TOP 10 POOL OPERATORS
POOL FACILITIES
PUBLIC SECTOR
PUBLIC SECTOR
Across the UK’s 2,646 public sector pools…
■ 59% are main pools ■ Average dimensions – 21.23m x 10.54m
■ 307 have a moveable floor ■ 98 have diving boards (317 boards in total)
AVERAGE FEE £6.37
CENTRES 573
Swimming pool type
POOLS 1,039
60%
59%
50%
■ These 573 centres between them account for 1,039 (39%) of all public sector pools. ■ The average pay-per-swim fee across the top 10 operators is £6.37 (up from £6.07 in 2024).
■ Between them, the top 10 public sector operators now manage 573 centres with pools. Numbers have remained fairly stable, rising by just 14 centres (+2.5%) in the last 12 months.
40%
30%
26%
20%
10%
2%
7%
6%
0%
Centres with pool
Diving 2%
Main
Teaching
Leisure
Outdoor
Market share: Top 10 vs rest of market
Rank Operator
70%
142
1 GLL
activity”, people’s “activity mix has changed gradually over the last four years, with swimming decreasing and fitness and group exercise increasing”. Certainly Andrew Clark, when discussing GLL’s formula for taking over and turning around struggling swimming pools, says: “We go in with the confidence and faith that if we get the core offer right – swim/ gym/fitness classes and swim lessons – we can create an efficient leisure centre.” (See full interview, page 56.)
Only 87% of public sector centres with a pool also have a gym on-site – perhaps surprisingly low given the cross-usage noted by the likes of Everyone Active, where: “Around 75 per cent of our fitness members use the pool and see swimming as an important part of their weekly fitness regime.” (See interview, page 70.) The value of gym alongside swim is further supported by Sport England’s Moving Communities survey (October 2024), which found that although “swimming still represents the most quoted main
139
2 Everyone Active (SLM)
60%
73
3 Freedom Leisure
50%
67
4 Places Leisure
40%
44
5 Parkwood Leisure
39 % of all public centres with a pool
61 % of all public centres with a pool
30%
34
6 Serco Leisure
26
7 Fusion Lifestyle
20%
16
8 Halo Leisure
Facility breakdown
10%
16
9 High Life Highland
Swimming pool Gym Studio Sports hall Cycle studio Sauna Steam room Squash Spa pool Indoor tennis Golf Sunbed
100%
0%
87%
Top 10
Rest of market
16
10 Wiltshire Council
73%
60%
Counts refer to operational sites (temporarily closed sites are not included).
50%
■ Between them, these top three operators account for 22% of all UK public sector centres with a swimming pool. ■ The top 10 operators for 2025 are the same as in 2024.
■ GLL (see interview, page 56) remains the UK’s leading public sector pool operator by number of centres with a swimming pool (142). ■ Everyone Active (SLM), with 139 centres open at the end of March 2025, remains in second place. (See interview, page 70.) ■ Freedom Leisure completes the top three, operating 73 centres with a pool.
41%
35%
27%
13%
2%
1% 1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
76
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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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