The Active Standard: Spotlight on 3-1-5 Health Club

More than a hundred health and fitness operators have now achieved certification to The Active Standard (TAS), ukactive’s quality mark for gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools.

In this blog, Deena Gillan, General Manager at 3-1-5 Health Club, shares how becoming TAS-certified provided assurance that the independent operator meets high standards of safety, governance and operational excellence.

What motivated your organisation to achieve The Active Standard (TAS), and what have been the biggest benefits since becoming certified?

We wanted an independent, externally recognised benchmark that demonstrates the quality, professionalism and safety of our club.
I believe there is still a perception gap when it comes to independent operators. In my experience, independent clubs are home to some of the most knowledgeable, passionate and dedicated professionals in the industry. Our teams genuinely care about the wellbeing and results of every member, and because our reputation is everything, we are deeply invested in providing a safe, high-quality environment.

However, there is often an assumption that larger private chains or public sector leisure centres are inherently safer or more accountable simply because of their size. We’ve experienced situations where organisations have been reluctant to work with us because they perceive larger operators as the “safer” option, despite the quality of what we provide.

The Active Standard gives independent operators the opportunity to challenge those perceptions. It provides independent assurance that we meet high standards of safety, governance and operational excellence, allowing us to demonstrate that we are a trusted, professional organisation.

Since becoming accredited, we’ve been proud to promote our achievement and use it to reassure members, partners and stakeholders that they can have confidence in our club.

I’m confident that as more organisations adopt it, The Active Standard will become an increasingly valuable mark of quality and trust.

How did you find the assessment process, and what was your experience of working through the certification?

I’ll admit the process felt a little daunting at first, but once we got started I quickly realised we already had the vast majority of the required standards in place. It was really a case of bringing everything together and ensuring it was clearly documented.

The certification process also gave us a valuable opportunity to review areas where procedures had naturally drifted over time or needed updating. In a role like mine, where I can move from operations to HR to sales and marketing within the same day, it’s easy for routine reviews to slip down the priority list. Working through The Active Standard gave us the time and structure to step back, review everything thoroughly and make improvements where needed.

As a significant proportion of The Active Standard related to legal compliance, we were already meeting those requirements. For the remaining areas, the guidance provided was incredibly helpful. The templates and example documents made it straightforward to fill any gaps without the process feeling overly burdensome.

The assessment itself was a very positive experience. It took a couple of hours and the assessor from Right Directions was friendly, knowledgeable and supportive throughout. Overall, the process felt collaborative rather than intimidating and left us with confidence that we were operating to a recognised, high standard.

What advice would you give to another operator that is about to undertake The Active Standard assessment?

My biggest piece of advice would be to prepare well. Work through each section of the standard methodically and only tick it off once you’re confident you have the required evidence in place. If you’re unsure about anything, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

The support from ukactive and Right Directions was excellent. Every question I had was answered before my assessment, which meant I went into the process feeling confident rather than anxious.

I’d also strongly recommend following the advice to organise all your evidence into clearly labelled, numbered folders before the assessment. It takes a little time up front, but it makes the assessment itself much smoother. On the day, I felt organised, prepared and confident because I could quickly find everything the assessor needed. I also think it demonstrates good governance and gives the assessor confidence that your club is well managed.

Ultimately, don’t be intimidated by the process. If you’re already committed to running a safe, professional club, you’ll probably find you’re much further along than you think. The assessment is an opportunity to showcase the great work you’re already doing while identifying a few areas for continuous improvement.

To find out more about The Active Standard, click here.