Any bricks and mortar innovation? Over the past two years, we’ve already invested £20m in upgrading our physical facilities. We will continue to explore how we can use our space differently; we have a lot of it and believe we can commercialise some of it better than we have to date. We currently have nine Reformer studios and, in every case, demand has been huge. We will reach 20 by the end of the current financial year [31 March 2027]. We relaunched our new-look Westminster Lodge spa in April 2026, including new cold and red light therapies. This is a premium offering not only against a public sector benchmark, but compared to best-in-class private sector operators. We’re also rolling out elements of recovery and wellness elsewhere. Not every site can support a full spa, so we’re looking at how we introduce select elements in a flexible way, based on space and local demographics. That might include cold plunge, red light therapy, cryotherapy – our first cryotherapy facility goes live in Harrow Lodge in June – and more accessible options such as massage beds, recovery beds and relaxation areas. We’ll roll out into 20 sites by the end of this financial year. We’re also strengthening the softer side of recovery – nutrition, sleep, breathwork and sound baths. It’s about supporting the whole journey, not just the workout.
How is the business performing? We’ve had a very successful year in terms of retaining and winning new business, securing 10 contracts in the past 12 months – the highest we’ve ever achieved in a single year – to reach over 250 sites. We’re confident we will surpass 300 sites by 2031. Turnover is projected at £434m for the year to 31 March 2027, with £500m our target within the next two years. Meanwhile, membership is currently over 450,000, with a clear path to exceed half a million by 31 March 2027. What would you like from government? Our sector has been under significant pressure and, to be frank, I am yet to see anything from government that really helps us. We’re dealing with rising costs across the board to utilities, wages and national insurance alongside reduced funding for local authorities. And yet, even as good companies go to the wall, there is no meaningful intervention or support from government. Ours is a sector that plays a critical role in public health, yet it is consistently undervalued. If the UK government is serious about the preventative health agenda and improving population health, there needs to be far greater recognition of – and support for – the role leisure operators play.
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STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2026
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