DIGITAL HEALTH
“ We think our COVID Recovery Programme is going to have quite a significant social impact ”
PAUL MCPARTLAN CEO , PLACES LEISURE
making it accessible 24 hours a day , so some of that content would be live streamed , while some of it is pre-recorded ."
In the last few months there has been more of a push towards live streaming . " Because capacity constraints have now been lifted , if you can ' t get to your 7 o ' clock class , a live stream lets you feel as though you ' re part of the class , see everybody there and see the instructor , and do it from your living room . That is proving to be incredibly popular ."
McPartlan says that the addition of their digital offering has been beneficial to both customers and the business . " It increases the customer experience , which in turn will improve retention and smooths the acquisition pathway for new members as well . And that ' s not just in terms of content , it ' s also about the ability for people to join and make purchases online . That whole digital experience of engaging with either existing members or new members is absolutely paramount ."
Another new service is their COVID Recovery Programme , designed to provide therapy and rehabilitation to people who are affected by Long COVID . This launched in August 2021 across 58 of Places Leisure ' s locations , which represents roughly half of all their total sites , with a view to extending it to the rest of the business after an initial trial period .
With funding from charitable foundations including Travis Perkins , and accredited through fitness trainers CAWS , Places Leisure has worked with the University of Sheffield on the programme , which offers 16 hours of 1-1- support with a fitness coach , consultations on lifestyle and nutritional advice available digitally and in person , and up to 12 months of support - Places Leisure ' s longest ever health programme . healthcareglobal . com 71