press release: ukactive
Gold company profile | ukactive
PRESS RELEASE
ukactive Awards 2024 winners revealed! Sector celebrates national heroes, progress and growth
04 Oct 2024
The Awards, sponsored by STA, were hosted by Professor Greg Whyte OBE and comedian, Esther Manito / ukactive
The best of the best were recognised at the industry’s most prestigious awards, with more than 800 people joining the ceremony at the ICC in Birmingham.
The Awards, sponsored by STA, were hosted by Professor Greg Whyte OBE and comedian, Esther Manito, who ran through the fantastic range of operators, suppliers and individuals shortlisted across 16 categories. The full list of winners is available below.
Everyone Active claimed the coveted National Club/Centre of the Year Award for its Silksworth Community Pool Tennis and Wellness Centre, as well as three Regional Club of the Year awards, and Outstanding Organisation of the Year Award.
Brimhams Active was also a big winner on the night, being recognised for its wide-ranging inclusion work by picking up the award for the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion category, as well as the Healthy Communities Award for making health an integral part of the way it operates.
This year, the Outstanding Leadership Award was separated into two individual awards; one for an Outstanding Individual Leader and the other for an Outstanding Leadership Team.
Lorraine Patrinos, People Director at GLL, received a big round of applause as she was named the winner of the Outstanding Individual Leader Award for her work in designing, driving and implementing organisation change projects for major business impact. The judges had praised her work to support employees across the entire organisation.
InspireAll’s Swimming Management Leadership Team was declared the winner of the Outstanding Team Leadership Award, as chosen by a public vote, with the team praised for its record-breaking performance in 2023-24, during which it exceeded financial targets as well as growing the awareness and engagement of its retention scheme by 22% year-on-year.
Social enterprise Good Boost scooped the Supplier of the Year Award for delivering a product that has been proven to support an increase in the number of activity sessions those new to a health club environment have taken part in.
In the individual categories, Danii Vipond Houghton, Better Health manager at GLL, took home the Physical Activity Hero Award for her ongoing commitment to inspiring participation among people who do not think being active is for them. Danii’s nomination credited her for bringing more than 5,000 new people through the door, achieving more than 400 Healthwise referrals, and raising over £150,000 in funding towards the sustainability of the leisure services.
There was loud applause for Tara Dillon, CEO of CIMSPA, who received the Jan Spaticchia Special Recognition Award for the huge impact she has within the industry and her unrelenting ambition to ensure that the physical activity sector has a valued and inclusive workforce to help people be more active.
The New Build or Design of the Year Award went to GT3 Architects for its work constructing Morpeth Sports & Leisure Centre in partnership with Northumberland County Council and Active Northumberland. The judges praised the development for its consideration of the environment and praised GT3 for making the site accessible to all those in the area.
This year’s ukactive Awards saw nominations from across the breadth of the sector, with the judges praising the high quality and excellent achievements demonstrated by all the finalists.
Each entrant underwent a rigorous independent assessment which was delivered by the ukactive Awards process partner, ProInsight, and designed to select the best in each category from hundreds of entrants. The judges provided valuable feedback to all entrants, both to help improve and to promote success.
Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “Congratulations to the winners of the ukactive Awards 2024 for your incredible achievements this year and for representing our sector so well.
“We have one of the most competitive sectors in the world, but beyond this year’s bragging rights, these awards show the fantastic progress our sector is making to grow our impact, supporting a healthier, happier nation.
“This year’s finalists are excellent examples of how our sector works tirelessly, day in and day out, to ensure all communities can access and enjoy the benefits of physical activity.
“Thank you to all of the entrants, the finalists, the winners and our sponsors for helping us to celebrate our wonderful sector.”
Dave Candler, CEO of STA, said: “It was fantastic to celebrate all of the industry’s achievements at the ukactive awards this year and to be able to play our part as headline sponsor for a second year.
“We saw outstanding examples of leadership, creativity, innovation, diversity, and excellence from all the finalists and winners, proving how amazingly talented and resilient the physical activity sector is.
“Congratulations to all the winning individuals, teams, and organisations who have all made such a significantly positive impact on people’s health and well-being over the last 12 months.”
The ukactive Awards 2024 Winners:
Regional Club/Centre of the Year
Northern Ireland & Wales
Antrim and Newtownabbey – Ballyearl Arts and Leisure Centre
Scotland
Edinburgh Leisure – Gracemount Leisure Centre
North
Everyone Active – Silksworth Community Pool Tennis and Wellness Centre
Midlands
Everyone Active – Hucknall Leisure Centre
London
Everyone Active – Flitwick Leisure Centre
South
Hilton – LivingWell Health Club Reading
National Club/Centre of the Year
Everyone Active – Silksworth Community Pool Tennis and Wellness Centre
Supplier of the Year
Good Boost
New Build or Design of the Year
GT3 Architects
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Brimhams Active
Healthy Communities Award
Brimhams Active
Organisation Innovation Award
Jubilee Hall Trust and Central YMCA
Marketing Campaign Award
Inverclyde Leisure
Digital Transformation Award
Parkwood Leisure
Education Provider of the Year
Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK)
Physical Activity Hero Award
Danii Vipond Houghton – GLL
Outstanding Individual Leadership Award
Lorraine Patrinos – GLL
Outstanding Team Leadership Award
InspireAll – Swimming Management Leadership Team: Sarah Marsh, Will Brewer, Beth Hobday, Jacqui Price, Victoria St John-Mosse, Barry Ellis, Tony Straton.
The Jan Spaticchia Special Recognition Award
Tara Dillon – CEO, CIMSPA
BUCS Physical Activity Excellence Award
Nottingham Trent University
Outstanding Organisation Award
Everyone Active
More press releases and updates from ukactive:
UK Active has announced the details of National Fitness Day 2026, with the flagship campaign set to take place on
Wednesday 16 September 2026.
UK Active has announced the next phase of its Digital Futures programme, supporting organisations
across the physical activity sector to develop their digital capability.
Hundreds of staff, MPs and Peers from across Westminster have signed up for the Fit for
Office parliamentary physical activity challenge, which takes place throughout June and is
hosted by ukactive and Technogym.
UK Active has issued the following statement in response to Alan Milburn’s Interim Report
into
Young People and Work.
UK Active and This Girl Can have published a new guide to help fitness and leisure
facilities communicate their policies and procedures around sexual harassment and
intimidation, as the sector continues to create safer spaces for women and girls.
ukactive: news from HCMmag.com and FitTechGlobal.com
With Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announcing his resignation this morning and Andy Burnham
as a possible successor, the fitness, health and wellness sector is evaluating its position.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Elevate has had its busiest show to date, with
almost 200 exhibitors, 115 seminars and 200 speakers over two days.
International industry lobbying associations are calling for physical activity and strength
training to be deeply integrated with GLP-1 treatment.
Speedflex has launched a strength training programme for 11 to 16-year-olds, to make it safer,
more inclusive and more engaging.
HCM NEWS: UK Active delivers new defibrillator guidelines to empower staff to deal with cardiac arrests
UK Active has published new guidance on defibrillators to help fitness and leisure operators
deliver life-saving support for anyone who suffers a cardiac arrest.
Activity levels are still rising among English adults according to Sport England’s new Active
Lives Survey, which covers November 2024 to November 2025.
ukactive: featured in HCM and Fit Tech magazines
Profile: Cameron Saunders
The new CEO of UK Active talks to HCM about the gym-curious and
why he believes the sector can double in size by the end of the next decade
Tech: Beyond Club Management
Software suppliers explain how AI,
automation and connected digital
experiences can work for the good
of operators and consumers
HCM People: Matt Parker
We’ve reduced the level of council investment over the last three years by 40 per cent and increased our turnover by 9 per cent
Research: Value and identity
Record market penetration in the UK fitness sector masks a deeper shift around consumer engagement, according to a report from Grant Thornton and UK Active. Liz Terry reports
Insight: Value and identity
Record market penetration in the UK
fitness sector masks a deeper shift
around consumer engagement, according
to a report from Grant Thornton and
UK Active, as Liz Terry reports
Show preview: Elevate 2026
Welcome to Elevate 2026
ukactive
Tel: 020 8158 9700
Email: [email protected]
Address:
The Bloomsbury Building,
10 Bloomsbury Way,
London,
WC1A 2SL,
United Kingdom
Cameron Saunders, CEO
ukactive video gallery:
Key personnel
David Stalker, Chair
Cameron Saunders, CEO
Marianne Boyle, director of membership and sector development
Clemency Lion, director of research, policy and communications
Cameron Saunders, CEO
Marianne Boyle, director of membership and sector development
Clemency Lion, director of research, policy and communications
Key customers
Gyms, health clubs, leisure centres, fitness studios, swimming pools, sports bodies, activity providers, equipment suppliers, technology suppliers, health bodies, education bodies, health charities, consumer fitness brands
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