Find great staffTM 400,000+ READERS leisure opportunities 17 FEB – 02 MAR 2015 ISSUE 652 Daily news & jobs: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk David Stalker to step down as ukactive CEO David Stalker has confirmed he will “The ukactive business has be stepping down from his role as changed significantly in the seven CEO of ukactive and has outlined his years I’ve been here and I believe future plans in an exclusive interview that it’s now ready for a new with Leisure Opportunities. dynamic. We’ve worked hard to Stalker confirmed reports on integrate ourselves into the pub- Twitter that he would be starting up lic health agenda and we’re at that a chain of trampoline parks under the table now. I believe what ukactive brand name Altitude. “It won’t just be now needs is an attention-to-detail kids’ parties,” said Stalker. “We’ll have person to take the vision we’ve cre- indoor dodgeball, parkour, foam pits ated and continue the journey.” for slam dunking basketballs, fitness So will that person be from classes, rehab. It’s already huge in the the fitness sector or from US and I’m really excited about the healthcare? “ukactive represents opportunity here in the UK.” a lot more than health and fitness The first site has already been these days,” said Stalker. “But my secured and will open in Acton, west feeling is that – at least for now London, in June. Plans are to open Stalker will continue to sit on the ukactive board for the next year – the CEO is likely to be some- four or five sites over the next year, one who is from within the fitness and 15 or 16 over the next few years. individuals, with the first funding round secur- industry, and almost certainly should be. Stalker was approached about the new role ing almost £3m – enough for the first two sites. Stalker will maintain his executive role by Jacaranda Capital, which had identified “The time is now right for me to move on,” with the organisation until the end of June the opportunity and wanted to create a strong said Stalker. “I’ve achieved what I set out to 2015 to ensure a smooth transition. He will management team to lead the charge. The proj- do at ukactive – with the new governance also retain his position as chair of CIMSPA. ect is backed by a number of high net worth structure really the last part of that. Details: http://lei.sr?a=B7k2A Game of Thrones offers Premier League Oculus Rift-led attraction urged to ‘give back’ A new exhibition at the O2 Arena is using Oculus Rift to bring the Game of A number of politicians and former players Thrones world to life like never before. have called for the English Premier League The temporary virtual reality instal- (EPL) to ensure it “gives more money back” to lation at the O2 lets users ride the Castle the sport’s grassroots and fans, after a record- Black winch elevator to the top of the breaking TV deal signed on 10 February. 700-foot ice Wall, as seen in Season 1, The league announced that it had sold Episode 3 Lord Snow. The 4D experi- domestic TV rights to Sky and BT Sport for a ence “Ascend the Wall” is a 60-second total of £5.1bn for the three seasons from 2016- virtual immersion into the world of 17 to 2018-19 – marking a 70 per cent increase TV rights for 2016-17 to 2018-19 sold for £5.1bn Westeros. Powered by Oculus Rift, on the previous £3bn deal (2013-16). the experience combines interactive Sports minister Helen Grant said the TV of criminal” if it didn’t invest more money technology and computer graphics gen- deal should bring “increased benefits to clubs in grassroots. He has also accused Premier erated by Oscar-winning Framestore. lower down the football pyramid”. Shadow League of breaking a pledge it made to invest Details: http://lei.sr?a=y3c9a sports minister, Clive Efford, added that the five per cent of TV rights into grassroots sports. league’s actions would be “nothing short Details: http://lei.sr?a=D3C5a GET Magazine sign up at PDF for iPad, Kindle & smart phone Online on digital turning pages Twitter follow us: leisureopportunities.co.uk/subs leisureopportunities.co.uk/pdf leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital @leisureopps @leisureoppsjobs LEISURE OPPS Job board live job updates Ezine sign up for weekly updates, Instant sign up for instant alerts, RSS sign up for job & news feeds leisureopportunities.co.uk leisureopportunities.co.uk/ezine leisureopportunities.co.uk/instant leisureopportunities.co.uk/rss Contacts: SPORT The Leisure Media Company Portmill House, Portmill Lane, Rugby World Cup to bring in £2.2bn Hitchin, Herts SG5 1DJ, UK Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385 The 2015 Rugby World Fax: +44 (0)1462 433909 Cup in England is set e-mail: please use contacts' to create 12,000 new [email protected] jobs and provide the Subscriptions UK economy with a [email protected] £2.2bn boost, accord- Editor ing to deputy Prime Liz Terry 01462 431385 Minister Nick Clegg. Head of News Visiting the home Jak Phillips 01462 471938 of English rugby, Journalists Twickenham Stadium, Tom Anstey 01462 471916 recently, Clegg Helen Andrews 01462 471902 said the event will Architecture and Design mark another mile- Katie Buckley 01462 471936 stone in the nation’s “Golden Decade of Products Editor Sport” – following Jason Holland +44(0)1462 471922 on from the London England will host the World Cup for the first time since the 1991 tournament Design 2012 Olympics and Ed Gallagher 01905 20198 last year’s Commonwealth Games and the of jobs, but it will also leave a lasting legacy, Internet Grand Depart of Tour de France. building on the work here at the Twickenham Michael Paramore 01462 471926 “We all remember the success of London Academy, inspiring youngsters from every Dean Fox 01462 471900 2012 and the 2014 Grand Départ,” he said. background to pick up a ball and play.” Tim Nash 01462 471917 “They both left a legacy that the whole country The Rugby Football Union (RFU) expects Emma Harris 01462 471921 can be proud of. This year, we have the priv- that more than 400,000 rugby fans will arrive Publisher ilege of hosting the Rugby World Cup and it in the UK during the event in September. Julie Badrick 01462 471919 promises to the biggest ever for English rugby. The tournament will be held across 11 Publisher, Spa Opportunities “Not only will the occasion bring billions of different cities and 13 different venues. Astrid Ros 01462 471911 pounds to our economy and create thousands Details: http://lei.sr?a=P7Z2P Associate Publisher Paul Thorman 01462 471904 Associate Publisher/ Property Desk Swimming take-up plumbs new depths Simon Hinksman 01462 471905 Account Manager A huge decline in the number Chris Barnard 01462 471907 of people swimming once Jed Taylor 01462 471914 a week has been blamed Financial Administrator for an overall fall in sports Denise Adams 01462 471930 participation in England. Circulation Manager Swimming, the country’s Michael Emmerson 01462 471932 most popular sport with more than 2.6 million people hitting a pool each week, saw a drop of 245,000 swimmers Subscribe to Leisure Opportunities, Online: www.leisuresubs.com in the last 12 months – an Email: [email protected] alarming 8 per cent drop. Tel: +44 (0)1462 471930 As a result, the number of Annual subscription rates are: UK £34, Europe £45, Rest of world £68, students UK £18. people doing sport at least once a week in England fell by Leisure Opportunities is published 26 times 125,000 between October 2013 The number of people swimming regularly has tumbled a year by The Leisure Media Co Ltd, Portmill House, Portmill Lane, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1DJ, and October 2014 – bringing UK. The views expressed in this publication the overall number down from 15.7 million to team sports, a number of other sports saw are those of the author and do not necessarily 15.6 million. The figures come from the latest increases in the numbers of people taking represent those of the publisher The Leisure Media Co Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of Sport England Active People Survey (APS). part – such as athletics, football, canoeing, this publication may be reproduced, stored Despite swimming’s poor performance, mountaineering, taekwondo and fencing. in a retrieval system or transmitted in any there is much to be positive about the figures Perhaps most importantly, the data also form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recorded or otherwise, without in the APS. Reversing earlier trends, team showed the number of young people playing the prior permission of the copyright holder, sports saw an increase in numbers in the last sport regularly has increased. Nearly 58 per Cybertrek Ltd. Printed by Warners Midlands 12 months – with football, cricket, netball cent of 14-25 year-olds played sport once a PLC. Distributed by Royal Mail Group Ltd and Whistl Ltd in the UK and Total Mail Ltd and rugby union all recording growth in par- week in the year up to October 2014 – a 55,900 globally. ©Cybertrek Ltd 2015 ISSN 0952/8210 ticipation. As well as more people playing increase. Details: http://lei.sr?a=X5g9Z 2 Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2015 SPORT Vinci to manage Olympic Stadium European Sport Tourism Awards to be held in May Vinci Stadium, subsidiary of The first ever European Sport Tourism French venue operator Vinci Awards event will be held at the Thomond Concessions, has signed a Park Stadium in Limerick, Ireland in May.