PureGym 'burning £4m a week' during lockdown, will continue to lobby for gyms to be classed as essential service
PureGym is burning £4m of cash a week through its UK business, due to the UK government's decision to shut gyms in England as part of "Lockout 2" measures.
Speaking on Sky News, PureGym CEO Humphrey Cobbold said he expects the figure to come down slightly, as easing measures are implemented.
"We're burning about £4m a week at the moment," Cobbold said.
"This will come down to about £2.5m to £3m a week with the mitigation activity and contributions from the government, such as the furlough scheme and a rates holiday – which, I have to say, we are very grateful for," he continued.
"We're also looking at what we are doing with our landlords. We're going to ask them to share some of the pain with us, which is part of the work which is underway currently.
"Since the lockdown was announced, we've been ensuring we close down our facilities safely, so they're as ready to reopen as possible for when we're allowed to – in December or thereafter."
In September, PureGym – which is now the second-largest fitness operator in Europe – secured a £100m cash injection from shareholders to help deal with the opportunities and threats posed by COVID-19. The move took the group's borrowings to around £480m.
Cobbold said the industry is fighting to convince the UK government to class gyms and leisure centres as essential services, a move which would allow them to remain open alongside other services such as doctor's surgeries, dentists and food suppliers.
"We've made the case repeatedly to ministers over the last few weeks, most recently by writing to the Prime Minister and other key ministers as soon as evidence of the lockdown emerged.
"So far, I'm afraid, we haven't been able to convince them, but that won't stop us from continuing to try."
Cobbold stressed that the motivation to make gyms an essential service is "not just a business one" – but concerns the state of public health.
"The case for gyms to become essential services is really being made by our members," said Cobbold, "We've been inundated by requests from them, pleading us to keep asking the government to allow us to stay open.
"Some of them are really heart-rendering. Ex-military guys who suffer from PTSD, for example, asking us to keep trying to keep the doors open, because the gym is such an important part of their process of rehabilitation and of mental health.
"So the case isn't just ours to make, it's the millions of people out there, who are regular users of gyms and facilities and I do think the government's decision on this is a poor one for the health and wellbeing of the nation."
• To read a full interview with Humphrey Cobbold in the latest issue (9/2020) of HCM, click here.
PureGym Lockout 2 Sky NewsUK government's "Dad's Army" shambles could result in legal action over gym closures
PureGym considers legal action as UK fitness industry fights back against forced closures in Liverpool
Letter to Boris: give us a central role in COVID-19 recovery, says activity sector
FEATURE: Interview – Humphrey Cobbold
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
