Everyone Active targets expansion beyond England and public sector

Everyone Active is planning to expand beyond its traditional English local authority business for the first time, with managing director Duncan Jefford revealing the operator is actively exploring opportunities outside both England and the public sector.

Speaking to HCM, Jefford said the company expects much of its future growth to continue to come from its traditional client types, but that its strategy is evolving as it prepares for its next phase of expansion.

“We expect a lot of our growth to continue to come from local authority leisure,” he said. “However, moving forward, it won’t only be England-based local authorities, as has traditionally been the case at Everyone Active, we’ll be looking further afield.”

He also confirmed the operator intends to diversify beyond its traditional public sector focus.

“Additionally, we’ll be looking to diversify beyond local authorities,” he said. “I don’t want to go into too much detail at this stage – I’d rather do it than talk about it – but we’re certainly looking carefully at where future growth is likely to come from and expect to expand beyond the traditional core of our business.”

The strategy underpins an ambitious five-year growth plan that aims to increase the business from around 260 sites today to approximately 400, while growing annual turnover from £405 million (US$548 million, €470 million) to more than £600 million (US$812 million, €696 million).

Jefford said Everyone Active has already expanded its business development team to support a more strategic approach to bidding and believes councils will increasingly consider outsourcing leisure services amid continued financial pressures.

He also pointed to the ongoing local government review as a major structural change that will reshape procurement, creating larger contracts and accelerating consolidation across the sector.

To support the next stage of growth, Everyone Active has restructured its leadership team since Jefford became managing director in April, strengthening the board, appointing a commercial director and dividing its largest operating region into two to improve responsiveness and increase bidding capacity.

Duncan Jefford will be a keynote speaker at the HCM Summit in London on 22 October. Find out more at www.HCMsummit.live.

Other speakers include: