1Life Woughton Leisure Centre beat off strong opposition to be crowned Group Exercise Gym of the Year 2017 at the National Fitness Awards.
The awards, organised by Script Events and leading industry publication Workout, with support from headline sponsor ServiceSport, recognise excellence, innovation and achievement in all corners of the industry.
To come out on top, the Centre went through a rigorous assessment process, which involved a site visit by a member of the awards' team who toured the facility, chatted to members and staff and examined all areas of the business from member retention to customer service. Detailed reports were then compiled and passed on to an expert judging panel, which included top personal trainer Richard Callender, fitness guru and former contestant on The Apprentice Katie Bulmer-Cooke and award-winning gym owner Steve Johnson, who decided the winners in each category from the shortlists.
National Fitness Awards’ event director Judith Halkerston said: “All our winners have had an arduous journey to this point – the standard of entries seems to just get stronger year on year and every facility that walked away with an award should be extremely proud. Our awards’ night is always an amazing celebration of the fitness industry as a whole – being in December many of the shortlisted clubs use the occasion as their staff Christmas party and it is lovely to see everyone having such a great time. It was a wonderful evening and it was lovely to share in the celebrations of the winners."
Neil King, Managing Director, from 1Life comments: “We are absolutely ecstatic to have received this award, recognised by Workout Magazine and the leisure industry. From the beginning, we believed that Woughton Leisure Centre had the potential to transform into something both unique and spectacular. We observed that most of the UK’s gym and leisure operators predominantly led with a gym facility and a group exercise offering bolted on. We identified this as an opportunity, turning this traditional strategy on its head: leading with an exceptional group exercise experience, supported by forward-thinking market research. Partnering with Les Mills and Milton Keynes Council, we have succeeded in creating the UK’s first Group Exercise Centre of Excellence.”
Awards were presented in over 20 categories at a glittering ceremony at The Athena in Leicester, attended by over 800 health and fitness professionals and hosted by former TV Gladiator and fitness expert Jenny Pacey and top personal trainer and fitness presenter Dean Hodgkin.
