Find great staffTM leisure opportunities 1 - 14 NOVEMBER 2016 ISSUE 696 Daily news & jobs: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk Equinox to open two new clubs in London US-based health club chain from other health and fitness Equinox has revealed plans clubs in the marketplace with to open two new full-service additional luxury amenities properties in London. and by introducing a capped The premium operator, membership structure. which opened its first UK The club’s interior will be club in the capital’s upmarket created by renowned Hong Kensington area in 2012, said Kong-born designer Joyce the two new clubs will form Wang, while global architec- part of plans for a “continued ture firm Woods Bagot has expansion throughout London been appointed to build out in the coming years”. plans which preserve original The first of the new clubs, details of the historic build- located at 12 St. James’s Street ing, fusing old and new to in central London, will open its create a unique backdrop for doors in 2017 while the second what Equinox describes as an – set to be located in Shoreditch “exclusive experience”. – will be launched in 2019. Equinox opened its first London club in the upmarket Kensington area in 2012 The club will offer Tier X, “St. James’s and Shoreditch Equinox’s bespoke, perfor- represent two unique communities in our lifestyle in London, we feel confident that our mance-driven health coaching, a boutique city,” said Gentry Long, managing director of offerings will further enhance the culture of spa and lounge café. operations in the UK. these already vibrant neighbourhoods.” Equinox currently operates 83 upscale, “Each, like Equinox, are grounded in Long added that the concept for the St full-service clubs in the US and Canada, in substance and elevated in style. Knowing that James’ club will be an “intimate addition to the addition to the single site in London. there is significant demand for the Equinox company’s portfolio” and will distinguish itself Details: http://lei.sr?a=s5r9e_O Champneys and NHS Threat to parks a partner for diabetes plan ‘threat to activity’ Champneys health spa resorts have entered into partnership with the National Health Service (NHS) The threat to the existence of the UK’s public to offer the diabetes education parks is a threat to the nation’s physical and programme, Desmond. mental health, a select committee has been The programme will be at the told by a number of leading experts. resorts at Champneys Tring in While 2.6bn visits were made to Britain’s Hertfordshire and Champneys 27,000 public green spaces last year, council ukactive’s Will Smithard said open spaces contribute Springs in Leicestershire. Desmond budget cuts have had an impact on their £2.2bn to the national economy each year is an NHS programme developed by maintenance, with funding falling from £3.1m the Leicester Diabetes Centre teach- to £2.6m over the last two years. Citing a University of Exeter study, he said ing people with Type 2 diabetes to One of the experts making the case for that outdoor exercise delivers an “estimated manage their condition and is deliv- parks was ukactive strategic projects director £2.2bn of health benefits” to English adults ered by more than 90 NHS trusts. Will Smithard, who said they are “fundamen- each year and parks should not be overlooked Continued on back cover tal assets” which are “key to breaking down in terms of the role they play in this. the barriers to activity people face”. Details: http://lei.sr?a=K8w8b_O 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, Call for more tech at stadiums Hitchin, Herts SG5 1DJ, UK Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385 Professionals involved in Fax: +44 (0)1462 433909 the development of sporting e-mail: please use contacts' venues and arenas should [email protected] investigate the merits Subscriptions of technology such as [email protected] augmented reality and virtual reality in terms of how they Editor could enhance the overall Liz Terry 01462 431385 spectator experience. Head of News That is the view of Pascal Matthew Campelli 01462 471912 Vuilliomenet, vice president Journalists for innovation and technology transfer at the EPFL Research Tom Anstey 01462 471916 institute in Switzerland and Jane Kitchen 01462 471929 co-curator of the Olympic Smartphones can be used within stadiums to display instant replays Kim Megson 01462 471915 Museum’s new exhibition on Products Editor past, present and future stadium design. about the on-field action, allow people to share Kate Corney 01462 471927 “We can project ourselves in the future and their feelings with other fans, and give them Design see how technology can enhance new expe- access to different camera angles. riences for spectators,” Vuilliomenet told “Take an Olympic stadium as an example,” Ed Gallagher 01905 20198 Leisure Opportunities. “Something that will he said. “You may be watching the athletics Internet always remain is the evolution that being in and you’re sitting in front of the pole vault but Michael Paramore 01462 471926 a stadium creates from feeling like one single you’re also interested in the 100 metres taking Dean Fox 01462 471900 person to part of a crowd. Together, by sharing place on the other side of the stadium. With Tim Nash 01462 471917 an event you will experience things that you a smartphone, you can watch from a second Emma Harris 01462 471921 cannot experience alone in front of the TV.” site. You get to both be inside the stadium and Technologies ready to be used include aug- feel the atmosphere, while getting a better view Publisher mented reality, virtual reality and smartphones through a screen.” Julie Badrick 01462 471919 – which can provide information and statistics Details: http://lei.sr?a=Q9w6j_O Associate Publisher Paul Thorman 01462 471904 Associate Publisher/ Property Desk Simon Hinksman 01462 471905 World Cup strengthens grassroots Account Manager Record revenues for the Chris Barnard 01462 471907 Rugby Football Union (RFU) Jed Taylor 01462 471914 contributed to a 5 per cent Financial Administrator increase in the organisation’s Denise Adams 01462 471930 investment in the grassroots Circulation Manager game. The national governing Michael Emmerson 01462 471932 body spent a total of £34.1m on rugby development over 2015-16, up £1.6m from the Subscribe to Leisure Opportunities, previous 12 months. Online: www.leisuresubs.com Email: [email protected] Money was invested in the Tel: +44 (0)1462 471930 RFU’s All Schools programme Annual subscription rates are: UK £34, – which is working towards Europe £45, Rest of world £68, students UK £18. implementing rugby Leisure Opportunities is published 26 times programmes in 750 state a year by The Leisure Media Co Ltd, Portmill schools by 2019 – as well as Hosting the 2015 World Cup boosted the RFU’s coffers over the year House, Portmill Lane, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1DJ, UK. The views expressed in this publication its Young Rugby Ambassadors are those of the author and do not necessarily project first launched in 2013. “Despite the huge disappointment of represent those of the publisher The Leisure Female rugby and touch rugby also received England’s early exit from our home Rugby Media Co Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored a greater investment than it had previously. World Cup, by running the widely acclaimed in a retrieval system or transmitted in any The extra funding was made possible by ‘most successful Rugby World Cup ever’ we form or by means, electronic, mechanical, the record £407.1m revenues the RFU made have delivered significant investment into photocopying, recorded or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright holder, during a year in which England hosted the rugby both at home and globally,” he added. Cybertrek Ltd. Printed by Warners Midlands Rugby World Cup. Around £55.7m was also “The legacy will continue to benefit our PLC. Distributed by Royal Mail Group Ltd ploughed into the professional game. community clubs and the sport at every level and Whistl Ltd in the UK and Total Mail Ltd globally. ©Cybertrek Ltd 2016 ISSN Ian Ritchie, RFU chief executive, said that and throughout the country.” 0952/8210 (Print). ISSN 2397-2394 (Online). 2015-16 was a “truly exceptional year”. Details: http://lei.sr?a=Y4v3q_O 2 Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2016 SPORT ‘Flexible’ Luton plans unveiled Threats to FA funding ‘still there’ if body fails to reform The architect behind Luton Karen Bradley, secretary of state for Culture, Town FC’s proposed new Media and Sport, has echoed her predeces- stadium has lifted the lid on sor and warned the Football Association its plans, with the emphasis (FA) that it will lose government funding on flexibility. it it fails to reform. Manuel Nogueira, the During her first Culture, Media and founder of AndArchitects, told Sport Select Committee hearing since delegates at the Major Events her appointment in July, the Staffordshire International Summit that the Moorlands MP said the DCMS has been 17,500-capacity stadium would “on the record” that the football governing be built with the capability of body would lose money if it did not diver- adding temporary tiers, and an sify its board and improve its governance.