Health club operator McCaulays is planning long-term to develop its fitness, sport and leisure offering for a burgeoning member base.
Integral to its mission is the quality of the clubs’ changing provision as the South-west provider tailors member demographic, lifestyle and budget in an intensely competitive sector.
Set for years to come
A 3,000 membership is spread across McCaulays’ Ivybridge and Plymouth sites, two-thirds at Ivybridge where wooden lockers manufacturer and installer Crown Sports Lockers have newly completed an engaging, contemporary-styled fitout of the male and female wet and dry changing areas.
Ivybridge’s provision includes indoor swimming pool, spa area featuring sauna, steam room and hot tub, and fully-equipped gym with Spin Shed, yoga and dance studios.
McCaulays has improved the facility throughout its 20-year operation to keep ahead of game as its member base has grown. Integral to that process is supplying high-quality, comfortable changing areas to standards matching those throughout the club.
“My predecessor knew Crown and had brought them in to plan the upgrade,” recalls Co-general Manager Matt White, 27. “We modified those original designs a fair bit to reflect changing trends and interior décor.”
“During the preparatory process, Project Manager Sam Palmer came here several times to finalise them with us,” Matt continues. “Communicating with a dedicated contact throughout the installation certainly helped us reach the result we wanted.”
McCaulays clearly appreciate the importance of such provision in their strategy for growth, portraying the new changing areas on their website to emphasise the importance of them in member experiences.
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In its supply and fitout of some 250 clothes and holdall lockers, Crown introduced trending light brown wood grain laminate with grey trim throughout male and female areas.
“We were searching for something unique and found it,” confirms Matt. “The blend of grey, beige and cream add a welcoming, contemporary feel.”
Freestanding benches upholstered in grey and cream bolster comfort as do
cream upholstered drum stools in the vanity areas. Matching textured toilet and shower cubicles (with a bench in each), with stylish washbasins in both wet and dry areas complete the fitout.
“Our luxury showers and spacious changing rooms, with secure lockers, hanging rails and hairdryers are designed to allow space for members and guests to change in comfortably,” Matt sums up. “We preferred pound coin-operated locks as digital ones can cause problems among younger swimmers.
Concluding, he adds: “Although some older members can resist change, once they saw the quality and attractiveness of the refurb, they were sold on it.”
McCaulays Health Clubs’ next project within the ten-year development plan is upgrading its Plymouth site as the operator raises the bar yet again on leisure provision in the region.