HENLEAZE SWIMMING CLUB

What HENLEAZE SWIMMING CLUB does

Henleaze Swimming Club operates a single-site open water swimming and diving facility on Henleaze Lake, a former limestone quarry in North Bristol, under a charitable company limited by guarantee structure (Charity No. 1132633, Company No. 7011983). Founded in May 1919 and holding the lake's freehold since 1933, the club offers open water swimming across an area that ranges from approximately 70 metres in winter to 220 metres in summer, with a lake of about 400 metres in length, 30–60 metres wide and an average depth of ~3 metres (rising to ~6 metres under the diving area). Facilities include a springboard and two fixed diving boards (5 m and 7.5 m), an adult-only sauna, and a winter (cold-water) swimming programme running November to April above 10°C. Membership requires a 50-metre swim competence test.

The club's commercial offering is built around three access tiers: full and weekday annual subscriptions (~4,750 members currently), a pay-as-you-go Community Access track with a ~4,500-person waiting list managed chronologically via Mailchimp, and guest access at £8 per adult visit / £5 for juniors, students, and seniors (66+). Revenue is complemented by a separate winter swimming subscription, legacy/bequest income, donations, and ancillary onsite services (e.g., a coffee van operated by Chapter and Holmes). The club holds UK Bathing Water Designation — the only such site within the City of Bristol — and operates with a small paid operational team (1–10 employees) under a voluntary 16-person Executive Committee of trustees.

Beyond individual recreational swimming, the club runs a 'Wider Usage' programme serving institutional and community segments: Bristol and District Triathletes, Scout/Guide/Youth groups, social prescribing and well-being charities, school visits (e.g., Badocks Wood School), and lifesaving training. Distribution is entirely domestic, single-country (UK), direct-to-consumer via the club's website and booking system, with marketing conducted almost exclusively through community reputation, word-of-mouth, and a waiting list that itself signals demand far in excess of supply.

Name

HENLEAZE SWIMMING CLUB

Legal name

Henleaze Swimming Club

Website

https://henleazeswimmingclub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Henleaze Swimming Club is a Bristol-based charitable members' club, founded in 1919, that operates open water swimming, diving, winter swimming, and sauna facilities on a freehold former limestone quarry lake — the only UK Bathing Water designated site in the City of Bristol.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Swimming Facilities

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquatic Centers & Swimming Facilities (MPAKAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Open Water Swimming Events (OWS Races, Swim Challenges) (MPAKAIAF)

Keywords

• Open water swimming
• Outdoor swimming facilities
• Springboard diving boards
• Cold water swimming
• Swimming club membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Subscriptions: Full and weekday members pay annual subscriptions that renew each year, providing the primary recurring revenue stream for the club.
2. Guest Fees: Adult guests pay £8 per visit, junior guests and seniors (66+) pay £5 per visit. Community Access users pay as they go.
3. Winter Swimming Subscriptions: Adult Full Members and Community Access users pay a separate winter swimming subscription fee for cold-weather access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Henleaze Swimming Club operates a single-site members' open water swimming and diving facility set in a former limestone quarry lake in North Bristol (approximately 400m long, 30–60m wide). It sells annual swimming memberships, pay-as-you-go Community Access memberships, separate winter swimming subscriptions, per-visit guest access, diving platform use, and sauna facilities, supplemented by group bookings for charities, triathletes, scouts/guides, and schools.

Product overview

Henleaze Swimming Club operates a single-site open water swimming facility at Henleaze Lake in North Bristol, offering a range of interconnected membership and access options. The core offering is open water swimming in a former limestone quarry, supplemented by winter swimming (cold water dipping), sauna facilities, and diving boards. The club offers annual swimming membership (4,750 members), pay-as-you-go Community Access (4,500 waiting list), and seasonal winter swimming for qualified members. Additional offerings include wider usage group access, a centenary book, and legacy giving. The club became a registered charity in 2010 (No. 1132633) to protect the lake for future generations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Water Swimming Facilities Open water swimming in Henleaze Lake, a former limestone quarry in North Bristol. The lake is approximately 400 metres long and 30-60 metres wide, with swimming areas ranging from 70 metres in winter to 220 metres in summer and an average depth of approximately 3 metres.
• Swimming Membership Annual membership offering access to the lake from May to October, with 4,750 full and weekday members currently enrolled and approximately 4,500 on the waiting list for community access.
• Community Access (Pay-as-you-go) Pay-as-you-go associate membership for those waiting for full or weekday membership, offering flexible access to the lake facilities. Approximately 4,500 people are on the chronological waiting list for Community Access, with offers made by ballot when space becomes available.
• Winter Swimming Cold-water swimming during winter months (November to April) for adult members who have completed swim tests, with access to the full swimming area when water temperature is above 10°C; sold as a separate winter swimming subscription.
• Sauna Facilities Adult-only (18+) sauna facility available to members for warming up before or after swimming, with silent sauna slots available at 12pm, 2pm, and 6pm for those seeking peace and quiet.
• Diving Facilities Springboard and two fixed diving boards (5 metres and 7.5 metres) with lifeguard monitoring for safe usage, available as part of club membership.
• Wider Usage Group Access Facilitated access to the lake for outside groups including charitable open water swimming events, triathlon training, scout/guide groups, social prescribing groups, school tours, and lifesaving training courses.
• The Lake: Henleaze Swimming Club's Centenary Book Celebratory book documenting the club's history from 1919, authored by Susie Parr, featuring iconic photographs and club artifacts. Available at the lake for £20 or by post for £25.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~70 metres swimming area in winter to ~220 metres in high summer
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Chapter and HolmesminorOthersA coffee van operated by Chapter and Holmes is located on site, providing tea, coffee, cold drinks, snacks, and ice cream. Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 11am-4pm, Fridays 11am-4pm, weekends 10am-5pm (hours may extend during good weather and events).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hathersage Outdoor Swimming Pool: Community-owned, volunteer-governed outdoor swimming pool in the Peak District. Comparable as a UK community outdoor swimming facility with charitable/community ownership, member subscriptions, and seasonal operation.
• Clevedon Marine Lake: Open water swimming and paddling facility in Clevedon, North Somerset, just outside Bristol. Highly comparable regional outdoor lake swimming venue with free and community access, comparable target market (Bristol-area swimmers) and similar seasonal open water use cases.
• West Reservoir Centre: Open water swimming and water sports facility in North London operated by a community/charitable trust. Comparable open water lake venue offering member-based swimming access with similar charitable/community governance structure.
• The Serpentine Swimming Club: Historic London membership-based open water swimming club operating in Hyde Park's Serpentine lake. Closest direct comparable to Henleaze: member-subscribed, voluntary-governance outdoor lake swimming with similar recreational, winter, and competitive use cases, though serving a London rather than Bristol catchment.

Regional players

• Tooting Bec Lido: London-based unheated outdoor lido with a strong membership culture. Comparable outdoor cold-water swimming community with member-driven access, but located in London rather than Bristol and managed through partnership with the local council.

Emerging players

• SwimTrek: UK-based open water swimming holiday and event operator serving a similar enthusiast customer base. Comparable open water swimming audience with overlapping recreational and event-based use cases, though commercial/paid-experience rather than membership model.

Broad incumbents

• Parliament Hill Lido: Iconic outdoor 60m unheated lido in Hampstead Heath, London, operated by Better/GLL. Comparable outdoor community swimming offer with seasonal and winter use, part of a national operator portfolio.
• Brockwell Lido: Outdoor 50m lido in Brixton operated by Better (GLL). Comparable outdoor swimming experience and member base, though as part of a broader national leisure operator portfolio rather than a community club.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/henleazeswimmingclub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/henleaze-swimming-club

Compliance2 records

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 HENLEAZE SWIMMING CLUB