Active Nation
Active Nation is a UK-registered charity operating 15 sports and exercise venues across five regions under local authority contracts, delivering memberships, swim lessons, snowsports, climbing, and digital fitness via Active Nation Anywhere.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersStratford-upon-avon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Active Nation does
Active Nation is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1047742, Company No. 03072216) founded in 2008 and headquartered in Stratford-upon-Avon, operating 15 sports and exercise venues across five regions: Chorley, Lincoln, Rushmoor, South Derbyshire, and Southampton. Its portfolio spans leisure centres, swimming pools and diving complexes, indoor and outdoor sports facilities, ski slopes (Alpine Snowsports Aldershot and Southampton), an indoor climbing centre (Apex, 16 stations at Green Bank), water activity centres, and a trampoline park. Core products include a Learn to Swim Programme following the Swim England curriculum with over 100,000 annual swim lesson attendances tracked via the Home Portal, the Active Nation Anywhere digital subscription (1,000+ on-demand workouts including Les Mills), the Good Boost tablet application delivering personalised exercise programmes for users with disabilities, Active Nutrition meal planning, and a full calendar of pay-as-you-go fitness classes, sports, and events.
The business model combines B2G contracts with five local authority partners, B2C monthly memberships starting from £25, pay-as-you-go activity and class fees (£3.10-£8 per session), structured swim lesson programmes, snowsports passes and courses (£10-£99), children's holiday activity camps (£15.50-£32/day), climbing sessions (£6-£8), corporate and birthday party bookings, and event revenue (e.g., Active Warrior obstacle courses). Distribution is primarily through owned physical venues and direct online booking (join.activenation.org.uk), with marketing across Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and LinkedIn, plus an industry affiliation with ukactive. The Quays operates as one of only four UK High Performance Centres for diving and has hosted Olympic athletes including Pete Waterfield, Chris Mears, Stacie Powell, and Tom Daley.
Active Nation reinvests all profits into its mission to persuade the nation to be active, addressing public health statistics cited by the organisation (50% of UK women and 30% of UK men physically inactive). It is governed by a Board of Trustees (Paul Callus, Chairman; David Hughes, Barry James, Colin Copland) with founder Bob Paton serving as Honorary President. Technology and product capability is centred on the Home Portal, Good Boost tablet application, and Active Nation Anywhere digital platform, supplemented by partnerships with Swim England (CPD qualification), Les Mills (content), Hang Fast Ltd (climbing infrastructure), and ukactive (industry recognition).
Active Nation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Active Nation
- Legal name
- Active Nation
- Website
- https://activenation.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Active Nation is a UK-registered charity operating 15 sports and exercise venues across five regions under local authority contracts, delivering memberships, swim lessons, snowsports, climbing, and digital fitness via Active Nation Anywhere.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Active Nation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Leisure and Fitness Services
- NAICS
- Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Outdoor Fitness & Park Bootcamps (HSADABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Outdoor, Adventure & Recreational Wellness Education (Hiking, Breathwork in Nature) (EDAAAHAO)
Keywords
Where Active Nation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stratford-upon-avon
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices16 records
Markets served
Active Nation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: Recurring monthly membership fees starting from £25 per month, with various tiers including adult, concession, and junior memberships. Membership provides unlimited access to gym, swimming, and group exercise classes at specific venue clusters.
- Activity Session Fees: Pay-as-you-go pricing for individual activities including yoga (£4.85-£7.50), Zumba (£4.20-£4.60), Body Balance (£5.10), circuit training, swimming lessons, and various sports activities. One-time session purchases.
- Swim School Programme: Revenue from structured swimming lesson programmes following Swim England Learn to Swim Programme, with over 100,000 annual swim lesson attendances across venues.
- Snowsports Activities: Skiing, snowboarding, and donutting sessions at Alpine Snowsports Centres in Aldershot and Southampton. Includes 30-day practice passes (£35 adult, junior options), discovery sessions (£10), guaranteed courses (£99), and private lessons.
- Children's Activities and Courses: Revenue from kids courses including SKIDS ski lessons (£13.50), junior ski/snowboard courses (£70), holiday activity camps (£32 per day), and kids swimming lessons.
- Apex Climbing Centre: Indoor climbing at Green Bank Leisure Centre with 16 stations. Off-peak sessions £6, peak sessions £8, group bookings available.
- Event and Party Bookings: Birthday parties, corporate team building, and special event bookings across venues. Alpine party packages including donutting (£12 per person), skiing/snowboarding (£100 per hour).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard membership from £25/month |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Venue-specific activity pricing |
| Subscription | Monthly | Snowsports 30-day passes |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Ski and snowboard courses |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Apex Climbing Centre sessions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | School holiday activity camps |
| Subscription | Monthly | Green Bank Leisure Centre memberships |
| Other | Monthly | Employment benefits include free facility access |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Active Nation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Active Nation is a UK-registered charity that operates 15 sports and exercise venues delivering health, fitness and wellbeing programmes. Its core offering includes venue-based memberships (from £25/month), Swim England Learn to Swim lessons, group exercise classes (Les Mills), gym access, snowsports, climbing, water activities, and the Active Nation Anywhere on-demand workout subscription. Revenue is reinvested into the charity's mission to persuade the nation to be active.
Product overview
Active Nation is a UK-based charity operating 15 sports and exercise venues across the country, offering a portfolio of health and wellbeing services. The core offering consists of Active Nation Anywhere (an on-demand workout subscription with 1000+ Les Mills classes), Learn to Swim Programme (following Swim England standards with 100,000+ annual attendances), and venue-based facilities including swimming pools, gyms, snowsports centres, and climbing walls. Additional products include Good Boost (personalised exercise tablet app for disabilities), Active Nutrition (meal planning programme), and Apex Climbing Centre. The charity partners with 5 local authorities and operates facilities in South Derbyshire, Chorley, Southampton, Rushmoor, and Lincoln.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Good Boost: An innovative tablet application providing individuals with disabilities access to personalized exercises tailored to their specific needs, helping them track progress in swimming and aquatic activities.
- Active Nutrition
- Apex Climbing Centre
- Active Nation Anywhere
- Active Communities
- Alpine Snowsports
- Active Warrior
Products and services
- Active Nation Memberships Monthly memberships providing unlimited access to gym, swimming and group exercise classes at Active Nation venue clusters; tiers include adult (£30 at Yarborough), concession (£27), junior (£20), Green Bank Premium (£35.50) and Student (£25). Sold to individual consumers.
- Learn to Swim Programme Structured swimming lessons following the Swim England Learn to Swim Programme with stages 1-7 and pre-school Duckling badges; over 100,000 annual attendances. For children, teens and adults of all abilities.
- Active Nation Anywhere Subscription service offering over 1,000 on-demand workouts including Les Mills classes, accessible anytime, anywhere and on any device. For individuals seeking digital fitness content.
- Apex Climbing Centre 16-station indoor climbing centre at Green Bank Leisure Centre featuring the XHeight clip-and-climb range designed by Hang Fast Ltd; off-peak sessions £6, peak sessions £8. For all ages, group and party bookings available.
- Good Boost Tablet application for individuals with disabilities that provides personalised exercises tailored to specific conditions and tracks progress towards swimming and fitness goals.
- Alpine Snowsports Skiing, snowboarding and donutting sessions at artificial slopes in Aldershot and Southampton; offerings include 30-day practice passes (£35 adult), discovery sessions (£10), guaranteed courses (£99), private lessons and birthday party packages.
- Active Nutrition Customised meal planning programme providing recipes, meal ideas, a traffic-light nutrition guide, structured weight change plans and an option to order shopping lists from local supermarkets. Add-on priced at £4.99/month.
- Active Nation Venues and Facilities 15 sports and exercise venues operated across the UK including swimming pools, leisure centres, ski slopes, running tracks, gyms, climbing facilities and fitness studios. Sold via day passes, memberships and pay-as-you-go activity pricing.
- School Holiday Activity Camps All-day multi-activity camps for 8-16 year olds (£32/day, 9:30am-5pm), mini activity sessions for 4-7 year olds (£15.50), ski/snowboard sessions, donut sessions and 5-day holiday passes (£80).
- Corporate Team Building and Event Bookings Bookable corporate team-building days, birthday parties, school trips and special events hosted at venues; Alpine packages include donutting at £12/person and skiing/snowboarding at £100/hour.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100,000 annual swim lesson attendances
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Active Nation
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Active Nation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature3 records
Active Nation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Chorley CouncilcoreLocal authority partnership delivering sport and exercise programmes in the Chorley region. Active Nation operates All Seasons Leisure Centre, Clayton Green Sports Centre, and Brinscall Swimming Pool under this partnership.
- City of Lincoln CouncilcoreLocal authority partnership in Lincoln. Active Nation operates Birchwood Leisure Centre and Yarborough Leisure Centre with 400m running track under this partnership.
- Rushmoor Borough CouncilcoreLocal authority partnership delivering snowsports programmes. Active Nation operates Alpine Snowsports Centre, Aldershot under this partnership.
- South Derbyshire District CouncilcoreLocal authority partnership in South Derbyshire. Active Nation operates Green Bank Leisure Centre and Etwall Leisure Centre under this partnership.
- Southampton City CouncilcoreLocal authority partnership in Southampton. Active Nation operates Bitterne Leisure Centre, Chamberlayne Leisure Centre, The Quays Swimming and Diving Complex, Alpine Snowsports Centre Southampton, The Outdoor Sports Centre, Woodmill, and SWAC under this partnership.
- Swim EnglandcoreActive Nation follows the Swim England Learn to Swim Programme for all swimming lessons, using Swim England awards and badges for progression. The programme includes Discovery Duckling badges through to stages 1-7 and beyond.
- Swimming.org / Swim EnglandcoreCPD qualification partnership for teachers supporting swimmers with long-term health conditions. Active Nation staff complete specialised training and continuous professional development.
- ukactiveminorIndustry affiliation providing recognition and participation in ukactive Flame Awards. ukactive is the national body for the physical activity sector in the UK.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Active Nation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Better (formerly GLL / Greenwich Leisure Limited): UK's largest leisure social enterprise operating leisure centres, swimming pools, and sports facilities in partnership with local authorities on a non-profit basis — the closest structural and operational analogue to Active Nation, though at materially larger scale.
- Everyone Active: Operates 200+ leisure facilities on behalf of UK local authorities under contract — directly comparable business model of managing council-owned leisure venues, with overlapping customer segments and service mix.
- Places Leisure: Leisure operator (part of Places for People Group) managing a portfolio of leisure centres, swimming pools, and health & fitness facilities under local authority contracts across the UK — comparable venue operating model and council partnership structure.
- Mytime Active: UK leisure trust operating health clubs, golf courses, and leisure centres on behalf of local authorities with a charitable community impact mission — directly comparable as a smaller leisure trust competitor.
- Halo Leisure: Charitable leisure trust operating leisure centres and sports facilities across the West Midlands and Wales under local authority partnerships — comparable in mission, structure, and venue operating approach to Active Nation.
- Parkwood Leisure: UK leisure management company operating public leisure centres, swimming pools, and golf courses under local authority contracts — comparable operating model and target market.
Broad incumbents
- Serco Leisure: Leisure operating arm of multinational Serco Group, managing UK council leisure contracts as part of a much broader portfolio — overlaps in venue management but operates for shareholder returns rather than charitable mission.
Others
- Les Mills International: Global group fitness content provider whose Les Mills classes power Active Nation Anywhere and in-venue group exercise — a key content partner rather than a competitor, but adjacent in the UK fitness value chain.
- Swim England: National governing body for swimming whose Learn to Swim Programme underpins Active Nation's 100,000+ annual swim lessons — a curriculum and qualification partner, not a competitor, but central to Active Nation's swim school offering.
- ukactive: UK trade body for the physical activity sector of which Active Nation is an affiliate — provides industry advocacy, awards (Flame Awards), and benchmarking rather than competing for consumer leisure spend.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Active Nation social profiles
Digital presenceActive Nation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Active Nation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Active Nation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Active Nation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Active Nation
What does Active Nation do?
Active Nation is a UK-registered charity that operates 15 sports and exercise venues delivering health, fitness and wellbeing programmes. Its core offering includes venue-based memberships (from £25/month), Swim England Learn to Swim lessons, group exercise classes (Les Mills), gym access, snowsports, climbing, water activities, and the Active Nation Anywhere on-demand workout subscription. Revenue is reinvested into the charity's mission to persuade the nation to be active.
Is Active Nation a public or private company?
Active Nation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Active Nation founded?
Active Nation was founded in 2008. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Active Nation based?
Active Nation is headquartered in Stratford-upon-avon, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Active Nation make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are activity Session Fees, swim School Programme, snowsports Activities, children's Activities and Courses, apex Climbing Centre and event and Party Bookings.
Who are Active Nation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Better (formerly GLL / Greenwich Leisure Limited), Everyone Active, Places Leisure, Mytime Active, Halo Leisure and Parkwood Leisure. Serco Leisure is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are Les Mills International, Swim England and ukactive.
Does Active Nation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Active Nation.
What industry is Active Nation in?
Active Nation's product category is Community Leisure and Fitness Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSADABAC, Outdoor Fitness & Park Bootcamps, with a secondary code of EDAAAHAO, Outdoor, Adventure & Recreational Wellness Education (Hiking, Breathwork in Nature). Its NAICS code is 71394 and its SIC code is 7997.