Starting on 1st February 2019, the 10-year contract included the delivery of £1.8m capital development schemes within the first twelve months of the contract.

The works comprised a full refurbishment of Meadowside Leisure Centre and part refurbishment of Uttoxeter Leisure Centre and creating a brand new 35 station fitness at Shobnall Leisure Complex. The investment was targeted to significantly refurbish the existing life-expired facilities.

The scheme at Meadowside Leisure Centre consisted of a major internal redesign and refurbishment of major activity spaces finalised with both a brand new 120 station fitness suite and soft play and climbing centre, creating a fantastic activity hub in the centre of the town.

The recent investment into the facility has ensured that the Council met its objective of offering Value for money services, identified in their Corporate plan. These new and diverse activities on offer have created more opportunities for the residents of East Staffordshire to participate in sport and recreation and improve their health and well-being.

Post refurbishment and within the first three months of Playworld opening, we saw an increase in both participation (up to 10,500) and revenue within the centre.

Within twelve month all remaining phase of capital investment came to fruition and the Authority now has three modern leisure centres which support the local community in becoming more active. The increase in leisure provision, facilities and services, including a brand-new fitness Suite at Shobnall Leisure Complex has assisted in meeting the needs of a growing community.

With the completion of all projects in 2019/20, the remaining years of the operating Contract promise to be very successful with a key factor of this success being the capital development schemes delivered by Everyone Active.

Starting on 1st April 2018 this 10-year contract included the delivery of the £1.5 million Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre refurbishment to be completed within the first 12 months of the contract.

The investment was targeted to significantly upgrade and modernise the exiting fitness and changing facilities and significantly improve the Health and Well-being opportunities to the residents of Dacorum.

The scheme consisted of an internal redesign and refurbishment of a fitness suite which was separated into two different spaces. By building a mezzanine floor we were able to create one large fitness space and improve the environment significantly. Together with a state of the art 150 station fitness suite the works delivered fully refurbished aerobic studio, mind and body studio, a new group cycling studio, top of the range dry changing rooms, modernised café and social space, and refurbishment of reception and circulation areas. This creating a fantastic activity hub for all ages of the community.

The investment into the facility has ensured that Dacorum Borough Council and Everyone Active continue to deliver a service to all the residents at an affordable price, whilst increasing participation and reducing inactivity across the borough. The in-reach and outreach programmes have seen an increase in participation and an improvement of health and well-being.

Key Outcomes
Following the completion of the development programme by September 2018, Everyone Active – Hemel Hempstead has delivered the following key performance outcomes for the contract:

• Attendance increase of 32%
• Membership increase of over 600
• Quest Plus: Excellent
• Attrition average of only 4.3%
• An average internal Health and Safety audit score of 97%
• Successful Open Day with Olympian Max Whitlock, over 3,000 customers engaged and we received positive community support on the day.

A £1.2m facility investment programme across five regional facilities. Completed at the beginning of November 2019, with key achievements, including:

• Generated 11,000 Everyone Active Card holders - allowing us to effectively and efficiently communicate with users, and target market areas of low usage communities/areas
• Increased fitness memberships by more than 300 (total 3,806)
• Increased swimming lesson pupils by 150 per week (total 2,188)
• GP referral participation has increased to 447 participants, an increase of 20%.

The Toning Suite at Blackbrook formed a key part of the refurbishment work, focused on two of the Council’s target population groups – older adults and inactive people. The facility has 263 members, attendance has increased to over 840 visits per month, and attendance by males has increased by 400% since August 2019.

Specialised rehabilitation sessions including those for Parkinson’s, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Phase 4, Escape Pain (for those with long term knee or hip pain), circuits and gym-based circuits and a seated Pilates class. These sessions reduce social isolation which has enabled new friendships to form with the participants.

Partnership Working
We worked with a range of partners to support local community events and activities, including:

• The Autumn Walk Well programme in 2019 – encouraging older adults to keep active during colder months. 10 walks are now available weekly, regularly attracting between 90 and 110 people
• Musgrove Park Hospital – Beacon Centre, where we regularly attend their moving on days, for patients who have recently finished cancer treatment and provide information about our GP referral programme and other opportunities to participate in walks or centre based activities.
• ‘Community One Team’ – a wide range of organisations to support vulnerable communities by delivering activities such as the ‘Wacky Wednesday’ community holiday play day.
• Launched the EA Sporting Champions programme, which helps support 10 local athletes across the District.

Up-and-coming athletes across the UK are being given the chance to take their careers to the next level – in an Olympic and Paralympic year – with Everyone Active's Sporting Champions scheme.

Relaunching this month, the renowned programme empowers aspiring athletes to unlock their full potential by offering access to state-of-the-art training facilities and mentoring support from Olympians and Paralympians.

Since its inception in 2016, the scheme has been responsible for more than £2 million worth of support to over 5,000 athletes, providing them with free access to Everyone Active's 230-plus leisure centres nationwide, helping them press forward in their journey to sporting stardom.

Applications open on Monday, February 12, 2024 and run until Monday, March 11, 2024 via the Everyone Active Sporting Champions website, easportingchampions.com

The past year has seen the scheme support the next generation of stars, including 14-year-old, swimmer Jaden Leo, gold medalist in his age category at Swim England Championships, gymnast Ondine Achampong, part of Team Great Britian’s first team gold medal at a European Championships, swimmer Hollie Widdows, winner of three gold, three silver and one bronze medal at British Summer Swimming Championships 2023 and Paralympic triathlete, Claire Cashmore, who placed 2nd in the women’s PTS5 category at the 2023 World Triathlon Championship Finals.

For 2024, the legendary Colin Jackson, Olympic 110m hurdles silver medallist and former world record holder, returns as the scheme's Ambassador.

He will be working alongside a line-up of inspiring Elite athletes who have starred on the Olympic and Paralympic stage – Lauren Steadman, Lutalo Muhammad, Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova, Kadeena Cox, Richard Kilty Maisie Summers-Newton – in group mentoring sessions throughout the year. These sporting heroes will share their wisdom and expertise, guiding up and coming athletes every step of the way.

Colin said: "I'm passionate about nurturing young talent and the Sporting Champions scheme goes above and beyond in this mission. With the Olympics and Paralympics taking place in Paris this summer, the programme takes on even greater significance in 2024. Seeing these future champions flourish fuels my excitement for what's to come."

At Tokyo 2020, no fewer than 30 Sporting Champions competed, taking home five gold, two silver and three bronze medals.

David Bibby, Everyone Active’s Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to support up and coming athletes from across the country, as they continue their journey to success.

“As a leisure provider working in partnership with more than 65 local authority partners, we feel it is important to cater for all sections of the community and break down the barriers that may impact young people from taking the next step in their sporting career.

“The Sporting Champions scheme has supported thousands of athletes over the years and we are proud to be continuing this again in 2024.

“We hope to continue making a real difference to all our athletes’ successes and are excited to see what this Olympic and Paralympic year will bring.”

In the lead up to the successful Sporting Champions being announced, Everyone Active will be hosting the British Swimming Championships at London Aquatics Centre, from 2nd to 7th April 2024. Several athletes from the scheme, including Para-Swimmer of the Year and Athlete of Year at the British Swimming Awards 2023, Maisie Summers-Newton, will be competing at the iconic venue, managed by Everyone Active from March 2024.

Follow the Sporting Champions Instagram (@easportingchamps) for more information on how to apply.

Everyone Active, a leading operator in the leisure industry, has partnered with ReferAll to manage all its health and wellbeing referral schemes. Everyone Active, which operates more than 200 leisure facilities across the UK, is now using ReferAll’s data management platform to collate real-time information for its community health and wellbeing programmes.

Everyone Active currently supports more than 13,000 people affected by health conditions, disabilities, inequalities and multiple deprivation to get active and stay active every year, with projects such as its Exercise Referral scheme – supporting people with health conditions to increase physical activity levels and improve health – and Falls Prevention, supporting adults who have had or may be at risk of a fall.

ReferAll’s easy-to-view dashboard offers Everyone Active an up-to-date overview of all its health and wellbeing projects and their status, including details such as number of referrals received, uptake and completion rates. The Reporting Solution provides Everyone Active colleagues with the tools to analyse service performance and participant patient outcomes.

These national and regional reporting outcomes will include physical activity levels, wellbeing, behaviour modification and the individual's goals, helping Everyone Active to provide clear evidence of its positive impact on participants’ physical and mental health.

The system is currently operating across Everyone Active facilities in partnership with London Borough of Havering, Stevenage Borough Council, East Suffolk Council, North Norfolk District Council, Winchester City Council, West Berkshire Council and Waverley Borough Council. In early 2024, Everyone Active will introduce the system across all its centres nationwide.

Jacqui Tillman, Everyone Active’s Aquatics & Wellbeing Director and Chief Executive, said: “The team at Everyone Active are delighted to be working with ReferAll, aiding the delivery of our health and wellbeing programmes.

“ReferAll’s task-based management system will help colleagues and partners in the Integrated Care Systems deliver seamless programmes by receiving referrals from healthcare professionals. It will also include short, medium and long-term developments, which will further demonstrate the impact leisure can make to support the NHS by encouraging people to move more.”

Stuart Stokes, managing director at ReferAll, adds: “We’re thrilled to be helping Everyone Active’s forward-thinking team save time in managing their referral-based health and wellbeing schemes.

“Our data management platform was designed and built by industry experts to simplify and standardise service delivery, and reduce workloads for service managers and their teams. Our software will support Everyone Active in keeping track of referrals across systems and allow them to report on specific Key Performance Indicators and outcomes. This real-time visibility of programme performance can be shared with commissioners and stakeholders and assist in bids for further funding.”

More than ten years on since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) has appointed Everyone Active, the longest-established leisure contractor in the UK, as the new operator for the London Aquatics Centre at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The 8 year contract (with the option to extend) will cover the operation of the award-winning Dame Zaha Hadid’s designed building. The world-class facilities include two 50-metre pools, a dive pool with distinctive diving platforms, as well as a 100-station gym, café and ancillary facilities.

The London Aquatics Centre hosts local, London-wide and national galas and since London 2012 has been host to major championships including the European Aquatics Championships (2016), the World Para Swimming Championships (2019) and multi-year dates for the FINA Diving World Series. The London Aquatics Centre attracts more than one million visits a year for community use and learn to swim programmes as well as club and elite performance training.

Edward Fane, Head of Venues at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, said: “The Zaha Hadid designed London Aquatics Centre is one of the world’s best aquatics venues where elite athletes train alongside community users and talent pathways that can link the two, with thousands coming to learn, swim and dive here each week.

“This prestigious and high value contract is critically important to the long-term legacy of the Games of London 2012 and we thank GLL for their great service since operating the venue since 2014. We look forward to working in partnership with Everyone Active for the next eight years, to deliver continuous improvement and build on the remarkable aquatics legacy to date, whilst driving best value for the taxpayer and local communities.”

Everyone Active’s Regional Director, Duncan Jefford, said: “We’re delighted to be awarded the contract to operate the world-class London Aquatics Centre, renowned for hosting major sporting events including the Olympics and Paralympics. The facility champions elite sport alongside swimming, diving and sports activities for the local community.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for Everyone Active, and this new partnership with London Legacy Development Corporation marks a monumental step for our business at an iconic sports venue. We look forward to continuing the legacy of this state-of-the-art facility and inspiring the next generation of sportspeople.

“As a company that started out 36 years ago running a single site, it is fantastic to continue our growth across the country, now reaching more than 230 leisure and cultural facilities.

“We remain unwavering in our commitment to providing leisure services and facilities tailored to the unique needs of local communities. We take huge pride in offering opportunities for people of all ages, abilities and interests to engage in physical activity."

Everyone Active is the longest-established leisure contractor in the UK, having been founded in 1987. Today, Everyone Active manages in excess of 230 leisure facilities and cultural services in partnership with more than 60 local authorities.

Everyone Active aims to get communities active, engaged and entertained through a wide range of activities and services that include, sports, coaching, culture, events and health services.

They currently manage a vast range of indoor and outdoor facilities including theatres, swimming pools, spas, sports halls, squash courts, studios, fitness suites, climbing walls, cafes, golf courses, athletics stadia and sports pitches.

The LLDC was seeking to award a new operating contract for this world-class facility for first time since the original tender in 2011. Feedback from suppliers through a Market Sounding Questionnaire in the summer of 2021 has helped to shape the format and content of the new contract. GLL continue to operate the venue before handing over to Everyone Active on 1 March 2024.

The memberships of all current direct debit customers will automatically transfer to Everyone Active on March 1, 2024, and these customers will receive full details on this process from Everyone Active in due course. To ensure a smooth transition process, Everyone Active will not change the current programme initially and all clubs and user groups will be consulted on an individual basis

The award is being made in another year of evolution for the Park, with the opening of the new East Bank cultural development adjoining the Centre, starting in 2023, and more and more people choosing to work, live and study on the Park.

Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions scheme, now in its seventh year, will crown athletes from its sports talent development programme on Tuesday, 7 November.

The scheme currently supports more than 1,400 athletes from across the UK, and will celebrate its first Sporting Champions Awards since 2019, at Porchester Hall in Bayswater, London.

Everyone Active runs more than 220 leisure and cultural centres across the country, and its sporting initiative has helped thousands of athletes to achieve their potential by providing free access to Everyone Active’s leisure facilities nationwide.

The event will be hosted by Great Britain’s double world 110m hurdles champion and former world record holder Colin Jackson.

The awards ceremony will be preceded by a mentoring workshop, led by the scheme’s team of Elite athletes.

Olympic and Paralympic stars Lutalo Muhammad, Richard Kilty, Maisie Summers-Newton, Kadeena Cox and Lauren Steadman will share their insights and experiences to help guide the Sporting Champions athletes in their own careers.

Jacqui Tillman, Everyone Active’s Aquatics & Wellbeing Director and Chief Executive, said: “We are really looking forward to celebrating the fantastic achievements of all the Sporting Champions athletes at Porchester Hall.

“It’s amazing to see how the scheme has expanded since its introduction in 2016. We’re proud to have helped many athletes reach the elite level of their sports and we look forward to showcasing our current athletes’ achievements on November 7.

“In addition to aiding the development of many athletes, we’re proud to have seen our scheme inspire the younger generation through community-led events and the opportunity of invaluable mentoring from Olympians and Paralympians.

“As a leisure provider working in partnership with more than 65 local authorities, we feel it is important to cater for all sections of the community, and we hope to continue making a real difference to our athletes’ success.”

To find out more about the Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions scheme, visit www.easportingchampions.com or follow @easportingchamps on Instagram. For further information on Everyone Active, visit www.everyoneactive.com



FULL AWARDS SHORTLIST

Regional Champion of the Year (East)

Summer Sinfield-Vincent, Football
Alice Robinson, Heptathlon
Jaden Leo, Swimming
Grace Endersby, Gymnastics
Josie Nelson, Cycling

Regional Champion of the Year (South East)

Dan Putnam, Athletics 400m
Oliver Tom, Triathlon
Jeantique Hommel, Paraclimbing
Lucas Roehrig, Boxing
Dan Sidbury, Wheelchair athletics

Regional Champion of the Year (West)

Kayden Bascombe, Ice hockey
Kelly Young, Swimming
Benjamin Jones, Javelin
Freddie Sunderland, Sailing
Hollie Widdows, Swimming

National Champion of the Year

Zachary Callinan, Swimming
William Ellard, Para swimming
Shanice Davidson, Gymnastic tumbling
Claire Cashmore, Duathlon
Ondine Achampong, Artistic gymnastics

Social Media Champion of the Year

Niloufar Rezaei, Duathlon
Jessica Tappin, Athletics 400m hurdles
Georgia Langston, Baton twirling
Ekaterina Avramova, Swimming
Felicia Miloro, Athletics pole vault

Young Champion of the Year

Zachary Callinan, Swimming
Erykah Monae Quartey, Athletics
Mylee Hedges, Martial arts
Jaden Leo, Swimming
Hollie Goodwin, Gymnastics

Everyone Active Site of the Year

Westway Sports & Fitness Centre
Winchester Sport & Leisure Park
Bromsgrove Sport & Leisure Centre
K2 Crawley
Moorways Sports Village and Water Park

Everyone Active has launched the UK’s first Active Wellbeing Suite. The new studio will help improve health inequalities in Middlesbrough by supporting active ageing and local residents with long-term conditions.

Developed in conjunction with Innerva, the new facility at the Neptune Centre utilises the company’s power-assisted exercise equipment to empower individuals to improve their fitness and strength in a supportive and social environment.

“We’re extremely proud to launch this Active Wellbeing site, it is great news for physical activity in Middlesbrough,” said Rebecca Phillips, Everyone Active strategic lead – health and wellbeing.

“The installation of Innerva equipment at the Neptune Centre will help us to further support the local community to live healthier and happier lives. Our aim is to help people of all ages, including those with long-term health conditions to be active, in line with our Community Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which provides the cornerstone for everything we do.”

Middlesbrough is one of the 20 per cent most deprived districts in England. The health of people in Middlesbrough is generally worse than the English average with life expectancy for both men and women lower than the English average.

Everyone Active is working with its local health partners to establish regular use of the suite with key user groups.

Pauline Cofinas, Everyone Active’s contract health & wellbeing manager - Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, has secured funding to refer patients who are waiting for planned care such as knee and hip replacements into the Active Wellbeing Suite.

She is also working with the Public Health England Specialist Activity Team to set up regular bookings for those with Parkinson’s, MS, Neurodivergence and long term conditions.

In addition, Teesside Ability Support Group – which provides a day service for adults with physical disability and other health conditions – will have regular sessions in the suite to support its clients.

This is Everyone Active’s eighth power-assisted exercise studio, and the first in the UK to utilise Innerva’s Active Wellbeing brand-in-the-box solution.

Developed to support operators to promote active ageing in their communities, the solution provides all the branded assets needed for a power-assisted facility.

Everyone Active is adopting the Active Wellbeing brand at other studios in line with its vision to provide place-based, resident-led solutions that increase physical activity and reduce social isolation.

At The Neptune Centre, Everyone Active has converted a former meeting room to house the Active Wellbeing Suite, which comprises a circuit of 10 machines, each targeting a specific muscle group.

The power assistance nature of the equipment means users don’t have to rely solely on their muscles to complete the exercises. They can determine how much assistance they need and reduce this as their fitness and strength improves.

A circuit is typically completed in 30 to 40 minutes offering users a comprehensive and efficient exercise session. Everyone Active has introduced a dedicated membership for the new suite. Members can take part in guided sessions hosted by a member of staff or use their facility for their own training.

The new facility is designed for people with reduced mobility and those who are affected by long-term health conditions. It caters for a wide range of needs and conditions, including mobility limitations, obesity, high blood pressure, back pain and joint problems. Individuals with various health conditions such as strokes, MS, ME, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s, cerebral palsy, fibromyalgia, arthritis and more can also benefit from the suite.

The studio will also help foster a sense of community and emotional wellbeing by providing a welcoming space for individuals to connect, make friends and enjoy a supportive environment.

Everyone Active and Innerva are partnering with UK Research and Innovation to explore the challenges older adults face in accessing physical activity and how public sector leisure providers can successfully engage with this market.

As the UK’s first trial site, the Active Wellbeing Suite will test the latest innovations in power-assisted equipment over the next 12 months providing valuable insight from an operator and end-user perspective.

Jon Hymus, managing director of Innerva, said: “The new Active Wellbeing Suite at the Neptune Centre is another example of how Everyone Active is leading the way in providing inclusive health and wellbeing solutions that directly respond to the needs of local communities.

“As part of the UKRI trial, we’ll work with Everyone Active to drive innovations even further so we can encourage even more people to be physically active,”

A new partnership has been launched to support the net zero ambitions of leading leisure operator, Everyone Active.

Leisure Energy has been appointed as its Net Zero Partner, to support the leisure provider across its whole estate of operating facilities and contribute to the sustainability and carbon reduction commitments of their local authority partners.

Leisure Energy is the sector-leading energy saving and renewable technology consultancy, as well as principal contractor, with a track record in delivering significant savings and securing external funding for leisure facilities. They will provide support to Everyone Active and its local authority partners across energy reduction at centres in the shorter term and net zero ambitions in the longer term.

The award-winning consultancy, together with Everyone Active, will be able to support Everyone Active’s local authority partners on applications and project delivery in response to Sport England’s £63 million funding for public leisure facilities with swimming pools, the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) funding and similar funding opportunities*.

The partnership will encompass an estate-wide approach to review energy reduction and net zero opportunities across Everyone Active’s existing facilities. This will lead to a formulated time-phased approach in decarbonising Everyone Active’s centres in line with the local authorities’ net zero commitments.

Through this partnership, Everyone Active and Leisure Energy will be able to advise and support local authorities to decarbonise leisure and cultural facilities, from site assessments and funding applications, to detailed design, renewable solutions, construction and management of full project delivery.

Everyone Active’s Group Sustainability Manager, Peggy Lee, said: “We are delighted to be working with Leisure Energy and benefitting from their wealth of technical expertise and experiences in leisure centre decarbonisation projects they provide.

“This partnership will enable us to provide even stronger support to our local authority partners in achieving their energy reduction ambitions in the short-term and decarbonisation in the longer-term, as well as capturing funding opportunities.

“This is a significant step towards a more sustainable future, not only for our business, but our local authority partners and their communities.”

Leisure Energy’s Strategic Director, Mike Worsnop, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Everyone Active to help them and their local authority partners achieve their net zero targets.

“Our mission at Leisure Energy is to lead the transition to net zero facilities and we’re looking forward to putting our experience, expertise and renewable solutions to work to support Everyone Active in achieving this.

“With over 200 facilities in the Everyone Active portfolio, this is an exciting opportunity to help make a significant difference and contribute to a greener, more sustainable future for all.”

To find out more about its net zero ambitions, visit the Everyone Active website.