Market grows to over 7m members - 2007 FIA State of the UK Fitness Industry Report
The 2007 FIA State of the UKFitness Industry Report, published on 9th July, has revealed steady growth across the private and public sectors.
Total membership has increased to over 7 million members for the first time. The membership increase has been gained from both new facilities and from improved performance at existing sites.
The popularity of fitness continues to strengthen with member penetration growing to 11.9% of the UK population.
For the first time the report shows like-for-like membership in the public sector and allows for cross-industry comparisons which reveal like-for-like membership numbers have grown by 3% across the industry since 1st January 2006.
The combined private and public sector market value, based on estimated annual income from membership fees aggregated from individual site level, has been estimated to now be worth £3.6 billion.
Regional analysis from the report highlights the variations in regional performance. The North East and South West experienced the largest like-for-like membership growth in private club memberships whilst East Midlands and Northern Ireland topped the impressive growth rates in the public sector.
Public Sector Health and Fitness Show Impressive Growth
The 2007 FIA State of the UK Fitness Industry Report reveals the impressive growth of the public sector with 106 new fitness facilities opened since 1st January 2006. The new facilities are a combination of new sites, additions of fitness to existing sports centres, and the increased access to members of the public for the first time.
Like-for-like memberships have grown too with the public sector attracting an additional 107,000 members since 1st January 2006.
Like-for-like membership growth rates, available for the first time for the industry, showed an impressive 4.6% gain across the public sector. Regional analysis shows the variations at a local level with the East Midlands and Northern Ireland topping the impressive like-for-like membership growth rates in the public sector with 13.5% and 10.9% respectively. Above average UK growth rates were also realised in the North East, the North West, Scotland, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber region.
The public health and fitness sector is playing an important role nationally with 4.6%
of the UK population now members at a public fitness facility and the estimated value of revenue earned at public fitness facilities aggregating to £1 billion. Revenue estimates are based on estimated annual income from membership fees aggregated from individual site level.
Detailed fee analysis is included in the report showing that the UK average monthly adult membership fee at public fitness facilities is £28.39 with ranges from the high in London of £33.41 to lowest fees in North East at £25.82
Also included for the first time is a review of the top 5 Trusts and top 5 Leisure Management Contractors by number of public sports centres with gyms accessible to the general public.
New Research Highlights Lack of Exercise Facilities In Deprived Areas in England
A recently published paper in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine highlights research undertaken by Dr Melvyn Hillsdon and others from Bristol University into whether the more deprived areas of England suffer from a lack of exercise facilities.
It is known in England that the lower socio-economic groups have lower exercise participation levels and the research wanted to study whether this was in part due to a lack of facilities in deprived neighbourhoods in England. Using The Leisure Database Company's records of all sports and fitness facilities throughout England, the research calculated the density of physical activity centres per 1,000 population.
The results clearly showed that the availability of exercise facilities declines with area of deprivation making it harder for lower socio-economic populations to have access to sports and fitness facilities. In Kent, for example, the most deprived areas share just 6 sports and fitness facilities.
Research provided by the Leisure Database Company, July 10, 2007.