Fourteen leaders from across the breadth of the sector have been named in ukactive’s new Membership Council, announced today (16 February).
The purpose of the Membership Council is to represent the voice of ukactive members to the ukactive Board, to shape and inform ukactive’s work, and to help ensure the whole membership is engaged and up to date with ukactive’s plans.
The Council forms a key part of ukactive’s governance structure, helping to shape the direction of the organisation as it looks to increase the sector’s reach and impact as part of the new shared ambition for growth.
The new council members were elected following a six-week application and voting process which ran throughout November and December 2021, and each brings a fresh injection of expertise and ideas from ukactive’s membership.
The ukactive Membership Council
· Chair: Dave Courteen, Managing Director, Mosaic Spa and Health Club Group
· Andrew Denton, Chief Executive, Outdoor Industries Association
· Marc Diaper, Chief Executive, Gymbox
· Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Director of Sport & Active Communities, University of Warwick
· John Fletcher, Managing Director, Northampton Leisure Trust
· Sophie Lawler, Chief Executive, Total Fitness
· David Monkhouse, Director, Leisure-net Solutions
· Rebecca Passmore, UK Managing Director, PureGym
· Lee Matthews, Managing Director, Fitness First
· Chris Symons, Chief Executive, BH Live
· Andrew Thompson, Chairman, Anytime Fitness UK
· Jean-Claude Vacassin, Director, The IFBA
· Sarah Watts, Chief Executive, Alliance Leisure
· Dave Wright, Group CEO, Myzone Group.
The newly elected chair of the Membership Council is Dave Courteen, who will sit on ukactive’s Board, acting as a conduit between the groups.
Dave has worked in the industry for 35 years and is currently the Managing Director at Mosaic Spa and Health Club Group, which operates 20 sites across the UK and employs 450 members of staff.
All of the 14 seats available on the Council were up for election. The positions are not remunerated and each new member has been elected for an initial three-year term.
Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “I am delighted to welcome everyone on our new Membership Council, as well as the new Chair of the Council, Dave Courteen, which stands us in excellent stead for the next three years.
“The strength of this Membership Council is very apparent when considering the calibre of the individuals who now sit on it, and this means every member of ukactive can be confident their views will be represented well as we continue to support and grow our sector.
“The Board and I look forward to working with the Membership Council and making the most of their energy and expertise as we move into an exciting period for ukactive and the sector we represent.”
Dave Courteen, Chair of ukactive’s Membership Council, said: “After the impact of the pandemic over the last two years and the incredible hard work of the ukactive team in raising both the profile of the health club industry and the importance of adopting an active lifestyle, I’m delighted to take on the role of Chair of the Membership Council.
“We are at a critical time when we have a wonderful opportunity to cement in the minds of the Government, and the general population, the benefits of being active.
“I look forward to ensuring that the diverse needs of the broad range of operators are fully represented within ukactive.”