris added: “It’s amazing to think that last July we had no team in place and no members. Since then we’ve had to build a club from pretty much zero at a time when sadly many other gyms and businesses have struggled or have sadly had to close due to Covid “We’re now looking into adding aqua classes and aqua Zumba to our timetable. The swim schools have returned, which is great news, and we’ve also now got a beauty therapist in place. “We’re delighted to have just under 200 members currently. My initial target was 350 and I hope that by the mid part of next year we will be up around the 500 mark.”
Milton Keynes health club’s thriving again thanks to stalwart
some seated, some standing – that concentrate on improving balance, strength and confidence. Lorna added: “The partnership with Nicola and Barrow Park Leisure Centre has been a great success, delivering three OTAGO sessions a week for 60 of our most vulnerable clients in the Furness area.
“Furthermore, the improvement I have witnessed in client mobility, confidence and social skills has been amazing.” Evidence compiled by Age UK shows that improving the strength and balance of older people can reduce the risk of falls by as much as 55 per cent. It also states that if all over 65s followed a tailored exercise programme, it would prevent 7,000 unnecessary deaths a year – that’s 19 a day – from hip fractures alone. Another participant, 80-yearold Anne, who has just joined the classes, said: “I have been going on a Tuesday and Thursday for four weeks now and I feel it has helped me with walking and balancing. “Nicola the instructor is excellent, and I would love to join other activities when the course finishes.” Aidan Murphy, operations manager at Barrow Forward Limited, which manages the Barrow Park Leisure Centre, said: “This is a fantastic example of how our centre embraces the whole of our community. We are here for everyone, regardless of their age and ability. “The work being done by Nicola and Lorna, and the results they are achieving, is very impressive indeed. It’s great to see some of those taking part in the programme go on to join our other classes designed for our young at heart members.”
Gym marks ninth birthday and reveals major expansion plans for the future A WISHAW gym that recently celebrated its ninth anniversary has revealed big plans for the future. Smokin Guns Fitness marked the anniversary with a party for staff, members and their families. A second gym is set to open at a shopping centre in Rutherglen, south east of Glasgow in August at a cost of approximately £300,000 Director Andrew McGee said: “It was great to see so many enjoying themselves as we celebrated nine years of being business. “With our new club that’s opening
later in the year we are hoping to reinvigorate and reinvent the shopping centre as retail and the high street has taken a major hit in the last couple of years due to the pandemic. “The new gym will be the first of nine that we plan to open, all in shopping centres, by the year 2030. “Like our current gym at Wishaw they will all feature the full Myzone set-up as it has been a major success for us. “All new members that sign up will receive a belt as part of the membership package.”
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