UK GYMS – OVERVIEW
PUBLIC SECTOR
GREEN SHOOTS AS RECOVERY CONTINUES
As in the private sector, the last 12 months have been a positive period for the UK’s public fitness sector as it continues to bounce back following the impact of the pandemic. The number of gyms has fallen again in the 12 months to the end of March 2024, but there has been positive growth in the other three key metrics: member numbers, market value and penetration rate. There are now 2,496 public sector gyms in the UK – down 1.7% from 2,538 in 2023 – but member numbers are up 1.9% to 3.36 million (from 3.3 million in 2023) and penetration has reached 5% (up from 4.9% in 2023). Both metrics remain below their previous highs – 3.38 million members (in 2019) and 5.2% penetration (in 2014–16) – but both continue to move in the right direction. Meanwhile, the value of the public sector has reached an all-time high, hitting £1.44bn in 2024 – an increase of £84m, or 6.2%, since 2023.
Public gyms
2,496
Members
3.36 m
We’re seeing more insourcing. When you run it yourself, it’s part of the fabric of what you want to provide as a council.
Market value
£1.44 bn
Of the UK’s 2,496 public sector gyms, 46% are managed by a trust. Broken down by country, this translates to 43% of public sector facilities in England, 22% in Northern Ireland, 49% in Wales and a significant 65% in Scotland being managed by a trust. Meanwhile across the UK, 20% of public sector gyms are under in-house local authority management; 14% are managed by an educational establishment; and just 9% by a leisure management contractor (LMC). As Alliance Leisure’s Sarah Watts observes in her interview on page 98: “We’re seeing more insourcing – that is, councils taking leisure back in-house. I believe it shows the councils are serious about it. When you outsource a service, it becomes something that might or might not make a bit of money. When you run it yourself, it’s part of the fabric of what you want to provide as a council.” Everyone Active’s Duncan Jefford has a different take on this insourcing trend: “Local authorities will have their reasons, but I do wonder if it’s politically- and ideologically-driven. Certainly it doesn’t seem logical from a financial perspective, because it absolutely will cost them more, all while they have a large financial black hole to fill.” (Read more in his interview on page 120.)
Average fee
£32.07
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Penetration rate
INFO@INDEPENDENTGYMS.CO.UK
5.0 %
95
INDEPENDENTGYMS.CO.UK
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2024
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