OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
Interestingly, this growth in adult swimming isn’t only good for the individuals but for Nuffield Health as a business: an adult who takes swim lessons with us stays on average five months longer and spends nearly 70 per cent more over their member lifetime compared to those who don’t swim. We currently have 18,000 swimmers in our learn to swim programme – of which 1,500 are adults – with 5,900 classes a week. And we’re very close to achieving standardisation across all 109 sites, with just a few tweaks needed to ensure consistent workforce skillsets and consistent delivery of Swim England’s Learn to Swim framework. Even then, there will be some variables. For example, we have a few adult-only clubs where generally it’s adult- only swim lessons – yet where there’s a local shortage of children’s swimming lessons, these clubs have recognised the benefits of having dedicated times for children’s lessons. Elsewhere in our estate, a local shortage in swim
Similarly with our adult swimming lessons, it’s one teacher to four adult learners. These lessons continue to grow in popularity, which is so important as one in five adults can’t swim. We want to encourage as many people to swim as possible, but adults tend to be very self- conscious about taking lessons, feeling they should have done it when they were younger. They lack confidence around the pool – let’s face it, this can be an intimidating place even if you can swim! – so we make it as comfortable as possible. We connect with them through their bigger purpose, whether they want to teach their grandkids to swim or just be in a pool with them over the summer. And crucially, our small classes of like- minded individuals help people realise they aren’t the only one who can’t swim. That’s hugely important. One-to-one lessons are available for those who really don’t want to be even in a small group – and, at the other end of the scale, for those who are looking to improve their technique for events such as triathlons.
In a lot of places, you see children sitting on the side of the pool for ages waiting for their turn. That doesn’t happen in our lessons.
EMMA KUWERTZ-NORMAN
Swimming is a wonderful way to improve the health of the nation – and Nuffield Health is exploring all avenues to grow participation, says its national swim lead
What’s the latest from Nuffield Health? Swimming continues to go from strength to strength at Nuffield Health, with a solid workforce and good levels of enquiries; our pools remain a significant factor in people’s decision to choose our clubs, especially with the rapid disappearance of pool space across the UK. Our main focus at the moment is on standardising the product across our 109 sites with pools, ensuring a consistent experience wherever you take part in, for example, swimming lessons. This isn’t about one-size-fits-all, as every lesson caters
to the individuals in that class. It’s about ensuring people know what to expect when they come to us: small class sizes, warm water, high-quality teaching and a great customer experience. Our lessons are smaller than the industry norm: a maximum of six in our Learn to Swim stages and a maximum of four in our preschool classes. A lot of places you go, you’ll see swimming lessons where children are sitting on the side of the pool for ages waiting for their turn. That doesn’t happen in our lessons. We’re really good at keeping our swimmers swimming.
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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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