Why are North East Sports Memberships Low?

Data gathered shows that the North East is well below the national average for total memberships to sports teams, clubs and gyms.

Across the UK, the national average is 32.01% of people are involved in some form of sports club, leaving 67.99% without memberships.

If you compare this to the North East region, the average number dips to 27.32%, leaving 72.68% of people without memberships in sports clubs.

The North East has a rich history when it comes to sports and it is home to some of the biggest names in sport such as Newcastle United, Sunderland AFC and Middlesbrough FC.

These teams attract thousands of fans each week for matches.

So this leaves the question; why are the number of sports club memberships so low?

The Benefits of Exercise

There is no doubt that being fit and healthy is extremely important, not just for your physical health but also for your mental health.

Most people don’t factor in the benefits that exercise has when they think about their mental health.

One in four people in the UK suffer from mental health issues and this amount is increasing more and more each year.

With the increase in poor mental health, the public must have any information to help improve their mental well-being available to them.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, exercise releases chemicals in your brain which can help with your self-esteem and concentration.

Exercise can also have the following benefits to your mental health: natural energy boost, added focus and motivation, less tension/stress etc…

As previously mentioned, exercise can also have a large positive effect on your physical health and this is the main reason why the majority of people get involved in exercise.

Money Issues

One of the most common reasons why people don’t have memberships is due to prices being too high.

The average gym membership cost in the UK is £47.24 a month according to The Guardian.

The most expensive gym membership in the country is KX in Chelsea with a whopping start membership price of £615 a month.

The cheapest gym membership in the country is with The Gym Group, with memberships as cheap as under £15 a month.

The North East of England is one of the poorest areas in the country, with one in four people living below the poverty line. To be classed as below the poverty line you would have an income which is 60% lower than the median average for that year.

With the lack of money in the area it is understandable why people are not getting involved in sports, especially those with children and other family commitments.

North vs South

When gathering the data there was a clear discrepancy between the percentage of people who had a sports club membership in the north compared to areas in the south of England.

The south has an overall higher average wage and the people who live their on average have more money to spend on memberships in sports.

Areas such as Surrey and Wandsworth have a greater percentage with 44.23% and 48.95% of people having a sports club membership.

This data shows that if you want people to get involved it needs to be affordable for the people who live in the area.

So, for the North East clubs and gyms will need to keep a lower price point in order to increase the percentage of people.

Local Sunderland based MMA gym Team Fish Tank (TFT) co-owner Katrina Fisher explained the measures that they have taken as a business to ensure their gym is accessible to the average person.

“We always make sure to keep our prices as low as we can because we know times are hard for people. We also keep our kids membership to £30 a month for unlimited classes to make sure our gym is accessible to kids in underprivileged areas.”

What is being done to improve this?

Newcastle were actually better than the national average with 34.13% of the population having a sports membership of some kind.

When asked to comment on this Newcastle County Council said they have “put a lot of focus on encouraging people to be fit and healthy” and that they have opened two new sports community hubs in the last couple of years.

Rise North East is a brilliant example of the work that Newcastle have done to improve their health figures for the region.

They provide ways for all genders and age groups to have access to exercise whether this be walking groups or inclusive cycling classes.

Sport England is a public body under the department of culture, media and sport. Their role is build the foundation of a community sport system across the UK.

When asked to comment on what they plan to do to improve sport club involvement in the North East they said.

“Earlier this year in February, we announced the first 53 places we are partnering with to ensure that those with the greatest need to be active are being supported. Each of these places are in the top 10% of the country for inactivity, social need, deprivation and health inequality at a national level.”

Hopefully, other areas in the North East take note of what Newcastle are doing and can find ways to improve their figures and get more people involved in sports.