Fitness leaders have spoken out on the importance of Britain staying in Europe, warning that ‘Brexit’ could derail the sector’s growing momentum.

With the vote on Britain’s EU referendum on 23 June edging ever closer, ukactive executive director Steven Ward and David Lloyd Leisure CEO Glenn Earlam have warned of the threat to business growth and employment if Britain decides to leave the EU.

On Friday (3 June) Earlam joined the heads of some of the UK’s leading services companies to warn that jobs would be put at risk by a Leave vote. Their statement formed part of a speech from chancellor George Osborne which hailed the service sector’s contribution to UK growth and warned of serious damage if the Leave campaign prevails.

Earlam’s backing for the remain campaign follows a rallying cry from ukactive’s Ward, who said Brexit could scupper the stellar progress made by the physical activity sector in recent years.

In an article for the June 2016 edition of Health Club Management, Ward said he had been asked by Downing Street to canvas opinion among fitness leaders, but found only Earlam had been willing to speak out publicly over the vote. While acknowledging the sensitivities around the issue from a leadership perspective, Ward said it was vital for the fitness sector that Britain remains a part of the EU.

“While we as a sector are on the fast-track to becoming the backbone of the UK’s emerging wellbeing industry, the uncertainty resulting from a Leave vote would stifle many of the key reasons why our sector has experienced growth over the past few years,” wrote Ward.

“...From a big picture perspective, the whole issue is amplified when it comes to health and fitness. And this is purely because of the state the industry finds itself in: firing on all cylinders, attracting interests from all sides, and certainly on the right path.”

Ward added that the referendum is already having a negative impact on the fitness sector, with the expected IPOs of The Bannatyne Group and Pure Gym seemingly affected by the resulting uncertainty in financial markets. The proposed sale of Fitness First may also have been affected, with sources indicating that a deal had expected to have been concluded by the end of May.

To read the full piece from Steven Ward, in the June 2016 edition of Health Club Management, click here.