OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
Now imagine extending that out, whereby we work closely with our development colleagues to create far more than housing developments – far more, even, than housing developments with a great leisure provision. Imagine setting out to create healthy communities. It changes the dynamics. I see us reaching out into the community, qualifying our customers who live in those new housing estates to deliver our programmes for their neighbours. We will have built a community hub, so that’s where we’ll deliver the courses, but for the people who struggle to get to us – the carers and others who can’t come to our facilities – it all happens within the community. It all becomes self-sustaining, with a real sense of community and ownership. That’s where I see the future.
We don’t want to deliver functional transactions. We want to create experiences that focus on the customer.
I see us reaching out into the community,
qualifying customers to deliver our programmes for neighbours. It all becomes self-sustaining.
What are the sector-wide opportunities? I’m still shocked that physical inactivity is the fourth largest killer in the UK, yet only one in five people uses our facilities. I cannot comprehend how that can be. We all have an obligation to encourage people into our centres and our services, so they can see and feel the mental and physical benefits of exercise. To do that, we need to change perceptions of our sector. Old-fashioned notions of what we offer are still prevalent, especially in the public sector; people just don’t understand the breadth and quality of the facilities. We must do better at raising the profile of our centres, sharing case studies and data and talking about them with pride. I don’t hear us doing that enough as a sector.
We’ve also just appointed a director of customer experience and product strategy, which I see as a key new role. In the UK, 74 per cent of people say they won’t make a hotel booking without reading reviews. This transparency has driven improvements in customer experience across hotels, pubs and restaurants. You now have to be top of your game. You have to be engaging. You have to give customers a reason to leave you a good review, so you’re the one people are reading about. This is in my DNA – I’ve been in hospitality my whole career – and I see a real opportunity for Places Leisure to embrace this. We don’t want to deliver functional transactions. We want to create experiences that focus on the customer; this will include the launch of a new retention programme.
We’re also working hard from a data perspective, which is an area we can definitely improve on as a business. As a sector, we have to be grounded in fact, not entrenched beliefs. I also think the government’s ambitious house-building targets will encourage even closer collaboration within our parent company, Places for People. Places for People – and with it Places Leisure – has an ethos and vision of building thriving communities. Our leisure centres are already community hubs with libraries, banks, food banks, GP surgeries, vaccination hubs… They are safe, warm spaces.
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STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2025
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2025
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