The owner of Sports Leisure Management (SLM) has acquired wellness intervention provider Weight Management Centre as it bids to cement its position as a leading public health delivery partner.

Family-owned business Castle View – which led a buyout of SLM in 2000 – took control of Weight Management Centre earlier this month for an undisclosed fee. SLM operates 102 leisure venues under the trading name Everyone Active and last year made moves towards wellness intervention with the launch of its public health division Everyone Health.

Established in February 2014, Everyone Health has won a string of contracts to provide weight management services on behalf of local authorities, and the acquisition of Weight Management Centre will no doubt strengthen the organisation’s overall public health offering. According to its website, Weight Management Centre aims to provide a one-stop shop for all weight management and obesity requirements, as well as providing related training and qualifications which are accredited by SkillsActive.

The physical activity sector has long been pushing to become a frontline service in the battle against obesity, offering a growing number of weight management services, with ukactive CEO David Stalker last year suggesting the public health delivery sector represents an £8bn opportunity.

Weight management services are becoming an increasingly vital cog of public health, with the physical activity sector well-positioned to offer its expertise and advice in this area. A recent feature in Health Club Management magazine examined what’s currently on offer and found that science and technology are playing a key role in innovating programmes and increasing their effectiveness.

Castle View’s acquisition of Weight Management Centre, for an undisclosed fee, is part of its strategy to achieve significant growth in 2015. As such, the company has also taken over training provider Discovery Learning.

According to Everyone Active managing director David Bibby, the organisation is eager to capitalise on the potential synergy between the business and its new acquisitions.

He said: “As one of the UK’s leading leisure providers, we are looking forward to exploring opportunities and working alongside Weight Management Centre and Discovery Learning to improve the health and wellbeing of the communities we operate in.”

To read Health Club Management editor Kate Cracknell's take on how gyms should be innovating to maximise the potential of weight management services, click here.