Esporta Health Clubs

Esporta Health & Fitness Clubs (usually known as just Esporta) was a chain of health clubs in the United Kingdom, which also once owned clubs in Spain. The clubs offer a wide variety of different fitness facilities, including gyms, swimming pools and courts for racquet sports. In addition they offer a choice of bar food and drinks, spa treatments and live sporting coverage.

On 26 April 2011, after two years of ownership, Société Générale confirmed that it had agreed to sell its Esporta health, fitness and racquets clubs to Virgin Active for £77.5m.[1]

History

After expanding quickly, in 2004 Esporta announced their six Spanish clubs were up for sale. Selling all six in 2005, they sold seven UK locations to Virgin Active: Birmingham, Bolton, Crawley, Chelmsford, Gloucester, Medway, and Rugby. Esporta explained they wanted to concentrate efforts on the premium market in the UK.[2]

Facilities

Membership of the club allows members to use most other Esporta clubs for free. The exceptions to this include clubs such as Repton Park, Swiss Cottage, Northwood Riverside, Chiswick Riverside (which has a £1000 Joining fee) these are considered 'Premium' clubs, which are not included in your membership elsewhere.

During 2009 Esporta changed this policy, adding a small one off initial fee to use 'non-home' clubs.

Some clubs will offer this policy but some will offer free 'UK Wide' usage for no extra fee. Policy will depend on time of the month and current promotions.

Club locations

The Esporta brand operated 62 premium clubs across the United Kingdom, with the Gloucester Health and Racquets Club and Chiswick Riverside Health and Racquets Club the most recent additions. There are nine clubs spread across the North of England.[3] In the Midlands and East Anglia there are a total of nine clubs[4] There are 18 clubs in London and South East England[5] while there are a further six in South England.[6] In Scotland there are two clubs, in Hamilton (Lanarkshire) and Milngavie.[7] In Wales there are four clubs, while there are six in the West of England.[8] There is only one club in Northern Ireland, situated at Holywood in Belfast.[9]

Esporta ClubAddress 1Address 2Address 3PostcodeNow
Esporta Health & Racquets Club CardiffOcean ParkOcean WayCardiffCF24 5HFCardiff Central Youth Club, Splash Central and Hotpod Yoga was Virgin Active
Esporta Health & Racquets Club LichfieldBirmingham Road,Wall IslandShenstoneLichfieldWS14 0QPDavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club BelfastMertoun Hall106 Belfast Road, HolywoodBelfastBT18 9QYBannatynes, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club BirminghamBroadway Plaza220 Ladywood MiddlewayBirminghamB16 8LPNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club Bolton7-10 Eagley Brook WayBoltonBL1 8TSNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club BradfordGallagher Leisure ParkBradfordBD3 7ATPure Gym, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club BridgendWaterton Retail ParkWaterton RoadBridgendCF31 3YWNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club BristolHunts Ground RoadStoke GiffordBristolBS34 8HNNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club ChelmsfordNew Writtle SreetChelmsfordEssexCM2 0RRVirgin Active
Esporta Health Club ChislehurstA20 Sidcup By PassChislehurstBR7 6RPNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club Chiswick ParkBuilding 3566 Chiswick High RoadLondonW4 5YAVirgin Active
Esporta Health Club Crawley3 Crawley Leisure ParkIfield AvenueCrawleyRH10 8LRNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club CwmbranWilcrick PlaceAvondale RoadCwmbranNP44 1TXNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club Denton ParkwayOldham StreetDentonManchesterM34 3SJPure Gym, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club EdinburghFountain Park65-95 Dundee StreetEdinburghEH11 1AFNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club EnfieldTower PointSydney RoadEnfieldEN2 6SZNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club Friern Barnet264 Princess Park ManorRoyal Drive, Friern BarnetLondonN11 3BGNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club GuildfordQueen Elizabeth ParkRailton RoadGuildfordGU2 9LXNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club HarlowCollege SquareThe Water GardensHarlowCM20 1AJPure Gym, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club Hemel HempsteadMaylands AvenueHemel HempsteadHP2 7DFNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club Ilford68 - 90 Clements RoadIlfordIG1 1BPNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club IslingtonIslington Green27 Essex RoadLondonN1 2SDNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club KingstonRichmond RoadKingstonKT2 5ENNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club LeedsUnit 21 The LightThe HeadrowLeedsLS1 8TLNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club MedwayMedway Valley Leisure ParkChariot WayRochesterME2 2SSNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club Milton Keynes602 Marlborough GateMilton KeynesMK9 3XSNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club Northampton91 Windingbrook LaneCollingtree ParkNorthamptonNN4 0EBVirgin Active
Esporta Health Club Repton ParkRepton ParkManor ParkWoodford GreenIG8 8GNVirgin Active
Esporta Health Club Romford4 The BreweryWaterloo RoadRomfordRM1 1AUNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club RugbyJunction 1 Retail ParkLeicester RoadRugbyCV21 1RWNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club RustingtonGolfers LaneAngmeringLittlehamptonBN16 4NBLanes Sports Club, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club Salford QuaysUnit F31, Lowry Outlet MallThe QuaysSalford QuaysM50 3AHVirgin Active
Esporta Health Club Sheffield1 Archer DriveSheffieldS8 0LBHome Bargains shop, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club StaffordEccleshall RoadStaffordST16 2SLPure Gym, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club Swiss CottageUnit 2, Level 1, 02 Centre255 Finchley RoadLondonNW3 6LUVirgin Active
Esporta Health Club Taunton153-156 East ReachTauntonTA1 3HTNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club Tunbridge WellsKnightspark Leisure parkKnights WayTunbridge WellsTN2 3UWNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club WandsworthWandsworth RiversideWest Smugglers Way, WandsworthLondonSW18 1DGVirgin Active
Esporta Health Club Weston-Super-Mare168 Locking RoadWeston-super-MareBS23 3HGNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club Wimbledon21-33 Worple RoadWimbledonLondonSW19 4JSVirgin Active
Esporta Health Club WolverhamptonWolverhampton Business ParkBroadlandsWolverhamptonWV10 6TANuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Esporta Milngavie Health, Racquets & Golf ClubStrathblane RoadMilngavieGlasgowG62 8HJNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
Surrey Health and Racquets ClubHannibal WayCroydonCR0 4RWDavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
The Brighton Health and Raquets ClubVillage WayFalmerBrightonBN1 9SGVirgin Active
The Clearview Health & Racquets ClubLittle Warley Hall LaneLittle WarleyBrentwoodCM13 3ENVirgin Active
The Devonshire Health and Racquets Club10 Plymbridge LaneDerrifordPlymouthPL6 8BDNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
The Esporta Health and Racquets DorsetCabot LanePooleBH17 7BXDavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
The Glamorgan Health & Racquets ClubLlandarcyNeathSA10 6GZDavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
The Gloucestershire Health and Racquets ClubGloucester Business ParkDelta Way, BrockworthGloucesterGL3 4BJDavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
The Hampshire Health & Racquets ClubBotley RoadWest EndSouthamptonSO30 3XADavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
The Humberston Country ClubHumberston AvenueHumberstonGrimsbyDN36 4SXBannatynes, was Virgin Active
The Lanarkshire Health & Racquets ClubMote HillHamiltonML3 6BYDavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
The Lancashire Health & Racquet ClubHeywood Old RoadMiddletonManchesterM24 4THDavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
The Norfolk Health & Racquets ClubDrayton High RoadHellesdonNorwichNR6 5DUDavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
The Oxfordshire Health & Racquets Club269c Woodstock RoadOxfordOX2 7NZNuffield Health, was Virgin Active
The Riverside Health & Racquets Club ChiswickRiverside DriveDukes Meadows, ChiswickLondonW4 2SXVirgin Active
The Riverside Health & Racquets Club NorthwoodDucks Hill RoadNorthwoodHA6 2DRDavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
The Royal County of Berkshire Health & Racquets ClubNine Mile RideBracknellRG12 7PBDavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
The Warwickshire Health and Racquets ClubThe Warwickshire ClubAbbey Road, WhitleyCoventryCV3 4BJDavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
The Wearside Health & Racquets Club3 Camberwell WayDoxford ParkSunderlandSR3 3XNDavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
Thorpe Wood Health & Racquets ClubThorpe Wood Business ParkLongthorpePeterboroughPE3 6SBDavid Lloyd, was Virgin Active
Esporta Health Club BayswaterWhiteleys QueenswayBayswaterLondonW24YNClosed

Controversy

The company is renowned for its stringent 12 month contracts and 3 month cancellation periods, which have led to complaints from both the BBC's Watchdog and other national media sources including the Office of Fair Trading.

References
  1. "Virgin Active agrees to buy Esporta gyms". ITV News. 26 April 2011.
  2. FitCommerce.com. "Virgin Active Acquires 13 Health clubs From Esporta." 8 August 2005. Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Find Your Club: North". Esporta. Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  4. "Find Your Club: Midlands & East Anglia". Esporta. Archived from the original on 6 May 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  5. "Find Your Club: London & The South East". Esporta. Archived from the original on 29 April 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  6. "Find Your Club: South". Esporta. Archived from the original on 13 April 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  7. "Find Your Club: Scotland". Esporta. Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  8. "Find Your Club: Wales". Esporta. Archived from the original on 2 May 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  9. "Find Your Club: Northern Ireland". Esporta. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
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