And we call on all UK independent gyms, fitness clubs and studios to do the same
While some sectors have been given a reprieve, business rates for gyms, fitness clubs and most of the fitness industry are due to rise in the next few months here in the UK, adding yet more pressure at a critical time.
After over 25 years working in the fitness industry, we here at Ashbourne know it isn’t a sector where things come easy. The post-COVID landscape has been defined by fights to keep operations costs low and right now we are entering another phase of that struggle. Not one that can be solved within our facilities, but in the halls of Westminster itself.
The government in Westminster and the NHS are always quick to pay lip service to the goals of supporting and developing a healthier and more active population here in the UK. But when it comes to recognising the vital role that independent gyms and the fitness industry at large play in this mission, there is silence. Time and time again fitness clubs are hung out to dry while other, more harmful sectors of the economy are bailed out. This time the issue is business rates.
The recent U-turn on taxation has given some hospitality and other leisure businesses special preference over the fitness industry. Once again independent gyms and fitness clubs have been mostly overlooked. Here at Ashbourne, we think that is a serious mistake. That is why we have taken a key role in the establishment of the Gym Owners Forum campaign Fair Rates for Fitness.
Fair Rates for Fitness is encouraging gym owners and their members to make their voices heard by helping them to e-mail their MPs about the treatment the fitness industry has received.
This isn’t just shouting into the void, if the Gym Owner’s Forum can get enough support behind Fair Rates for Fitness it will give the fitness industry much needed leverage. Our industry is a transformative one and means a lot to a great many people, GOF wants to make sure Westminster understands the benefits and that British MPs hear it from their constituents first hand.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis that followed in 2022, Ashbourne advocated alongside leading voices for fairer treatment for independent gyms and fitness clubs across the UK.
While the party in charge has changed since then, their approach has not. So it is time we change our approach here in the fitness industry from one of quiet acceptance to making sure our voices are heard and our significant contribution to public health is known.
The Gym on the High Street is not just another Shop
To treat a gym like a standard retail business is to misunderstand what actually happens inside a facility. A gym is not just a place where money changes hands. It is one of the only places on the high street where people go specifically to get healthier.
Every year the UK spends billions trying to combat illness linked to inactivity, poor mental health, and lifestyle-related disease. And while the government is very happy to claim credit for any positive impact that the fitness industry may have, we find that gyms are routinely treated with less preferable treatment than the very establishments who negatively contribute to these societal issues.
When the government looks at a pub, they see a community asset, and they certainly aren’t wrong to do so. But they also tax alcohol because they know that the pints they sell come with both a social and health cost attached
Gyms, studios, and health clubs are different. They are a community asset with a purely positive social cost attached. They are the part of the leisure industry that actually reduces public cost.
- Prevention, not reaction: Endless studies have shown that regular exercise cuts the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. It can help with everything from mental health and loneliness to anxiety.
These are not fringe benefits; they are core outcomes. When someone walks through your door, they are actively choosing to look after themselves. That takes pressure off GPs and hospitals. - Social prescribing in action: The NHS spends a fortune trying to get people to move more through social prescribing schemes. But gyms do this organically, every day, without costing the taxpayer a penny. They create routine, accountability, and community.
- Mental Health and Community: In a time where the headlines often speak of a mental health crisis combined with an increasingly atomised and isolated society, independent gyms provide not only a vital positive outlet for combating mental health issues, but also a palpable sense of community.
It is this function that has seen fitness facilities come to play a vital role as an affordable social club and place to meet, one that isn’t gated off by wealth or who you know. - Quiet(er) neighbours: Unlike late-night venues, gyms don’t create noise complaints, require extra policing, or fill A&E on a Friday night.
A rough deal for an essential service
The economics of running a gym are tight. High fixed costs for rent, rates, kit, and utilities. Limited capacity. Low margins. You cannot simply absorb a massive tax hike or pass it on without pricing out the very people you are trying to help.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ashbourne advocated for gyms to be recognised as the essential service they are. The pandemic is over but the attitude that allowed Westminster to overlook the fitness industry both then and now is clearly still present.
When a gym closes, the cost doesn’t disappear. It just transfers to the NHS .
The sector has changed massively since COVID. During the pandemic, we saw just how vital fitness was, being fit and healthy was a genuine shield against the worst of the virus.
Yet the places that provided that shield were the first to close and the last to be supported. We are now seeing history repeat itself with business rates.
What we are asking for
This isn’t about asking for a handout, it is about asking to be recognised for what we actually are: preventative health infrastructure.
Policy options like business rates relief, a reduced VAT on memberships, or formal recognition of gyms as health providers aren’t radical. They are investments. A healthier population is a more productive population. It means fewer sick days, a stronger economy, and a lighter load on public services .
Vitality Health Insurance already gets this, they make membership cheaper for fitter people because they know it saves them money on claims. The government needs to catch up to the wisdom the private sector has been acting on.
How you can help
It has been easy for Westminster to overlook the fitness industry. Now is the time to make our voices heard. If you own or manage a gym, or if you are a member who values your club, we need you to add your voice to the cause.
The goal is simple: to persuade the government that fitness businesses deserve at least the same consideration as other leisure sectors.
Please visit Fair Rates For Fitness, read the case, and support the campaign.
There is a link to e-mail your MP on the Fair Rates for Fitness page. Whether you are in the fitness industry or just supportive of our cause, please make your voice known to our elected representatives.
