Plymouth Active Leisure

What Plymouth Active Leisure does

Plymouth Active Leisure Limited (PAL) is a community company wholly owned by Plymouth City Council, established in April 2022 to operate the local authority's leisure facilities. The company runs four venues in Plymouth: Plymouth Life Centre (a flagship multi-activity facility with 150+ station gym, swimming and diving pools, climbing wall, HY-NRG HIIT studio, and 12-court sports hall), Plympton Swimming Pool and Gym, Mount Wise Swimming Pools, and the historic Tinside Lido (a 90-year-old Grade II listed Art Deco saltwater pool). PAL offers swimming and diving lessons, group fitness classes, climbing, indoor sports, holiday clubs, birthday parties, and an expanding portfolio of health and wellbeing services including a new Exercise Referral Service delivered in partnership with Health and Fitness Education (HFE) and a Rise Gymnastics programme with British Gymnastics.

The business operates on a hybrid revenue model combining contract-free recurring memberships (priced from £16.50/month junior climbing to £51/month Active Premium at Plymouth Life Centre), pay-as-you-go access, activity and session fees, Tinside Lido season tickets, holiday programme fees, and venue hire for private events. Distribution is direct-to-consumer across physical reception desks, an online booking platform (plymouthcouncil.gladstonego.cloud), a mobile app, and telephone reservations. Technology includes a drowning detection camera system, EGYM and Precor fitness tracking equipment, and integrated booking infrastructure. Notable distinctions include one of the UK's top diving venues (producing Olympic medallists), the largest climbing wall in the South West, and a signed Swim England national partnership targeting Plymouth as the UK's most active coastal city by 2034.

Customer segments span the general public, children and youth, seniors, competitive divers, health-referred individuals, and the armed forces community. Strategic positioning emphasizes social value over profit maximization, with the company reporting £9.5 million in social value generated and a -0.1% mean gender pay gap in 2025. The operating geography is restricted to Plymouth, and expansion is pursued through service-line broadening and partnership-based capability buildout rather than geographic diversification.

Name

Plymouth Active Leisure

Legal name

Plymouth Active Leisure Limited

Website

https://plymouthactive.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Plymouth Active Leisure is a council-owned community company operating four leisure facilities in Plymouth — including Plymouth Life Centre, Tinside Lido, Mount Wise Pools, and Plympton Pool — offering memberships, swimming, diving, climbing, fitness classes, and health referral services to local residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Leisure Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (7139), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (713990)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Water Parks (Outdoor/Indoor, Wave Pools & Slides) (THAJAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Standalone/Pay-Per-Entry Water Parks (Day-Visitor Focused) (THAAABAD), Aquatic Playgrounds & Splash Pads (Spray Parks, Kids’ Water Play) (THAAABAE)

Keywords

• Public leisure services
• Community leisure centers
• Swimming and diving facilities
• Fitness club memberships
• Health and wellbeing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Plymouth

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Monthly direct debit and annual paid-upfront memberships providing access to gym, pools, classes, and climbing facilities. Contract-free with cancellation flexibility.
2. Pay-as-you-go Visits: Individual session payments for public swimming, gym visits, court hire, and activity sessions for non-members.
3. Activity and Session Fees: Fees for specific activities including swimming lessons, diving lessons, climbing sessions, group fitness classes, and sports court bookings.
4. Holiday Programs: Summer crash courses, holiday clubs, and specialized activity programs for children including swimming lessons, diving, and climbing.
5. Venue Hire and Hospitality: Private event bookings at Tinside Lido and meeting/event hire facilities at Plymouth Life Centre.
6. Season Tickets: Tinside Lido season tickets for summer swimming season with tiered pricing for adults, seniors, and children.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Plymouth Active Leisure operates four council-owned leisure facilities across Plymouth, providing public access to swimming pools, a diving facility producing Olympic medallists, gyms, a large climbing wall, group fitness classes, indoor sports courts, children's holiday programmes, and health referral services. The company sells contract-free memberships, pay-as-you-go sessions, swimming and diving lessons, and venue hire, with concessionary pricing for seniors, students, NHS staff, and the armed forces community.

Product overview

Plymouth Active Leisure operates a network of leisure facilities across Plymouth as a community company wholly owned by Plymouth City Council. The core offering comprises four main venues: Plymouth Life Centre (flagship facility with gym, pools, diving, climbing, and sports), Plympton Swimming Pool and Gym, Tinside Lido (historic outdoor saltwater pool), and Mount Wise Swimming Pools (outdoor complex with free entry). The product portfolio spans aquatic activities (swimming lessons, diving, aqua classes), fitness services (gym with 150+ stations, HY-NRG HIIT studio, group fitness classes), climbing (one of the tallest walls in the South West), indoor sports (badminton, basketball, netball, volleyball, indoor bowls), and health programmes (Active Health, GP Referral, Exercise Referral service). Additional offerings include Rise Gymnastics programme, birthday parties, holiday clubs, and membership packages ranging from single-activity to all-inclusive premium tiers. The company partners with Swim England for aquatic development and HFE for staff training to deliver health referral services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plymouth Active Memberships

Quantifiable outcome

• Generated £9.5 million in social value in the past year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Swim EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Landmark national-first partnership between Swim England and Plymouth Active Leisure to make Plymouth the most active coastal city by 2034 and strengthen aquatic opportunities for all residents.
• Health and Fitness Education (HFE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with leading training provider HFE since 2024. Eight team members enrolled in specialist training courses across gym instruction, aquatic fitness, and exercise referral. Supports delivery of Active Health Programme, Good Boost Aqua, and new Exercise Referral service.
• Plymouth City CouncilcoreOthersPlymouth Active Leisure Ltd is a community company wholly owned by Plymouth City Council. PAL has been responsible for managing Plymouth City Council's leisure facilities since April 2022.
• Armed Forces (Armed Forces Covenant)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, providing concessionary facility access and hosting adaptive sport events like Strength of Spirit Games for serving personnel and veterans.
• Autek CICminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise that employs autistic and disabled people to create virtual accessibility tours. Created virtual tour of Plymouth Life Centre to help anxious visitors prepare for their visit.
• National Governing Bodies of SportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with national sporting bodies to support and develop specific sports including diving (British Diving) and gymnastics (British Gymnastics).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Everyone Active: Operates over 200 leisure facilities in partnership with local authorities across the UK under a charitable social enterprise model. Closely comparable in operating model, council contract structure, and community-focused positioning.
• Places Leisure: Not-for-profit leisure operator managing council-owned leisure centres. Directly comparable multi-site council leisure operator with similar membership, swim lesson, and gym offerings.
• Active Nation: Charity operating council-owned leisure facilities across the UK with focus on activity, health, and community engagement. Comparable as a not-for-profit leisure trust operating multiple facilities on behalf of local authorities.
• Fusion Lifestyle: Operates leisure and cultural facilities on behalf of local authorities. Comparable as a council-contracted leisure operator with similar membership and community programming structure.
• GLL (Greenwich Leisure Limited): UK's largest public-sector leisure operator, running council-owned leisure facilities on a social enterprise model. Directly comparable as a community-interest leisure operator managing multiple municipal facilities under council contracts.
• Better (by GLL): The consumer-facing brand of GLL, offering gym, swim, and fitness memberships at public leisure facilities. Most direct comparable on membership model, pricing, and activity portfolio (gym, swim, classes, climbing).

Others

• Better Swim School / Swim England Network Operators: Swim England partners and learn-to-swim programme operators across the UK. Comparable on swim lesson curriculum, instructor training, and partnership structure pioneered by PAL.

Emerging players

• PureGym: UK low-cost gym chain with extensive national footprint. Not a direct competing operator but represents the discount gym competitive pressure that PAL's membership pricing must contend with.

Broad incumbents

• David Lloyd Leisure: Premium private health, fitness, and racquets club operator in the UK and Europe. Comparable on facility quality, multi-activity offering (gym, swim, racquets, classes), but positioned in the premium segment versus PAL's community positioning.
• Serco Leisure: Public services and outsourcing company that operates leisure facilities on behalf of UK councils. Comparable in the operating model (council contract management) but with a much broader portfolio of government services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@plymouthactive2035
• Facebookfacebook.com/plymouthactive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plymouth-active-leisure
• Instagraminstagram.com/plymouthactiveleisure/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@plymouthactive

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Plymouth Active Leisure