OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
Broadening the appeal Courteen observes: “The other important trend to note is that our members are getting younger, with those in their 20s viewing membership not as a luxury but as essential spend. Our clubs are where they socialise, invest in their health and nurture their mental wellbeing. “And within this, this younger generation is very much embracing the pool – but they’re using it as a way of chilling out and relaxing, enjoying all the social space around it.
“So really my key message is this: pools don’t have to be for swimming lessons, swimming as a sport or swimming lengths. Indeed, if we make them exclusively about sport and exercise, they will only ever appeal to a fairly small percentage of the population. “If we want to broaden the relevance and appeal of our pools, let’s embrace the fact that they can also be wonderful spaces for the relaxation and mental wellbeing that people are increasingly seeking.”
The younger generation is embracing the pool as a way of chilling out and relaxing, enjoying all the social space around it
Club usage is so fundamentally changed post-pandemic that we don’t even sell off-peak memberships any more
“Certainly at our clubs, these spaces are full throughout the day; club usage is so fundamentally changed post- pandemic that we don’t even sell off-peak memberships any more, which I would never have considered an option before COVID.” Dedicated pool users Courteen continues: “As with most all-inclusive private sector operators, we don’t have a lot of data on what people do once they’re in our clubs. However, the 2023 fire at our Riverhills Health Club & Spa gave a very clear picture of the importance of swimming pools to our business. “The fire took out the pool facilities but left the gym, studios and treatment rooms. For 20 months, we had
no swimming pool – and we lost around a third of our members. The remaining two-thirds may have used the pool now and then, but it wasn’t their primary reason for being with us so they kept their memberships. “I think that’s probably a pretty good yardstick for our whole business: I would estimate that around a third of our members come almost exclusively for the pool, around a quarter use the pool and the gym and the remainder focus on the gym and group fitness classes.” He adds: “We reopened the Riverhills pool this April and membership has rebounded very quickly. We sold almost 500 memberships across April and May, plus 88 in June so far [interview conducted 12 June 2025] – all on a peak membership, as I say.”
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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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