INSIGHT & ANALYSIS
INSIGHT & ANALYSIS
The bottom line: rather than waiting for government handouts and subsidies, leisure centres must manage their own businesses. With a new government just in office, we’re going to be very far down the list of priorities, so we have to get on with doing what we do and doing it well. Rather than blaming someone else for not helping, we must focus on running our own successful businesses and making our own revenues. We are perfectly capable of doing this. What’s your advice? When we talk about swimming provision and learn-to- swim, it tends to be local authority centres we’re talking about. However, I believe the public sector could learn a lot from the private sector. The private sector operates pools. It also has rising costs to contend with – all with zero subsidies. And yet these
pools continue to operate, with staff who are generally better paid. Meanwhile, many private swim schools pay pool hire. All are subject to VAT – something I believe is fundamentally wrong since swimming is part of the curriculum. Yet in spite of passing some of this on in the shape of higher prices, every private swim school in my area is waitlisted, while there’s still capacity at my local leisure centre. The private providers are clearly doing something right. We need to understand what it is. From a financial sustainability standpoint, obviously private operators can charge more; the public sector is restricted by local authority contracts and commitments to accessibility. But many parents are actively choosing more expensive private swim lessons. Why? Are the private providers offering something more that people want and is there a learning here for leisure centres?
Every private swim school in my area is waitlisted, but there’s still capacity at my local leisure centre
“The way we currently recruit for roles such as lifeguard makes them feel like temporary opportunities for young people”
What if public sector operators all pushed back and told councils ‘we can’t deliver swimming for that price’? In the end, it’s really no good bidding yourself into oblivion. Public sector operators must have honest conversations with councils around what’s realistic and sustainable based on the real cost of delivering swimming. Beyond swim lessons, leisure centres could also learn from the innovation and yield-driving initiatives of full- service private sector operators. There may already be significant peak-time demand for pools, but there’s still so much latent demand and plenty of scope to drive usage and revenues off-peak.
What if public sector operators all pushed back and told councils ‘we can’t deliver swimming for that price’?
36
37
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023 STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2024
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023
36
37
STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2024
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting