The National Sector Partners Group (NSPG) has issued the following response to the latest Active Lives Adult Survey from Sport England, published on 25 April.

The latest Active Lives Adult Survey continues to show the recovery of the sport, recreation and physical activity sector from Covid-19, with a modest increase in the numbers of active adults. 

However, this data clearly demonstrates that we must work harder and faster to generate transformative change in our nation’s health and wellbeing, unlocking the potential of our sector to reduce inequalities and deliver real progress in activity levels. 

As evidenced by the National Sector Partners Group (NSPG), the UK is currently 11th out of 15 comparable European nations for activity levels, and modest increases such as this will do little to make the UK the most active nation in Europe, with all the associated health and economic benefits.  

These results show a growing gap in levels of activity among different income and deprivation demographics. This was identified as a clear focus of the ‘Get Active’ strategy announced last year.

We are still seeing little or slow progress with tackling long standing inequalities based on gender, ethnicity and disability. Men are still more likely to be active than women (66% v 61%), activity is less common for adults with disabilities of long-term conditions (48% v 69% for those without) and there has been a drop in the proportion of Black and Asian adults active now compared to 2015.

There is also a clear issue with activity among the working age population, with stagnant growth among those aged 35-54. As the country struggles with economic inactivity and low productivity, this clearly demonstrates the need for more robust action to create a more active workforce that is not only healthier, but more productive as a consequence.
Government must now set out in detail how it will dramatically increase activity levels, or risk missing out on the ambitious targets set last year, and work at pace with our organisations to effect this change.

The NSPG remains committed to working with Government through the National Physical Activity Taskforce to deliver on the ambitions of the ‘Get Active’ strategy in raising activity levels across all demographics.  

Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “Fitness and swimming activities continue to drive activity levels as the third biggest source of activity, behind only walking and active travel, and with an increase of 1.5% on the previous year (approximately 800,000 more people).  

“This growth is reflected in the increasing membership figures shown in ukactive’s recent Private Sector Benchmarking report, and the growth seen across Europe in Deloitte’s report with EuropeActive.  

“The evidence shows our nation’s gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres are essential services in supporting the health and wellbeing of the community.  
“In order to achieve a transformative impact on activity levels and reverse the growing health inequalities shown by Active Lives, we must see our political leaders prioritise working with the physical activity sector. 

“Our members continue to face significant operational pressures in the form of high energy costs, staffing, and the cost-of-living – putting communities at further risk of losing access to support. 

“As we approach a General Election, any future Government must demonstrate a strategy that uses all the levers at its disposal to empower our sector to play its fullest role in improving our nation’s physical and mental health. 

“The positive association between activity levels and wellbeing seen in the survey reflects our own research which showed mental health as one of the leading reasons for people taking out a gym membership (78%). 

“Furthermore, while it is encouraging to see groups aged over 55 and 75 becoming more active, the stagnation among working-age adults aged 35 to 54 is a major concern. More must be done to incentivise working age people to be active, because health is essential for our economic growth.” 

Read more about ukactive’s most recent lobbying work in our News section. 

ukactive has issued the following response to the welfare reform speech made by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on 19 April.

Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “The Prime Minister’s speech on mental health and economic inactivity rightly highlighted how our national health and wellbeing is a key determinant of work, productivity, and economic growth.

“However, Rishi Sunak’s emphasis on the mechanics of determining mental health fails to address the fundamental issue that, by most indicators, our national health has notably deteriorated.

“What the Government should be setting out today is a bold plan for improving our national health and wellbeing, utilising the industries and sectors that can support improvements in mental health. The role of physical activity, sport, and recreation should be fundamental to this.

“ukactive’s recent research with Savanta showed that 78% of respondents said improving their mental health and wellbeing – including managing anxiety and/or depression – was an important factor in their decision to join a gym.

“Physical activity plays a critical role in preventing physical and mental ill health, and the sector is already demonstrating its ability to support people back into the workplace, through programmes such as MSK (musculoskeletal) hubs.

“If the Government is serious about reducing economic inactivity, it should also be focussing on prevention of ill-health by unlocking the potential of the physical activity sector to deliver on the ambitions set out in the Get Active strategy.

“We urge the Prime Minister to look not just at the system but also the solutions to addressing the health and wellbeing problems that run like fault lines through our communities.”

ukactive will review the Government’s consultation once it is live and engage ukactive members for input.

To read the Prime Minister’s speech, click here.

To find out more about ukactive’s research with Savanta, click here

ukactive, This Girl Can, Safer Business Network, the Metropolitan Police Service and the Mayor of London have joined forces to launch a pilot of the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign across 11 fitness and leisure centres in south west London.

Lampton Leisure and Anytime Fitness are leading the way by signing up some of their sites for an eight-week pilot of the nationally recognised safety campaign, which has previously demonstrated success in the hospitality sector.

Originally designed for licensed venues, ‘Ask for Angela’ allows people who feel like they are in an unsafe situation to ask staff for help by discreetly using the code word “Angela”.

The ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign aims to help promote safety and wellbeing for anyone who feels vulnerable or who finds themself in an uncomfortable position, and the organisations behind it want to explore its use in other public settings, starting with the fitness and leisure sector.

The pilot builds on recent work from ukactive and This Girl Can as part of ‘Safer Spaces to Move’, a two-year funded project that aims to address sexual harassment and intimidation by supporting more fitness and leisure facilities to improve their services for women and girls.

Launched on 26 February, the pilot will see an external evaluation agency capture the impact and learnings to help determine how well the campaign works in fitness and leisure facilities and whether it is suitable for adoption more widely within the sector.

Staff at each facility, including those on the front desk, gym floor and management, have been provided with a range of training tools to ensure they can best support users if they ask for ‘Angela’.

These tools include a dedicated training handbook and an animated training video that have been developed specifically for the sector, including advice and information on:

• What behaviour might constitute sexual harassment and intimidation in a gym setting and the wider context on the laws which surround this.

• How to respond when a customer ‘Asks for Angela’ and how to support and assist them to ensure they feel, and are, safe.

• When, how and to whom incidences of sexual harassment or intimidation can occur within a gym or leisure setting, as well as when to escalate a matter to senior management.

• How to embed ‘Ask for Angela’ alongside existing policies.

• Each facility has been provided with an ‘Ask for Angela’ communications toolkit including physical and digital posters; assets for digital screens and equipment; social media posts; an email template for member communications; and an email signature for staff to help raise awareness of the campaign.

Research from ukactive and This Girl Can found that four in 10 women surveyed (42%) had experienced some form of sexual harassment or intimidation in their fitness or leisure centre and more than two thirds (68%) never reported it either because they did not know who to report it to or they did not think it was serious enough.

The pilot aims to help ensure all members and visitors feel safe and supported so that if they experience any form of inappropriate behaviour, they feel confident and comfortable reporting it to staff discreetly.

Harriett Jones, Interim Director of Sector Development and Head of Consumer Engagement at ukactive, said: “The fitness and leisure sector is determined to play its part in creating a safer nation, where everyone feels confident and comfortable in our communities.

“The Ask for Angela pilot is another great example of the work underway through the Safer Spaces to Move Project to improve the fitness and leisure environment for all users so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of being physically active in safe and welcoming facilities.

“It’s also part of a wider drive to ensure our sector’s workforce feels supported and equipped to manage any incidences of inappropriate behavior.

“We look forward to working with our members, partners and consumers to understand how this campaign could help drive improvement and what lessons we can take from its application in the hospitality industry.”

Head of Campaign Activation at This Girl Can, Claire Edwards, said: “For some, going to the gym can be an anxious experience. Wearing tight clothing, changing in front of others, entering often heavily male dominated spaces, as well worries about getting active and not being good enough are all too common – often for women and girls. Our research found that safety concerns restrict women’s freedom and comfort in fitness and leisure centres and pose a significant barrier to them enjoying exercise. ‘Ask for Angela’ will reassure women and girls that they can, and should, seek help or report any situation that has left them feeling uncomfortable and that staff will be on hand to help. The campaign has a proven history in the hospitality sector and we’re confident it will be beneficial to the health and fitness industry.”

Gareth Lewis, Director of Operations at Anytime Fitness UK, said: “We’re looking forward to our clubs supporting the leisure sector’s trial of ‘Ask for Angela'’. While gyms and leisure facilities are generally very safe places to be, the presence of ‘Ask for Angela’ provides an extra level of reassurance for visitors that if they were to experience any intimidation or harassment, the facility’s staff are fully trained in how to handle this. We hope that the pilot is a huge success and further builds on the great work that ukactive and our wider sector are doing in breaking down barriers and helping people feel safer and less intimidated when they set foot in a gym or leisure facility.”

Hannah Wadey, CEO, Safer Business Network said: “We are delighted to be one of the leading partner organisations in developing the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign and training adapted for the fitness and leisure sector. Safer Business Network has been instrumental raising awareness of the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign across the licensed trade, and it is fantastic to see other industry sectors now adopting the safety campaign.”

Detective Superintendent Brittany Clarke, Lead Responsible Officer for Violence Against Women and Girls, Metropolitan Police, said: “Gyms and leisure centres are generally safe places where you can keep fit and have fun. However, no one, regardless of gender, should be made to feel threatened or intimidated when working out.

“It’s clear that some people have found it difficult to report instances like this in the past so that’s why we suggested bringing ‘Ask for Angela’ into this environment. We are delighted to be a part of this project and hope it will make a difference to customers.”

Amy Lamé, Night Czar for Mayor of London, said: “The Mayor and I are determined to make London the safest and most welcoming city in the world. We want women, girls and everyone out in London to be safe and to feel safe – whatever time of day and night and whatever they are doing in the capital.

“’Ask for Angela’ is well established across the hospitality sector in London as a vital way of supporting anyone feeling vulnerable or targeted to get quick and discreet help when they need it. I’m thrilled our Women’s Night Safety Charter is supporting this work to get the scheme piloted in the capital’s gym and leisure sector and staff are receiving dedicated training to ensure they’re ready to give the appropriate support to those in need.”

A shared mission to enhance industry standards has been announced (on 9 April) as part of a landmark collaboration between the physical activity sector’s leading bodies.

As part of the development of The Active Standard (TAS), which is set to launch later this year, ukactive has been engaging with partners Sport England and Right Directions, (which delivers Quest), and The Royal Netherlands Standardisation Institute (NEN) and EuropeActive (which delivers the European FITcert Scheme).

The Active Standard will be open to all ukactive operator members, whether from the private or public sector, free of charge as part of their membership. The new standard has been tested through an extensive pilot scheme with representative operators from across the sector, supported by Right Directions.

Together, the partners have committed to support the alignment of The Active Standard with the sector’s existing standards schemes, so that more organisations across the UK are encouraged to begin or progress their continuous improvement journey.

Quest provides a continuous improvement tool for leisure facilities and sports development teams, designed to measure how effective organisations are at providing customer service, delivering operation and the wider impact it can have on the health and wellbeing of communities. It has been running for more than 25 years and is supported by Sport England, Sport Wales, Sport Scotland and Sport Northern Ireland as well as ukactive, CIMSPA, Chief Leisure Officers’ Association, Activity Alliance, LGA and CLUK.

The European FITcert Scheme and quality mark comprises four levels, which are designed to enable all fitness centres across Europe to demonstrate compliance with EN 17229:2019, the European CEN standard that covers requirements for operations, management and customer service of all fitness clubs. The first two levels of the certification scheme are operated by EuropeActive and start with a statement of commitment and a self-assessment against the standard. The following two levels of certification are quality managed by NEN with independent inspection bodies.

The partners have agreed to share expertise and resources in order to establish a stronger ecosystem of industry standards that caters for organisations of all types and sizes.

While each of the standard’s schemes will maintain their unique position in the market, the offer has been designed to be complementary, ensuring clear and supportive pathways for accreditation and improvement, dependent on the needs of the site and the operator.

Specifically, member operators which have achieved either Quest or Fitcert accreditation will automatically achieve The Active Standard accreditation.

The Active Standard is a baseline accreditation for ukactive members. Member operators will be required to register their facilities for them to be assessed on a quality scale.

Acknowledging the different levels of knowledge and experience across the sector, some organisations will be able to evidence how they already comply while others will be supported to work towards achieving accreditation to TAS. Once completed, TAS certificates can be publicly displayed and promoted.

TAS will support operators and suppliers in the public and private sectors to demonstrate effective compliance with laws, regulations, and other formal requirements, helping to strengthen resilience to reputational and operational risk and contributing to safer participation for consumers.

The launch of TAS by ukactive will see the partners working together to establish and promote a comprehensive framework supporting operators in the public and private sectors.

It means operators of all sizes will have improved access to guidance for compliance to the latest regulations and legal requirements for health and safety in the UK and Europe.

Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “Consumer demand for our sector’s services is growing across the UK and Europe as more people prioritise physical activity for their health and wellbeing.

“At the same time, our sector is determined to raise standards of health and safety, and inclusion, so that we can continue to grow and meet the needs of every community.

“We are therefore delighted to bring together our partners, Sport England, EuropeActive, Right Directions and NEN, to ensure the full alignment of The Active Standard with existing sector standards to support all operators to improve consumer trust and confidence.

“Through this collaboration we can shape a brighter future for the sector by empowering operators in their pursuit of excellence.”

Emma Bernstein, Strategic Projects Lead at Sport England, said: “The launch of The Active Standard is an important milestone in supporting a journey of continuous improvement across the public leisure sector.

“Achieving a consistent baseline accreditation across ukactive’s membership will drive quality and increase confidence and we are thrilled that Sport England’s Quest service can support partners to secure this accreditation.

“It also opens the door to the wider Quest programme, as part of Moving Communities, to help and support facilities to strengthen their core operational standards, as well as demonstrate the positive impact they have on their local communities.”

David Stalker, President of the Board of Directors at EuropeActive, said: “EuropeActive is delighted to endorse ukactive’s Active Standard initiative. Launching it during the pivotal events of the European Health and Fitness Forum and FIBO week underscores our collective dedication to improving standards and creating a safer, more inclusive fitness community throughout Europe.

“This initiative marks a significant step towards enhancing trust and quality in our sector and showcases our united goal for a healthier future.”

Gill Twell, Head of Development at Right Directions, who led on the development and pilot of The Active Standard for Right Directions, said: “We are delighted to be working with ukactive and their partners to give operators a tool, alongside Quest that will assist them with their continuous improvement journey, as well as achieving a formal accreditation that will enhance their reputation, as well as that of our sector as a whole.”

Linda Kersten, head of the FITcert team within NEN, said: “The certification of fitness clubs through Fitcert scheme offers the fitness operators the opportunity to independently demonstrate that their operation is a healthy, hygienic, and safe environment.

“The need for certification became even more apparent during the COVID pandemic; fitness operators felt the urgency to prove to governments, insurers, and the customers that their operations are professional, safe and responsible environments. Developed by and for the industry; the Fitcert certification offers the fitness operators the tools to prove and convince the stakeholders.

“We are delighted to work together with ukactive to further enable UK clubs to demonstrate their compliance to EN 17229:2019.”

ukactive will be releasing more details of The Active Standard over the coming months.
ukactive’s Standards and Legislation Committee represents the views of its members to ensure the timely development and dissemination of sector guidance. For more information, contact ukactive’s Risk and Standards Manager, Paul Crane: [email protected] 

ukactive and 4GLOBAL have published the first annual Private Sector Benchmarking report, which represents the most accurate picture yet of the scale and impact of privately operated fitness facilities** within the UK.

The report is based on data collected in 2022 and 2023 from 12 private operators, representing 1,089 privately operated fitness and leisure facilities, showing the total number of clubs, number of members and membership revenue, as tracked each quarter.

Key findings (January 2022 – December 2023, with quarters based on calendar year):

• A net of 78 new clubs opened across the UK, representing a growth rate of 7.7%.
• The greatest quarterly growth was seen between Q3 2022 and Q4 2022, with a net of 27 new clubs opening.
• The number of members between Q1 2022 and Q4 2023 increased by 345,958 (10.2%).
• Membership revenue across the same period rose by 22.4%.

The growth in the number of facilities shows the resilience and determination of operators to invest in new sites and reach more communities with their services, despite the operational pressures faced.

The data indicates that despite the cost-of-living crisis, positive consumer habits are still being seen within private sector gym memberships, with consumers renewing or taking out memberships as they prioritise their physical and mental health. The sector offers a broad range of membership prices and packages, with options to suit all budgets.

Higher revenue growth may have been driven by inflation-linked price increases in response to operational cost pressures, after the energy crisis caused some operators’ bills to rise by up to 200%.

The Private Sector Benchmarking project began in 2021 when facilities reopened following the COVID-19 pandemic, with ukactive and 4GLOBAL collecting quarterly performance data from participating ukactive members to generate an accurate picture of the private sector’s performance.

The first report details how the Private Sector Benchmarking project will collect data and the benefit it will bring to participating members.

Operators taking part will receive access to a private 4GLOBAL dashboard, where they can track their performance and benchmark this against sector averages on a quarterly basis. They will be able use the data and insights to help support their strategies and growth, based on emerging market trends.

For organisations that operate across Europe, the project aligns with the European DataHub project that benchmarks organisations across the continent.

While operator-specific detail will remain private and confidential, the aggregated findings within the report will be used to support ukactive’s research and lobbying work, demonstrating to the Government, decision-makers and investors, the scale and impact of the sector. With the sample expected to grow over time as more operators contribute, the value of the insights it provides will increase.

As announced at the Active Uprising conference by ukactive Chair Mike Farrar, ukactive, 4GLOBAL and Sport England will work together to combine the findings of the Private Sector Benchmarking project and the Moving Communities platform, which reports data from public leisure operators across England. The partners will also explore ways to replicate the data collection across the devolved nations. The collaboration means that for the first time, the sector will have access to accurate quarterly reporting of data and insights.

Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “These findings provide irrefutable evidence that people want to be more physically active and are prioritising their health and wellbeing by using gyms, pools, and leisure facilities.

“This data is essential in helping show the Government and policymakers the value and potential of the physical activity sector and its role in addressing some of the nation’s biggest challenges, in terms of public health and economic growth. Indeed, in a General Election year the credibility of the public health plans from all the main political parties will be dependent on how they plan to leverage the full potential of these facilities.

“Our Private Sector Benchmarking means private operators can now track and benchmark their performance on a quarterly basis against sector averages, helping to better identify trends and insights that can support the overall growth of the sector.

“We’re proud to be working with 4GLOBAL and we’re encouraging all our private operator members to make the most of this new platform so we can continue to use data and insight to give our sector the foundation it deserves to grow and succeed.”

Dr Matthew Wade, Head of Research and Development at ukactive, said: “The need for high-quality data and insight is fundamental in fully understanding and demonstrating the scale, impact, and value of the UK fitness and leisure sector.

“By collecting quarterly data and encouraging our members to get involved and share their data, we are creating an accurate picture of how the sector is performing, leading to valuable insights that will help members make operational decisions and understand the real value our sector brings.”

Utku Toprakseven, Chief Development Officer at 4GLOBAL, said: “At 4GLOBAL, we are immensely proud to be at the forefront of a remarkable digital transformation journey within the health and fitness industry.

“Our collaboration with ukactive and our esteemed sector members in creating the ukactive Private Sector Benchmarking platform marks a pivotal step towards a more data-driven and insightful future.

“The platform, powered by the DataHub infrastructure, unlocks and facilitates key insights about the sector’s performance in clubs, memberships and income, providing invaluable benchmarks to participating operators.

“As we launch this milestone report, it is a privilege to witness the tangible growth and resilience of our sector, underpinned by robust data and analytics.”

The Private Sector Benchmarking Report is available to read here.

To receive the quarterly reports and access to the personalised dashboard for your organisation, please contact: [email protected]

*Twelve private sector operators, representing 1,089 sites, have been providing quarterly data including the number of facilities, number of members, and total member income with 4GLOBAL through secure data transfer processes.

**Data within this report is collected from multi-site private operated fitness facilities.

The Chancellor said there can be no "solid growth without solid finances", but we know there can be no growth without improved health too. The announcements yesterday will do little to move the dial on physical activity levels nor unlock the potential of our sector to contribute to wider Government policy priorities.

Yesterday’s Budget was a missed opportunity to improve the health and productivity of the nation by supporting more people to be active. Given the Budget’s focus on increasing productivity, workforce and NHS efficiency, further measures designed to support the sport, recreation and physical activity sector to achieve these priorities – including targeted tax and regulatory reforms and wider investment – should have been much more prominent in this announcement. 

More broadly the Government’s own Get Active strategy sets targets to get 2.5 million more adults and one million more children active by 2030. And there remain very serious financial pressures on local government with cuts already being made to non-statutory services such as sport and leisure in many areas. These targets are therefore at serious risk given the lack of measures in the Budget to help achieve them.

The NSPG has demonstrated the value of increased levels of physical activity in direct savings for the NHS, increased productivity and wellbeing benefits. However, realising these benefits requires a substantive policy change and we would therefore welcome the opportunity to work with Government to identify further opportunities to reform. 

In this General Election year, we will challenge our political leaders to commit to making the UK the most active nation in Europe – and in doing so generate £1bn healthcare savings and a GDP uplift of £3.6bn a year. Now is the time to take the necessary steps to make that happen, in the long-term interests of the country.  

Huw Edwards, CEO, ukactive, said: "Unless the Chancellor and the Government begin to address the pandemic of poor health in this nation, there will be no sustainable economic growth, and this Budget is a missed opportunity to utilise a sector that will be fundamental to improving our national health".  

"We need to see a real impetus to our collective mission to get more people more active, more often. ukactive’s proposals around VAT, business rates, and ‘Workout from Work’ could all boost economic growth and productivity, and improve the nation’s health, among the biggest challenges facing the Government, and yet remain absent from this Budget. 

"The sector is ready to work at pace with the Government and all political parties to commit to making the UK the most active nation in Europe and delivering on the wider potential of physical activity."