DEFINITIONS
OVERVIEW
PUBLIC SECTOR
PUBLIC SECTOR
NEW OPPORTUNITIES – IF THE POOLS ARE THERE
PUBLIC CENTRES
All UK public centres with a swimming pool facility that’s available to the general public on a pay-per-swim or membership basis.
Public centres
1,603
GLL and Everyone Active, the UK’s leading public sector pool operators, have interesting stories to tell this year. Both operators report continued strong demand for swimming, yet both have worked hard to sustain growth. This has included new initiatives and programmes to maximise growth opportunities – notably swimming for older adults at Everyone Active (see interview, page 70) and parent-baby swimming lessons at GLL (see interview, page 56). Both operators have also continued to innovate within their learn-to-swim provision, not least through significant investment in teacher training. And both reference families as an important –yet according to GLL’s Andrew Clark, a “somewhat neglected” – audience that is looking elsewhere for its activities. “We’re therefore making sure our programming includes a good family swimming offer,” says Clark. “We want to remind people that swimming remains one of the most affordable family activities to do.” Yet in spite of this innovation and drive for growth, the context is one of falling public sector pool numbers. Across the UK, there are now 1,603 public sector centres with pools – down 0.6% from 1,613 in 2024. Between them, these centres operate 2,646 pools – down from 2,659 in 2024 (-0.5%). Of the 1,603 total, 573 centres are now managed by the top 10 operators, up from 559 in 2024 (+14 centres). GLL remains the UK’s leading public sector pool operator by number of centres with pools: in 2025, the trust operates two more centres with pools (142 compared to 140 in 2024). In addition, it has three temporarily closed sites. In second place is Everyone Active (SLM), the UK’s leading leisure management contractor (LMC). At the end of March 2025, it had 139 centres with a pool that were open and operating – three more than last year – plus two temporarily closed sites. No other public sector operator has more than 100 centres with a pool, but a further two have 50 or more: Freedom Leisure and Places Leisure. Meanwhile, Parkwood Leisure, Serco Leisure and Fusion Lifestyle each have 25–50 centres with a pool (see page 77 for the top 10 rankings). This year’s audit introduced new questions to track trends in the provision of core services (see methodology, page 105). Top of the list from a swimming pool perspective were swimming lessons, with 96% of public sector respondents saying they offer these (compared to 67% of private operators). Meanwhile, 55% said they offer NHS services (compared to 9% of private operators); while this audit question isn’t exclusive to pools, we do know that a number of rehab programmes, in particular those targeting MSK issues, favour the pool as a joint- friendly environment. Finally, the average public sector pay-per-swim fee has increased by 3.8% over the last 12 months – from £5.59 in 2024 to £5.80 in 2025. Will it pass the £6 milestone over the next year?
OPERATORS
Top 10 pool operators: Centres belonging to the top 10 operators, as ranked by number of centres with a swimming pool. Note that totals exclude any temporarily closed facilities. Where operators are tied in total number of centres, higher ranking is determined by the greatest total fitness membership (data currently excludes swim-only members).
Pools
OPENINGS & CLOSURES
Openings: Centres with new swimming pools that opened between 01/04/2024 and 31/03/2025, either as a result of a swimming pool being added to an existing dry facility or being part of a new-build public sector centre. This does not include swimming pools added to a centre that already had a swimming pool; swimming pools that have been refurbished; or centres where a new swimming facility has been constructed to replace an existing one. Closures: Centres with swimming pools that closed between 01/04/2024 and 31/03/2025, either as a result of a full centre closure, or an individual swimming pool being closed at an existing centre to leave no remaining swimming pool. If a centre is taken over by another operator, this is not counted as a closure or a new opening. For further explanation, please see page 45.
2,646
Openings
9
AVERAGE PAY- PER-SWIM FEE
Single adult non-member, peak time pay-per-swim fee.
Closures
POOL TYPE
Indoor main: Indoor rectangular pool that’s 15m or more in length. Indoor teaching: Indoor teaching, learner or training pool that’s less than 15m in length. Indoor leisure: Indoor freeform or curved pool. Indoor diving: Designated indoor diving pool. Outdoor: Open-air pool that may be seasonal or open all year round.
16
Average fee (pay-per-swim) £5.80
52
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STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023 STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2025
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2023
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STATE OF THE UK SWIMMING INDUSTRY REPORT 2025
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