A major new report from Sport England and 4Global has increased calls for the government to increase support for gyms, swimming pools and public leisure centers in the upcoming autumn budget, warning that the sector delivers billions of pounds of social value despite being under severe financial pressure.
The annual Moving Communities report highlights the vital role these facilities play in improving national health and wellbeing, with public leisure centers contributing an estimated £3.63 billion in societal value between April 2024 and March 2025. This figure reflects both the benefits to users’ personal wellbeing and significant savings to public services, particularly the NHS.
According to the report, no other area of the sport, leisure and physical activity sector achieves an impact of this magnitude. Participation in gym activities increased by 13% year-on-year, with significant increases among women, under-16s, over-65s and people in England’s most deprived communities.
53% of all users are now women, and fitness activity among female participants increased by 12%. Participation among those under 16 increased by 21%, while visits among those over 65 increased by 19%. Engagement in the most deprived areas increased by 7%, with these communities now accounting for 16% of visits nationally.
These trends suggest a sector is helping to reduce some of the most persistent health inequalities in England. For many families, recreation centers remain the only accessible and affordable places for exercise, community activities and supervised swimming.
But ukactive said today’s results also reveal a worrying reality: many of these vital institutions are operating on fragile finances. Rising energy bills, higher staff costs and aging buildings have left half of all facilities operating at breakeven, putting services at risk while demand increases.
In a statement on the report, ukactive said the message to the government was “unmistakable”: “If you really want to tackle issues of economic growth and take pressure off the NHS, the physical activity sector must be one of your key partners.”
The organization warned that any regressive measures in the upcoming budget could significantly impact the sector’s ability to grow and serve communities and exacerbate health inequalities, at a time when the country urgently needs to improve population health.
The report also details the measurable health benefits of increased physical activity: £51.4 million in cost savings from reduced depression and £10.7 million from reductions in back pain alone.
Gym, pool and recreation operators say these savings far outweigh the government support needed to keep facilities open and affordable. They argue that investment in public leisure would act as a direct lever for economic growth, relief for the NHS and improved workforce productivity.
With the Budget now just weeks away, industry leaders are calling on ministers to support the sector rather than burdening it with further financial burdens. As ukactive put it: “Now is the time to fully support gyms, pools and leisure centers to deliver the economic prosperity and health improvements this country desperately needs.”
