New Government – New opportunities

According to the Times, the health and fitness industry enjoyed its 10th consecutive year of growth and we are now a £3.8bn industry with over 7.4m members (data sourced from the State of the Industry Report, compiled by the Leisure Database Company on our behalf).


That is one hell of a record, given the last 12-18 months. What highlights the significance of this achievement is the other news surrounding us in the Times’ leisure sector roundup. It included the collapse of Buddha-Bar, London hotels attacking the Mayor on a tax issue which will impact their business and the continued growth of Paddy Power. The good news is that gambling and our industry are OK, but the bad news is that the rest of the leisure sector is in deep pain.

In the same week we (i.e. the FIA) have also had very fruitful meetings with the Department of Health and key players in the food and drink industry.

So what does all this mean? Perhaps we can allow ourselves a small cheer of optimism – despite it being probably the most challenging trading conditions in recent memory.

Much has been said about the need to attract the right talent into the industry and up skill the operators who have produced the enviable record of 10 years of consecutive growth – actually, some believe that it is more like 29 years of consecutive growth, but we don’t have the data to back this up – so, despite the urgings of the PRs in our midst, we cannot make that claim.

But, with a new administration in Downing Street, our thoughts automatically turn to the future; to the next 10 years. The question is not ‘will we sustain that growth record’, but HOW will we sustain that growth record?

What does our industry have to offer UK plc and its new management team? Health is obviously key. The TwentyTen Commission points us to skills and new programmes (especially programmes which deliver our ‘Exercise as Medicine’ ambitions). To break through our 12-15% glass ceiling, we will obviously have to engage more effectively with our local communities. But how? Who? Where ie beyond the gym)?

These are the questions which keep me awake at night – these and who will win the World Cup; will Dillon ever learn to heel; will I ever recover from my jaunt up the seven mountains of the world in aid of Help for Heroes.

These are exciting times for our industry. These are challenging times for our industry. But would you want to be anywhere else?

David Stalker, Executive Director at the FIA