Too many ‘dreadful’ health club managers says Terry
POSTED 30 Sep 2013 . BY Tom Anstey
Speaking at the awards ceremony for the third annual Members’ Choice Health Club Awards during Leisure Industry Week in Birmingham this week, Liz Terry, Editorial Director of Health Club Management magazine said there are too many ‘dreadful’ managers running the UK’s health clubs.
Terry said industry leaders must make radical changes to the way managers are trained and the career development available to them if the industry is to prosper and achieve its true potential.
“Health and fitness, wellness and sport will become key industries of the future globally,” she said. “The opportunities to engage people with exercise and wellbeing are huge and exciting and one of the only things that will hold us back is bad management.
“It isn’t always the managers’ fault – in some cases the companies which employ them have over-promoted them to save money or failed to train them and this has to stop,” she said. “As an industry, we need to set clear pathways for managers who trust us with their careers. We must invest in them, develop them and pay them fairly. It isn’t good enough just to promote the most willing gym instructor – management is a discipline to be valued and nurtured.”
The Members’ Choice Health Club Awards are presented in partnership with Health Club Management and are the only industry awards entirely voted for by the members of health clubs. The awards’ aim is to celebrate excellence.
“You’re among the cream of the managers in this industry,” Terry told the 320 assembled guests at the black tie event, which was hosted by the National Motorcycle Museum. “Your customers have told you that themselves – being shortlisted for this award is proof you’re doing loads of things right. Congratulations”
The full list of winners:
INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY (PEOPLE AWARDS) Highly commended Katrina Pratt, fitness consultant, Aberdeen Sports Village Nedj Suleyman, personal trainer, Archway Leisure Centre Steve Macis, personal trainer, Xercise4Less Wakefield Julie Sargeant, fitness consultant & personal trainer, One Leisure St Neots Liz Velji, GP referral specialist, The Armoury Jubilee Trust Hampstead
MID-MARKET Wednesbury Leisure Centre – GOLD Ryland Centre – SILVER Tipton Sports Academy – BRONZE
PREMIUM Chesford Grange QHotels – GOLD St George's Park Health Club – SILVER Spa Naturel Fitness Brandon Hall – BRONZE
EAST MIDLANDS
BUDGET Fitness4Less Northampton – GOLD
MID-MARKET énergie Fitness For Women Long Eaton – GOLD énergie Fitness For Women Arnold – SILVER Everyone Active West Lindsey Leisure Centre – BRONZE
PREMIUM The Nottingham Belfry QHotels – GOLD LivingWell Leicester – SILVER Nuffield Health Nottingham – BRONZE
EAST OF ENGLAND
MID-MARKET Everyone Active Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre – GOLD Everybody Health & Fitness – SILVER Everyone Active Stradbroke Swim & Fitness Centre – BRONZE
PREMIUM LivingWell Cambridge – GOLD
SOUTH WEST
BUDGET Fitness4Less Bristol – GOLD
MID-MARKET Everyone Active Kingsdown Sport Centre – GOLD Everyone Active Blandford Leisure Centre – SILVER Everyone Active Henbury Leisure Centre – BRONZE
MID-MARKET énergie Fitness Northwick Park – GOLD énergie Fitness For Women North Finchley – SILVER Archway Leisure Centre - Aquaterra – BRONZE
PREMIUM LivingWell London Docklands – GOLD LivingWell London Wembley – SILVER Dolphin Fitness – BRONZE
SOUTH EAST – Essex, Hertfordshire, Middlesex
BUDGET Fitness4Less Watford – GOLD Fitness4Less Southend – SILVER Everyone Active Eversley Leisure Centre – BRONZE
MID-MARKET Everyone Active Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre – GOLD énergie Fitness For Women St Albans – SILVER Everyone Active Hartham Leisure Centre – BRONZE
BUDGET Fit4less Maidstone – GOLD Fitness4Less Sutton – SILVER Everyone Active Phoenix Leisure Centre – BRONZE
MID-MARKET Everyone Active David Weir Leisure Centre – GOLD Everyone Active Spelthorne Leisure Centre – SILVER Everyone Active Cheam Leisure Centre – BRONZE
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Places Leisure has exchanged contracts to build and operate a flagship £60m water and leisure
destination on behalf of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
The Republic of Ireland will become the latest market in PureGym’s expanding international
portfolio, with the first launch planned for Dublin in 2027.
CoverMe, the global leader in fitness workforce management, today launches CoverMe PT, an
on-demand personal training platform that connects the right personal trainer to the right
client in under 10 seconds. [more...]
Panatta brought together four of the most influential figures in bodybuilding history on the
stage of RiminiWellness 2026: Phil Heath, Lee Haney, Ronnie Coleman and Hany Rambod. [more...]
Too many ‘dreadful’ health club managers says Terry
POSTED 30 Sep 2013 . BY Tom Anstey
Speaking at the awards ceremony for the third annual Members’ Choice Health Club Awards during Leisure Industry Week in Birmingham this week, Liz Terry, Editorial Director of Health Club Management magazine said there are too many ‘dreadful’ managers running the UK’s health clubs.
Terry said industry leaders must make radical changes to the way managers are trained and the career development available to them if the industry is to prosper and achieve its true potential.
“Health and fitness, wellness and sport will become key industries of the future globally,” she said. “The opportunities to engage people with exercise and wellbeing are huge and exciting and one of the only things that will hold us back is bad management.
“It isn’t always the managers’ fault – in some cases the companies which employ them have over-promoted them to save money or failed to train them and this has to stop,” she said. “As an industry, we need to set clear pathways for managers who trust us with their careers. We must invest in them, develop them and pay them fairly. It isn’t good enough just to promote the most willing gym instructor – management is a discipline to be valued and nurtured.”
The Members’ Choice Health Club Awards are presented in partnership with Health Club Management and are the only industry awards entirely voted for by the members of health clubs. The awards’ aim is to celebrate excellence.
“You’re among the cream of the managers in this industry,” Terry told the 320 assembled guests at the black tie event, which was hosted by the National Motorcycle Museum. “Your customers have told you that themselves – being shortlisted for this award is proof you’re doing loads of things right. Congratulations”
The full list of winners:
INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY (PEOPLE AWARDS) Highly commended Katrina Pratt, fitness consultant, Aberdeen Sports Village Nedj Suleyman, personal trainer, Archway Leisure Centre Steve Macis, personal trainer, Xercise4Less Wakefield Julie Sargeant, fitness consultant & personal trainer, One Leisure St Neots Liz Velji, GP referral specialist, The Armoury Jubilee Trust Hampstead
MID-MARKET Wednesbury Leisure Centre – GOLD Ryland Centre – SILVER Tipton Sports Academy – BRONZE
PREMIUM Chesford Grange QHotels – GOLD St George's Park Health Club – SILVER Spa Naturel Fitness Brandon Hall – BRONZE
EAST MIDLANDS
BUDGET Fitness4Less Northampton – GOLD
MID-MARKET énergie Fitness For Women Long Eaton – GOLD énergie Fitness For Women Arnold – SILVER Everyone Active West Lindsey Leisure Centre – BRONZE
PREMIUM The Nottingham Belfry QHotels – GOLD LivingWell Leicester – SILVER Nuffield Health Nottingham – BRONZE
EAST OF ENGLAND
MID-MARKET Everyone Active Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre – GOLD Everybody Health & Fitness – SILVER Everyone Active Stradbroke Swim & Fitness Centre – BRONZE
PREMIUM LivingWell Cambridge – GOLD
SOUTH WEST
BUDGET Fitness4Less Bristol – GOLD
MID-MARKET Everyone Active Kingsdown Sport Centre – GOLD Everyone Active Blandford Leisure Centre – SILVER Everyone Active Henbury Leisure Centre – BRONZE
MID-MARKET énergie Fitness Northwick Park – GOLD énergie Fitness For Women North Finchley – SILVER Archway Leisure Centre - Aquaterra – BRONZE
PREMIUM LivingWell London Docklands – GOLD LivingWell London Wembley – SILVER Dolphin Fitness – BRONZE
SOUTH EAST – Essex, Hertfordshire, Middlesex
BUDGET Fitness4Less Watford – GOLD Fitness4Less Southend – SILVER Everyone Active Eversley Leisure Centre – BRONZE
MID-MARKET Everyone Active Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre – GOLD énergie Fitness For Women St Albans – SILVER Everyone Active Hartham Leisure Centre – BRONZE
BUDGET Fit4less Maidstone – GOLD Fitness4Less Sutton – SILVER Everyone Active Phoenix Leisure Centre – BRONZE
MID-MARKET Everyone Active David Weir Leisure Centre – GOLD Everyone Active Spelthorne Leisure Centre – SILVER Everyone Active Cheam Leisure Centre – BRONZE
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Places Leisure has exchanged contracts to build and operate a flagship £60m water and leisure
destination on behalf of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
The Republic of Ireland will become the latest market in PureGym’s expanding international
portfolio, with the first launch planned for Dublin in 2027.
Anytime Fitness opened more than one club a day in 2025 and is on track to maintain this rate
of growth this year, as parent company Purpose Brands targets further international expansion.
The £33.9 million Leighton Leisure and Community Centre has opened in Leighton Buzzard, UK,
creating a next-generation public leisure, health and wellbeing hub for the local community.
CoverMe, the global leader in fitness workforce management, today launches CoverMe PT, an
on-demand personal training platform that connects the right personal trainer to the right
client in under 10 seconds. [more...]
Panatta brought together four of the most influential figures in bodybuilding history on the
stage of RiminiWellness 2026: Phil Heath, Lee Haney, Ronnie Coleman and Hany Rambod. [more...]
