09/12/21

Parkwood Leisure, in partnership with Legacy Leisure, has begun a five-year lease to run Burnham-on-Sea Swim and Sports Academy.

The deal for the privately owned swimming pool and fitness academy now takes Parkwood’s overall portfolio to 84 leisure sites following the addition of the Riviera International Centre in Torquay earlier this year.

Situated in Somerset, Burnham-on-Sea Swim and Sports Academy hosts a 25 metre swimming pool as well as a fitness studio, indoor cycling and a multi-purpose gym. 

Parkwood hopes to build on a strong swimming lesson programme by integrating its own renowned Learn to Swim scheme, as well as introducing popular Les Mills group exercise programmes including Body Pump, Body Combat and Body Attack.

As part of the contract, Legacy Leisure ensured all existing employees a guarantee that their jobs would be safe in the transfer of management. Existing staff are now joined by a larger support team, providing a wealth of experience as one of the largest leisure operators in the UK. 

Glen Hall, Managing Director of Parkwood Leisure has said: “I am delighted that we have commenced the contract for Burnham-on-Sea Swim and Sports Academy. It is a site we feel has great potential, both through the existing facilities as well as the plans we have for the future. We are well aware it already enjoys a strong reputation in the area and we hope to really build on this. We are inheriting a popular swimming programme, along with the Swimming and Triathlon Academies, which shows the local community is keen to engage in sport and leisure activities. Combining this with our own ukactive recognised swimming lesson programme, where across our existing estate we are exceeding pre-Covid numbers, represents a huge opportunity to increase demand even further. We intend to take some of the excellent work already in place at the site and expand on this further to continue to ensure the community has happier and healthier lifestyles.”

Mark & Sara Cox-Conklin, owners of the site added:  “Burnham-on-Sea Swim & Sports Academy is a facility we have invested heavily in and are extremely passionate about.  We are honoured to hand over the reins to Parkwood Leisure to take the Academy forward.   Their experience in the sector will be key to the future success of the site and we are more than confident that they will look after our existing staff and invest in our community.”