Members & team celebrate as local health club officially becomes David Lloyd Harrogate

Highlights of the transformation will include;

• New DL Kids groups and All Stars - tennis and swimming programmes
• New Holiday Active school holiday programme
• New DL Kids activity room
• Upgraded Gym facilities
• Brand new dedicated group cycling studio featuring Stages FLIGHT and virtual cycling
• Brand new Mind & Body and High Intensity studios
• Refreshed pool area with new steam room, sauna and feature shower
• Refurbished locker rooms
• Adult-only lounge to accommodate a peaceful working environment
•  DLicious cafébar offering a varied choice of refreshments
• Resurfaced indoor and outdoor tennis courts

Members and team celebrated at The Academy Health Club and Spa yesterday, as it officially became David Lloyd Harrogate, after the Europe’s leading premium health and fitness group completed its deal to buy the club.

The club’s 99 staff all remain with the club, joining David Lloyd Clubs’ team of over 8600 based across the UK and Europe. In addition, the club’s members immediately benefit from being able to use any of David Lloyd Clubs’ 108* sites in the UK, Holland, Belgium, Spain and Ireland.

It plans to invest over £3.1million into transforming the club with the refurbishment expected to start early September and will finish before Christmas, during which time the club will remain open. Following the redevelopment, it will provide members with unrivalled facilities to achieve their health and fitness goals and premium surroundings in which to spend family leisure time.

Huw Davies-Thomas, David Lloyd Clubs’ New Openings Director commented; “We are delighted to welcome The Academy’s members and team to David Lloyd Clubs.  The club is clearly much-loved by its members, and has a warm, family-friendly atmosphere.  Whilst we have exciting plans to invest in it to make it Harrogate’s leading health and racquets club, we are fully committed to ensuring that it does not lose any of its relaxed and welcoming character.”

He continued; “We’re really looking forward to getting to know the members over the next few weeks and hope that they are as excited by the redevelopment as we are.

Philippa Shackleton, who has been at the club since it opened in 1994, will continue to manage the club and its team. She said; “David Lloyd Clubs are one of the UK’s leading premium health groups, and we are all very excited by its plans to invest in the club. It’s great news for both the club members and team alike.”

Families lie at the heart of the David Lloyd Club brand and newly refurbished facilities will include a wide range of children’s clubs and activities, including All Stars tennis and swimming programmes and DL Kids clubs so that families can socialise and spend time under one roof in a warm and friendly environment.

David Lloyd Clubs are famous for tennis and the club will continue to offer four indoor tennis courts, and three outdoor courts all of which will be resurfaced. Group exercise facilities will also be upgraded to feature a dedicated High Impact and a Mind & Body studio and a new state-of-the-art group cycling studio. The pool area will be refreshed with a new steam room, sauna and feature shower, whilst all lockers rooms will be given a complete makeover.

The new look club will also feature a DLicious cafébar which will allow members to relax, work, eat and drink in modern and stylish surroundings. An adults-only lounge and business hub will be a welcome addition for those looking to relax or work whist the kids enjoy the supervised activities. There will also be a brand new DL Kids area and soft play area to keep the younger members of the family happy.

To find out more about David Lloyd Clubs visit www.davidlloyd.co.uk.

• Ends  -

* Excludes the three Harbour Clubs – Chelsea, Notting Hill and Kensington. David Lloyd Malaspina will be part of the company from 1^st September.

For further press information please call:

Sarah Lacey – PR Executive [email protected]   m: 07825 642668

Liz Bartlett – PR Manager [email protected]   m: 07484 039373 

About David Lloyd Leisure Group

David Lloyd Leisure Group has 111 clubs -  98 clubs in the UK and a further 13 clubs across Europe, comprising its two brands David Lloyd Clubs and Harbour Clubs (of which there are three -  Chelsea, Notting Hill and Kensington). 

On 1 June 2017 it acquired 14 UK health and racquets clubs from Virgin Active as well as opened its third Harbour Club at Kensington following a £5.5m investment and redevelopment programme. On the same day it also announced it had exchanged contracts to buy The Park Club in Chiswick, London and later that month exchanged contract to acquire its first club in Italy, the Malaspina in Milan.

It has approximately 570,000 members and employs around 8600 people.  This includes an expert health and fitness team of over 2000 while it contracts the services of more than 680 tennis professionals.  In 2016 David Lloyd Leisure was named as one of the UK’s Best 30 Large Companies to work for by the Sunday Times.

Across all clubs, David Lloyd Leisure has over 180 swimming pools (of which half are indoor) and offers over 13,000 exercise classes per week.

Every week over 25,000 children learn to swim at David Lloyd Leisure, 16000 children learn to play in the Tennis All Stars Coaching Programme.

David Lloyd Club’s racquets facilities are unparalleled with over 1000 tennis courts as well as over 400 badminton and squash courts.

Additional facilities include health and beauty spas, club lounges with free internet access, crèches, nurseries and specialist sports shops.