OVERVIEW
PRIVATE SECTOR
PRIVATE SECTOR POOLS
Private clubs
After a tough three years since the pandemic, the last 12 months has remained difficult for the UK private swimming market. The number of health clubs with a swimming pool has gone down again: across the UK, there are now 1,309 private clubs with a pool, down from 1,344 in 2022. This equates to a fall of 2.6% in the 12 months to the end of March 2023. Of this total, 473 clubs are now managed by the top 10 operators, down from 480 since 2022 – a drop of seven clubs. Across all 1,309 clubs, the total number of pools has dropped from 1,672 to 1,648 (-1.4%). Nuffield Health remains the leading private sector operator in the UK by number of clubs with pools. It operates 113 clubs – the same number as in 2022. It is followed by David Lloyd Clubs, which including rebranded sites added two locations since our last report to take it over 100 clubs with a pool for the first time (101). Two other private sector operators have more than 50 clubs with a swimming pool – Bannatyne and Sports Direct Fitness – while Virgin Active and Village Gym both have 25-50 clubs with pools (see page 47). Across the private sector, there were two new openings and 16 closures (please note, figures refer to openings and closures of clubs with a pool – see definitions, on page 34). The average membership fee for a private sector health club with a pool in the year to 31 March 2023 was £74.39.
1,309
Pools
1,648
Openings
2
Closures
16
Average membership fee £74.39
35
STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2023
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