Leisure Media Issue 3 2009 - Leisure Opportunities

HEALTH & FITNESSSYOUNG AT HEARTSHOKK énergie’s new Blackpool site is the partnership's firststandalone health club for children, and part of a growing trendtowards kids-only facilities. Caroline Wilkinson visitschools, sports clubs and other youth-focused organisations,even the police – they’re scrambling over eachother to use the new facilities at SHOKK Blackpool.Whether it's through linking with schools to help achievethe government's directive of five hours' exercise a week, openingup to the local PCT and care homes, or working with thepolice to help get disenfranchised youths off the streets, the clubis generating high levels of interest in the community.The new club is one of a number of standalone facilities forchildren opened across the health club industry recently. It’s alsothe first standalone facility developed under the joint franchiseventure between youth fitness specialist SHOKK and The énergieGroup – a partnership launched in October 2007 – and will beused as a benchmark for future developments. SHOKK énergieplans to open five new standalone sites by April 2010, includingsites in China, Norway and Scotland.BREAKING BARRIERSThe franchisees, ex-professional footballerMickey Mellon and his wife Jane,Schools, sports clubs and otheryouth-focused organisations haveshown interest in the facilitywere eager to create a facility that got Blackpool kids moreactive, off the streets and away from their games consoles. But,according to Jane, convincing the kids wasn't the main challenge– the parents were the barrier. Trying to get the messageacross that the club is a lifestyle-based multi-activity centre,albeit with a gym – not a place where kids just pump weights– has been a struggle. "When you first hear about a kids' gym,most respond with 'what's that?'” says Kieran Murphy, marketingdirector at SHOKK. “It's not an easy concept to understanduntil you touch and feel it, so instructors have to take the kitout and do demos. That way parents and schools can see whatyoung people get from it, as opposed to telling them or givingthem a flyer. You have to bring it to life."Essentially SHOKK and énergie were building a business fromscratch, with no natural footfall, standalone template or SHOKKbrand awareness in the local area.The most effective way of getting kidsinto the facility was by offering freedemo sessions during the soft launch,which had been spearheaded by a52 Read Leisure Management online leisuremanagement.co.uk/digitalISSUE 3 2009 © cybertrek 2009