OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
He continues: “As long as energy prices don’t return to where they were between September 2022 and March 2023 – up to four times what they were pre-COVID – we believe we can generate sufficient revenue from swimming lessons to subsidise other pool sessions. “And the requirement to subsidise is more than you might think, because actually there are very few people paying £5 a time to come and swim. Most frequent swimmers have a membership – fitness, which includes swimming, or just a swim membership – so they can swim as often as they like, which for the consumer represents amazing value for money. “We do also have some schools that hire our pools, which is decent off-peak revenue, although even here some are pulling back for financial reasons. So we have to be realistic: having 2,500 kids whose parents pay £30–35 a month for swimming lessons is really the only way for a pool to be viable now. “We have to hope that local authorities understand this and continue to allow some flexibility around the services being delivered in pools.”
We have to hope that local authorities understand this and continue to allow some flexibility around
the services being delivered in pools.
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STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2023
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