New insurance for REPs members : 

The Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) has joined forces with a number of leading sport governing bodies to provide a new improved level of liability insurance cover, at no extra cost.

Liability cover has always been a condition of registration (for Level 2 and above), but increasing numbers of legal actions in the industry means members need an even more comprehensive policy.

The new civil liability policy covers public liability, professional indemnity, products liability, libel and slander, and directors’ and officers’ liability. Additional cover is available to Level 3–4 members qualified in sports massage and soft tissue massage.

Policy holders will also have access to a 24-hour helpline which covers a wide range of topics from European law to medical information and counselling.

UK Fitness Network gets trust support:

The expansion of the London Fitness Network (LFN) to create a UK Fitness Network (UKFN), received overwhelming support at the recent SpoRTA (The Sports and Recreation Trust Association) AGM.

Seventy-one per cent of Sporta member leisure facilities said they would definitely be interested in joining such a network, 19 per cent said they were possibly interested and just 10 per cent said they were not interested.

UKFN’s Phil Rumbelow, chief executive of Jubilee Hall Clubs, said: “We will be writing to each trust’s managing director personally in the next few weeks, explaining the affilliation process.

“The UKFN presents the trust sector with an outstanding opportunity to join up provision across the country and increase participation in physical activity.”

UKFN hopes to launch the UK-wide network in April 2008.

Expansion for Holmes Place: 

Holmes Place International has announced plans to aggressively grow its Holmes Place Lifestyle and Fitness clubs across central and eastern Europe.
The news comes following the appointment of Neil Burton as chief operating officer for the region, effective from the first of this month.

Burton, previously manager of Deloitte’s Health Club Benchmark survey, will play a key role in driving the expansion while managing the existing portfolio of clubs in the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary.