OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
Leisurised pools drive greater participation, but they cost more to run, says Haslam
Optimising capacity Haslam continues: “I don’t want to dwell on the pandemic, as that’s done now, but it is worth recognising the role it played in encouraging us to press re-set. “Our swimming always did well, but the increased demand for learn-to-swim – combined with the ongoing shortage of swim teachers – forced us to manage our business even more tightly. We’ve focused on optimising capacity and efficiency in every class, reconfiguring lessons and moving people around to ensure every spot is filled. “With everything that’s going on in the broader sector – the pressure on pools, with closures outweighing new openings and forecasts suggesting the number of UK facilities will halve by 2029 – we also feel a responsibility to optimise our pool assets generally. “When developing new ideas and innovations, our approach is always three-pronged: product, programming, people. What products can we introduce
into a space – in this case, our pools – that will resonate with our communities, how do we programme them and who are the people we need to deliver them? “We then monitor participation per square metre and income split per square metre to understand if the products are meeting local demand; as a large organisation, we’re able to benchmark across our centres to see what’s doing well. “Pre-booking, which remains in place post-pandemic, also enables us to clearly understand demand and build better relationships with our customers.” Product innovation He continues: “Our partnerships with local authorities mean there are certain services we’re contracted to offer, although the pandemic has allowed us to have realistic conversations about balancing these requirements against business sustainability.
With forecasts suggesting the number of UK pools will halve by 2029, we feel a responsibility to optimise our assets
MARK HASLAM
It’s time to rip up the rule book if we want to future-proof swimming in the UK, says Places Leisure’s head of swimming and sport
“Swimming was one of the first areas to recover from the pandemic and it continues to perform very well,” says Mark Haslam, head of swimming and sport at Places Leisure. “Initially driven by surging demand for swim lessons, now it’s essentially back to business as usual, although our learn-to-swim schemes are still ahead of where they were pre-COVID. “We currently have 85,000 children in swim lessons with us each week. That equates to 1,308 children per centre per week, as we have indoor pools in 65 of our 110 centres.
[Note: A new Northumberland contract – nine sites with pools – commenced on 1 April 2024. Coming after the 31 March cut-off, these nine sites are not included in the data for this report. Places Leisure also operates the outdoor Tooting Bec Lido, which is included in this report.] “Among our 180,000+ adult members, 11 per cent are on a dedicated swim membership, while 89 per cent have a premium membership that includes access to everything, including our pools. As soon as you swim more than once a week, it’s cost-effective to have a membership, which of course also enables us to better communicate with people.”
Places Leisure wants to introduce children to the idea of swimming for fun
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STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023 STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2024
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023
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STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2024
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