The finalists of the physical activity sector’s most fiercely fought awards have been announced today (2 May) by ukactive.
Spanning the breadth of the sports and physical activity landscape, the finalists of the ukactive Awards represent the year’s leading stars from the public, private and third sectors.
The awards, which have replaced the Flame Awards as the industry’s most prestigious accolades, will take place at Active Uprising in Manchester on the evening of 21 June.
Last year’s Leisure Centre Operator of the Year, Everyone Active, returns to defend its crown with finalists from five centres but will face stiff competition in an expanded award which covers any club or centre – from small independents, studios and boutiques, through to low-cost budget gyms, local authority/leisure trust operated centres, and clubs that are part of a nationwide chain.
Contenders for the Regional and National Club/Centre of the Year range from fellow public operator giants GLL and Places for People Leisure, to budget operator énergie Fitness and boutique operator Tribe HIIT Club in Hove.
The Supplier of the Year Award also showcases a range of finalists, from Love Recruitment to Taylor Made Designs, while the Workplace Wellbeing Programme of the Year brings fascinating new stories to the fore, drawn from finalists including Bentley Motor Cars and Seven Stones. And the New Concept, Build or Design of the Year sees strong cases from the likes of Alliance Leisure, Serco Leisure and 1Life.
The 2018 categories are divided into three award groups: Business Excellence, Specialist Impact and Individual Achievement. With the aforementioned awards making up the Business Excellence group, the Specialist Impact group includes the Kids Award, Healthy Communities Award, Campaign of the Year and Inclusion and Disability Award. And the Individual Achievement group will recognise the Physical Activity Champion of the Year, Outstanding Leader of the Year, Unsung Hero Award and Personality of the Year.
ukactive CEO Steven Ward said: “This year we challenged the industry to demonstrate the role that organisations and individuals are playing in leading an Active Uprising – the name of our showcase event launching in June. We were looking for entries who could demonstrate that they had made substantial progress in the previous 12 months, and were pushing the envelope on what we had seen before.
“Judging by the level of the entries we’ve received for the Awards, it’s fair to say that the bar has truly been raised, with some outstanding examples of business excellence, specialist impact and individual merit.
“Thank you to everyone who entered, I know some will be disappointed not to make the finalist stage of the process but we’d love to see all of you at the awards night in Manchester, which marks the coming together of these stars to make the sector proud.”
For more information or to book your ticket for Active Uprising and the ukactive Awards, click here.
The ukactive Awards finalists:
Regional and National Club/Centre of the Year
énergie Fitness, Kilburn
Places for People Leisure
Tribe HIIT Club – Hove
Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles – Howe, Wigan
Holmer Park
The Shrewsbury Club
Sport Aberdeen
Life Leisure Stockport Sports Village
Bangor Aurora Aquatic and Leisure Complex – Serco Leisure
Oak Tree Leisure Centre, Mansfield – Serco Leisure
KA Leisure
GLL – Kensington Leisure Centre
The Tytherington Club
LED Leisure Management
GLL – Kentish Town
GLL – Olympia, Belfast
Benton Hall Golf and Country Club
Wimbledon Leisure Centre and Spa (Better)
White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre
W10
Inverclyde Leisure
Workington Leisure Centre – GLL
Actif Sport & Leisure, Carmarthenshire
Rainbow Leisure Centre – GLL
Arcadia Library and Leisure Group – GLL
Everyone Active – Lammas Leisure Centre
Everyone Active – Westway Sports and Fitness Centre
Everyone Active – Silksworth Sports Complex
Everyone Active – Straford Leisure Centre
Everyone Active – Daventry
Supplier of the Year
Escape Fitness
Future Fit Training
Love Recruitment
Play Innovation
Shopworks
STA
Taylor Made Designs
Origin Fitness
New Concept, Build or Design of the Year
Alliance Leisure
énergie Fitness
Places for People Leisure
New Erdington Leisure Centre, Birmingham – Serco Leisure
1Life
GLL/Participation Sport Ltd
Everyone Active – Hart Leisure Centre
Everyone Active – Sapphire Ice and Leisure
Workplace Wellbeing Programme of the Year
Wellworking Ltd
High Five Health Promotion (at 02)
Active Nation
Seven Stones
Bentley Motor Cars
ukactive Kids Award
Northampton Leisure Trust
Active Tameside
Lawn Tennis Association
Kids Run Free
Greenwich Leisure Limited
Children Inspired by Yoga – Tatty Bumpkin Ltd
Everyone Active – Westgate Leisure Centre
Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) CIC
Healthy Communities
Places for People Leisure
Intelligent Health
Active Tameside
MAN v FAT Football
1Life – Special Olympics
West Ham United Foundation
Everyone Active – Westway Sports and Fitness
Everyone Health – Alive and Kicking
Campaign of the Year
Promote PR
Ordnance Survey
AXA PPP Healthcare
Mind
The Gym Group
Inclusion and Disability Award
Sport for Confidence/Basildon Sporting Village, Everyone Active
Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles
Aspire
Harborough Leisure Centre – Serco Leisure
Active Tameside
Active Nation
White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre – GLL
Tennis Foundation
Physical Activity Champion
Sandy Motteram
Brett Jenkins
Chelsea Mears-Graham
Annalisa Cellini
Andrea Warner
Louisa Chatwin
Luke Sheppard
Jonathon Woolridge
Outstanding Leader of the Year
Jan Spaticchia
Sue Anstiss MBE
Dr William Bird
Malcolm McPhail
Stuart Martin
Dave Candler
Oliver Stacey
Justin Musgrove
Unsung Hero Award
Julie Barton
Sylvia Parker
Dorothy Markham
Gill Smith
Andy Bowes
Rachel Oakley
Ben Wimbush
Remaining categories Personality of the Year and Outstanding Organisation of the Year will be determined through a separate judging process over the coming weeks.
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