Gold company profile
Parkwood Leisure
Parkwood Leisure is a family-owned leisure management company working with local authority partners across England and Wales. Operating over 80 sites on behalf of more than 25 local authorities, Parkwood offers bespoke management experience in leisure centres, theatres, golf courses, heritage sites and visitor attraction facilities.
Parkwood Leisure’s mission is to create strong, lasting partnerships, built on a foundation of efficient and effective delivery to encourage happier and healthier lifestyles within the communities that it serves. Parkwood doesn’t look to drive its corporate identity; its leisure facilities operate under the white label ‘Leisure Centre’ identity.
Key products and services
Parkwood Leisure offers bespoke management services for a range of leisure facilities. Its unique approach to leisure management is backed by more than 25 years of experience, which has seen the organisation grow to managing more than 80 facilities across England and Wales.
Its leisure centres offer an extensive range of sports and leisure facilities, with more than 60 gyms in its network. In its role, Parkwood Leisure also works with partner organisations, including national governing bodies and trade associations, as part of its commitment to promoting physical activity and wellbeing and enhancing the local communities within which it operates.
Parkwood also manages six golf courses under its Glendale Golf brand, four theatres, outdoor activity centres and visitor attractions including indoor rainforest zoo Plantasia, and heritage sites Pavilion Gardens in Buxton and Rufford Abbey Country Park.
The organisation also has extensive experience in design, build, operation and maintenance (DBOM) of new-build leisure facilities. Working in partnership with sister company Parkwood Project Management, the company has led the completed consortia management of 14 new-build projects to date.
case study: Rushcliffe Borough Council: delivering sustainable savings and a positive impact within the community
Rushcliffe Borough Council awarded the contract for the management of five of the Council’s leisure centres to Parkwood Leisure in August 2007. In 2011, due to the good value being delivered by Parkwood Leisure and a strong performance with regards to KPIs, the contract was converted to a NPDO and extended by 5 years to 2022.
Parkwood Leisure worked in partnership to manage the closure of the old Rushcliffe Leisure Centre, transitioning the customers, staff and programmes as part of the opening of the new Rushcliffe Arena site in January 2017. The contract between Parkwood Leisure and Rushcliffe Borough Council was extended until July 2025.
Contract highlights:
Increasing active participation - in 2007, the contract welcomed 1,137,798 active visits across its five leisure centres. In 2018, visits reached 1,231,845 across four sites; an increase of nearly 100,000 active visits per year.
Boosting revenue opportunities - in 2019, new sensory lighting equipment was installed in the learner pool at Keyworth Leisure Centre to support users with special needs. Since the install, swim 'pay and play' income has increased by 25%, party hire income by 663% and swimming lessons by 10%.
Maximising partnerships to improve community engagement - Supported by Parkwood Leisure, Rushcliffe Borough Council has worked in partnership with a number of sports organisations and associations to help engage its sites' visitors. These include Swim England, Nottingham Rugby, Nottinghamshire FA and Nottinghamshire Cricket Club. Edwalton Golf Centre, also managed by Parkwood, has also previously held taster sessions in partnership with a local dementia charity.
Future investment - Parkwood Leisure are supporting the council with the development of the new Bingham Leisure Centre, due to open in 2022.
Parkwood Leisure worked in partnership to manage the closure of the old Rushcliffe Leisure Centre, transitioning the customers, staff and programmes as part of the opening of the new Rushcliffe Arena site in January 2017. The contract between Parkwood Leisure and Rushcliffe Borough Council was extended until July 2025.
Contract highlights:
Increasing active participation - in 2007, the contract welcomed 1,137,798 active visits across its five leisure centres. In 2018, visits reached 1,231,845 across four sites; an increase of nearly 100,000 active visits per year.
Boosting revenue opportunities - in 2019, new sensory lighting equipment was installed in the learner pool at Keyworth Leisure Centre to support users with special needs. Since the install, swim 'pay and play' income has increased by 25%, party hire income by 663% and swimming lessons by 10%.
Maximising partnerships to improve community engagement - Supported by Parkwood Leisure, Rushcliffe Borough Council has worked in partnership with a number of sports organisations and associations to help engage its sites' visitors. These include Swim England, Nottingham Rugby, Nottinghamshire FA and Nottinghamshire Cricket Club. Edwalton Golf Centre, also managed by Parkwood, has also previously held taster sessions in partnership with a local dementia charity.
Future investment - Parkwood Leisure are supporting the council with the development of the new Bingham Leisure Centre, due to open in 2022.
case study: Torbay Leisure Centre: Major Facility Investment To Support Increased Participation
Parkwood Leisure commenced the contract to manage Torbay Leisure Centre on 1st December 2017 for 12 years.
As part of the bid, Parkwood identified £1.7m of investment to improve the facility; working in partnership with the Council who funded the capital improvements, significant upgrades were made to the site which included more than doubling the size of the gym, refurbished squash courts and upgraded changing rooms, as well as the installation of an outdoor artificial pitch.
The facility is a large wet/dry site and also includes a 25m pool and training pool, 8-court sports hall with event seating, café and soft play, plus a British Cycling funded 1.5km outdoor closed road cycling circuit.
There is a lease and management agreement in place between Torbay Council and Parkwood Leisure, who manages the contract via a subcontracting arrangement with Lex Leisure. Lex Leisure Ltd is a Community Investment Company, with charitable objectives to deliver activities which benefit the community. This arrangement provides the Council with confidence that the partnership is financially sustainable as it is underpinned by the extensive experience and commercial expertise of Parkwood Leisure, coupled with a local, bespoke community focus through Lex Leisure.
Contract highlights:
More children learning to swim - The conversion of the main pool and introduction of the learner pool has increased the capacity of the Centre's swimming lesson programme to 600 (Oct 2019) - this is an increase of 100 children each week.
Increased participation and customer satisfaction - Following the investment, customer satisfaction grew from 63% in September 2018 to 90% in September 2019. Active memberships also increased by 400+ new customers per week.
Extension of the partnership - Parkwood Leisure has secured a 25-year agreement with the Riviera International Conference Centre (RICC) in Torquay, South Devon. The new contract will start on 01 April 2021 and will see £1.4m investment into site improvements including a full gym refurbishment, high and low ropes adventure course and new reception area, as well as structural upgrades to the building.
As part of the bid, Parkwood identified £1.7m of investment to improve the facility; working in partnership with the Council who funded the capital improvements, significant upgrades were made to the site which included more than doubling the size of the gym, refurbished squash courts and upgraded changing rooms, as well as the installation of an outdoor artificial pitch.
The facility is a large wet/dry site and also includes a 25m pool and training pool, 8-court sports hall with event seating, café and soft play, plus a British Cycling funded 1.5km outdoor closed road cycling circuit.
There is a lease and management agreement in place between Torbay Council and Parkwood Leisure, who manages the contract via a subcontracting arrangement with Lex Leisure. Lex Leisure Ltd is a Community Investment Company, with charitable objectives to deliver activities which benefit the community. This arrangement provides the Council with confidence that the partnership is financially sustainable as it is underpinned by the extensive experience and commercial expertise of Parkwood Leisure, coupled with a local, bespoke community focus through Lex Leisure.
Contract highlights:
More children learning to swim - The conversion of the main pool and introduction of the learner pool has increased the capacity of the Centre's swimming lesson programme to 600 (Oct 2019) - this is an increase of 100 children each week.
Increased participation and customer satisfaction - Following the investment, customer satisfaction grew from 63% in September 2018 to 90% in September 2019. Active memberships also increased by 400+ new customers per week.
Extension of the partnership - Parkwood Leisure has secured a 25-year agreement with the Riviera International Conference Centre (RICC) in Torquay, South Devon. The new contract will start on 01 April 2021 and will see £1.4m investment into site improvements including a full gym refurbishment, high and low ropes adventure course and new reception area, as well as structural upgrades to the building.
Plans for the next 12 months
Over the next 12 months, Parkwood Leisure will continue to work collaboratively with its local authority partners to help drive improved mental and physical wellbeing within the communities that it serves.
Testimonial
“We have enjoyed a fantastic partnership with Parkwood Leisure for more than 10 years. They manage all of our leisure facilities including four leisure centres and Edwalton golf course, and the knowledge, expertise and experience they bring is first class. The slick operation they run, combined with innovative ways they’ve engaged local residents, mean we’ve never had a more physically active community and we’re excited to continue our partnership into the future.”
– David Banks, Executive Manager Neighbourhoods, Rushcliffe Borough Council
updates & press releases
10 Jun 2021
Being active helps Parkwood Leisure customers save the NHS £16m
Being active helps Parkwood Leisure customers save the NHS £16m
Parkwood Leisure, one of the UK’s leading public leisure facilities operators, helped prevent more than 7,000 cases of stroke, dementia, depression and type 2 diabetes in 2019, saving the NHS £16 million, a new social value report has shown.
The report, underpinned by industry-leading research undertaken by Sheffield Hallam University, has been developed over the last year by Parkwood in partnership with 4Global to understand the social value generated prior to the pandemic.
Through improved health and subjective well-being, increased educational attainment and reduced crime, Parkwood generated a social value of £425.09 per member for the year - a figure above industry average. In addition, Parkwood has directly helped prevent more than 3,200 cases of depression; a statistic of particular significance following last month’s Mental Health Awareness Week.
The findings in the report have also helped the leisure management firm understand the impact of members not regularly attending its centres. Almost £59 million in social value has been lost during the Coronavirus pandemic. To help combat this, Parkwood has delivered Covid-specific staff training to its teams focusing on safety protocols, specific interventions and targeted programmes, to get people back into physical activity post-lockdown.
In addition, and with the aim of driving even higher social value, Parkwood will be launching a new Wellness Ecosystem service for its members from August. The service will allow users to access a comprehensive digital service that provides clinically robust evidence-based advice and guidance on how to tackle key aspects of their health and wellbeing, in line with NICE and NCSCT guidance.
Glen Hall, Managing Director of Parkwood Leisure said: “We pride ourselves on creating happier and healthier communities. The impact we’re having on health, wellbeing, education, crime and the NHS is clear from this report. Being active has never been more important for our nation and we’re delighted to be helping proactively tackle a wide range of health and social issues. One of our key aims moving forward is to generate even greater social value - hence the launch of our Wellness Ecosystem - whether that is inside our facilities or out in the community, all helping deliver an even greater impact on the nation’s health agenda.”
Chris Phillips, Director at 4Global said: “This report really starts to tell the full story of how being active more broadly benefits individuals and society. We’ve worked closely with Parkwood over the last few years to understand how they have been helping positively impact the broader issues society faces and this report shows they’re really doing that.”
To read more click here and for more information visit www.parkwoodleisure.co.uk
The report, underpinned by industry-leading research undertaken by Sheffield Hallam University, has been developed over the last year by Parkwood in partnership with 4Global to understand the social value generated prior to the pandemic.
Through improved health and subjective well-being, increased educational attainment and reduced crime, Parkwood generated a social value of £425.09 per member for the year - a figure above industry average. In addition, Parkwood has directly helped prevent more than 3,200 cases of depression; a statistic of particular significance following last month’s Mental Health Awareness Week.
The findings in the report have also helped the leisure management firm understand the impact of members not regularly attending its centres. Almost £59 million in social value has been lost during the Coronavirus pandemic. To help combat this, Parkwood has delivered Covid-specific staff training to its teams focusing on safety protocols, specific interventions and targeted programmes, to get people back into physical activity post-lockdown.
In addition, and with the aim of driving even higher social value, Parkwood will be launching a new Wellness Ecosystem service for its members from August. The service will allow users to access a comprehensive digital service that provides clinically robust evidence-based advice and guidance on how to tackle key aspects of their health and wellbeing, in line with NICE and NCSCT guidance.
Glen Hall, Managing Director of Parkwood Leisure said: “We pride ourselves on creating happier and healthier communities. The impact we’re having on health, wellbeing, education, crime and the NHS is clear from this report. Being active has never been more important for our nation and we’re delighted to be helping proactively tackle a wide range of health and social issues. One of our key aims moving forward is to generate even greater social value - hence the launch of our Wellness Ecosystem - whether that is inside our facilities or out in the community, all helping deliver an even greater impact on the nation’s health agenda.”
Chris Phillips, Director at 4Global said: “This report really starts to tell the full story of how being active more broadly benefits individuals and society. We’ve worked closely with Parkwood over the last few years to understand how they have been helping positively impact the broader issues society faces and this report shows they’re really doing that.”
To read more click here and for more information visit www.parkwoodleisure.co.uk
Parkwood Leisure: news from HCMmag.com and FitTechGlobal.com
HCM NEWS: Parkwood Leisure launches Promising Athletes Programme to support next generation of sports stars
Parkwood Leisure – one of the UK’s leading leisure operators – is offering free access to its
Leisure Centres to support talented athletes with the provision of training facilities.
The number of children enrolled on Parkwood Leisure's Learn to Swim
Programme, has reached a
record high since pools were allowed to reopen to the public on 12 April.
Leading UK leisure facility operator Parkwood Leisure has won the contract to manage the
Riviera International Conference Centre (RICC) in Torquay, South Devon.
Plantasia, a rainforest zoo in Swansea, UK, has been awarded provisional
membership of the British
and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA).
Parkwood Leisure has completed gym refurbishments and the installation of new fitness
equipment across a number of its UK Leisure Centres.
As part of its commitment to protecting the health and wellbeing of its customers and staff,
Parkwood Leisure has invested in a state-of-the-art antimicrobial treatment to be used in
conjunction with its facilities’ sanitising programmes.
Parkwood Leisure: featured in HCM and Fit Tech magazines
Interview: Glen Hall
In addition to being one of the UK’s largest leisure management companies,
Parkwood Leisure is also a health and fitness operator at scale, with 73 gyms and over
100,000 members. MD Glen Hall tells HCM how two major reviews in recent years
have put the company on a new path
Parkwood Leisure
Tel: 01905 388500
Address:
Attwood House,
Perdiswell Park,
John Comyn Drive ,
Worcester,
Worcestershire,
WR3 7NS,
UK
Glen Hall - Managing Director
Key personnel
Glen Hall – Managing Director
Giles Rawlinson – Commercial & Finance Director
Alex Godfrey – Operations Director
Mike Worsnop – Business Development Director
Giles Rawlinson – Commercial & Finance Director
Alex Godfrey – Operations Director
Mike Worsnop – Business Development Director
Key customers
More than 25 local authorities and councils across England and Wales including the London Borough of Bexley, Cardiff City, Swansea, High Peak Borough, North Devon, West Berkshire, Vale of Glamorgan, Rushcliffe Borough, North Somerset, Bristol City, Staffordshire Moorlands and Cherwell.
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