Active Life

What Active Life does

Active Life is a non-profit making distribution Trust operating five leisure centres across the Canterbury, Herne Bay, and Whitstable area of Kent, England, including Kingsmead Pools & Fitness (flagship, refurbished 2024 with 33m pool, modern gym, three fitness studios including a virtual spin studio, health suite, and Gingerbreads Cafe), Herons Leisure Centre (25m pool, learner pool, flume, gym, studios, Exercise On Referral), Whitstable Sports Centre (4-court sports hall), Whitstable Pools & Fitness, and Bay Sports Arena (roller skating and racquet sports). Facilities and programming serve community members of all ages, with particular depth in swimming through a Swim England Learn to Swim Pathway swim school operating across an 18-pool network that teaches more than 20,000 children weekly and hundreds of adults. An Exercise On Referral Programme partners with local GP practices to deliver 12-week supervised exercise regimens for adults with long-term health conditions. The trust is governed by an independent voluntary board of trustees drawn from public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, holds ISO 14001 and Carbon Saver Gold Standard certifications, and partners with Canterbury City Council, Swim England, Les Mills, and Zoggs.

The business model blends recurring memberships (student tiers priced at £35, £45, and £55 per month, plus broader gym and swim school subscriptions), transactional pay-as-you-go activity fees (court bookings, roller skating, fitness classes), and on-site café revenue. Customer acquisition is community-led through local engagement, school partnerships for swimming lessons, university student outreach, and referrals from the council and healthcare providers. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through five physical leisure centres plus an online booking website and the white-label MyFitApp for membership management. Notable infrastructure includes the Pool Pod 3 accessibility lift, Changing Places certified facilities, and a virtual spin studio.

Technology is operational rather than differentiated: commodity booking and membership management via MyFitApp, standard leisure centre POS, pre-recorded virtual spin content, and accessibility hardware. There is no AI/ML capability disclosed. All surplus is reinvested into the centres under the Trust structure, and Active Life is independent of employee, shareholder, or private-sector ownership, with the implication that growth is funded organically from operating cash flow rather than external capital.

Name

Active Life

Legal name

Active Life

Website

https://activelifeltd.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Active Life is a non-profit distribution Trust operating five leisure centres across Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable in Kent, providing gyms, swimming pools, group exercise, sports halls, racquet sports, roller skating, and a Swim England-aligned swim school serving 20,000+ children weekly across 18 pools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Leisure Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquatic Centers & Swimming Facilities (MPAKAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding) (EDALAIAF), Aqua Fitness Classes (HSADABAL)

Keywords

• Community leisure services
• Swimming lesson programmes
• Fitness centre operations
• Sports facility management
• Exercise referral programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Kent

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Monthly and annual membership subscriptions providing unlimited or discounted access to gym, swimming, and group exercise classes. Student memberships available at three tiers: Core (£35/month), Essential (£45/month), and Premium (£55/month).
2. Pay-as-you-go Activities: Individual session fees for activities including swimming, court bookings (badminton, tennis, pickleball), roller skating, and fitness classes.
3. Swimming Lessons: Weekly swimming lesson programme for children and adults following Swim England Learn to Swim Pathway. Includes toddler, preschool, and stage-based lessons.
4. Café Revenue: On-site café (Gingerbreads at Kingsmead) serving smoothies, protein shakes, bakes, and hot beverages to center visitors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Active Life operates five community leisure centres across Canterbury, Herne Bay, and Whitstable offering access to gyms, swimming pools (including 33m and 25m pools), sports halls, racquet sports, roller skating, group exercise classes, and health suites. The trust runs a SwimSchool following the Swim England Learn to Swim Pathway for children and adults, a 12-week Exercise on Referral programme for adults with long-term health conditions, on-site cafés, and membership tiers including a dedicated student membership programme.

Product overview

Active Life is a community-focused leisure trust operating five distinct leisure centres across Canterbury, Herne Bay, and Whitstable: Kingsmead Pools & Fitness (flagship with 33m pool, virtual spin studio, health suite, and cafe), Herons Leisure Centre (25m pool with flume, Intencity Studio), Whitstable Pools & Fitness (gym and pool), Whitstable Sports Centre (4-court sports hall), and Bay Sports Arena (roller skating and racquet sports). The portfolio also includes SwimSchool, a comprehensive swimming lesson programme following Swim England standards serving both children and adults, and an Exercise On Referral Programme providing guided physical activity for adults with health conditions. All income is reinvested into facilities as a non-profit distribution Trust.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SwimSchool: Swimming lessons programme for children and adults following the Swim England Learn to Swim Pathway
• Gingerbreads Café

Products and services

• SwimSchool Swimming lesson programme following the Swim England Learn to Swim Pathway, offering lessons for both children (toddler, preschool, and Stages 1-7) and adults. Delivered by Swim England qualified instructors with badges, certificates, and free general swimming for enrolled children. Teaches more than 20,000 children weekly across 18 pools and supports hundreds of adults weekly.
• Exercise On Referral Programme 12-week wellness programme available at Herons Leisure Centre and Kingsmead Pools & Fitness for adults aged 18+ with long-term health conditions. Includes gym, pool, and class access designed to support physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Delivered through GP or self-referral in partnership with local healthcare providers.
• Student Membership Programme Tiered monthly membership programme at Kingsmead Pools & Fitness targeted at university students, with three tiers: Core (£35/month, unlimited gym and swimming), Essential (£45/month, adds unlimited group exercise classes), and Premium (£55/month, adds health suite access plus two racquet sports sessions weekly and four hours free parking).
• Les Mills Group Fitness Classes Licensed group exercise programme offered at Herons Leisure Centre and other Active Life centres, including BODYCOMBAT, BODYATTACK, BODYPUMP, BODYBALANCE, and BODYJAM classes delivered as part of the group fitness class timetable.
• Active Life Mobile App Mobile application powered by MyFitApp that allows customers to book sessions, manage memberships, view timetables, and access centre information across the Active Life network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000+ children taught swimming weekly across 18 pools
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canterbury City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partnership with Canterbury City Council to deliver community leisure services. Canterbury City Council logo appears at Herons Leisure Centre as a visible partnership acknowledgement.
• Swim EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive Life's swim school programme follows the Swim England Learn to Swim Pathway - the nationally recognised framework for developing confident, competent and safe swimmers. Swim England qualified instructors deliver lessons.
• ZoggsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwim essentials retailer partner. Zoggs swim gear (goggles, swimwear, floats, toys) available for purchase at reception, promoted as ideal for lessons and family swims.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Nuffield Health: UK healthcare and fitness charity operating fitness clubs with swimming pools, group exercise, and health referrals — broader portfolio and not a council trust, but overlapping on pool-led fitness and healthcare-referral positioning.
• David Lloyd Leisure: Premium UK family health club chain with extensive swimming, racquet sports, and group exercise offerings — comparable product mix (pools, classes, family focus) but premium commercial positioning versus Active Life's community trust model.
• Serco Leisure: Large outsourcing group operating leisure and health contracts for UK local authorities, offering pools, gyms, and community programmes at greater scale but with a commercial outsourcing model rather than trust structure.
• The Gym Group: UK low-cost gym chain with 24/7 facilities competing for entry-level fitness spend — direct competitor in the Kent region for the lower end of Active Life's membership tiers.

Direct peers

• Everyone Active: Operates more than 200 leisure centres across the UK on behalf of local authority partners under a community-focused model, offering gyms, swimming, group exercise, and lessons — the closest commercial parallel to Active Life's multi-centre trust operations.
• Places Leisure: Community-focused leisure operator running council-partnered leisure centres with pools, gyms, classes, and learn-to-swim programmes across the UK, structurally analogous to Active Life's Trust and council partnership model.
• Fusion Lifestyle: UK leisure management company that operates Active Life's centres (visible via fusion-lifestyle.com policies and fusion.careers jobs platform) and runs council-partnered leisure facilities with pools, gyms, and community programmes — operating peer and likely management partner.
• Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL / Better): UK's largest charitable leisure trust operating public leisure centres, swimming pools, and gyms on behalf of local authorities — directly comparable to Active Life's community trust model, Swim England-aligned swim school, and council partnership structure.
• Freedom Leisure: Not-for-profit leisure trust managing over 100 leisure and cultural facilities including pools, gyms, and sports halls for local authorities — directly comparable trust-based operating model and product mix to Active Life.
• Sports & Leisure Management (SLM) / Total Fitness: Community leisure operator managing over 60 health clubs and leisure centres including pools and group exercise on behalf of local authorities — closely comparable operating footprint and council-aligned service model to Active Life.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ActiveLifeLtd
• Facebookfacebook.com/activelifekent

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Active Life