19 November 2020 

 

I would like to start by thanking everyone for the ongoing response to this challenging situation. I appreciate everyone has their own individual challenges, and without complaint everyone in the team has adapted, been flexible and have got on with managing this difficult situation. 

 

It’s obvious the second lockdown has caused additional pressures on Trilogy. It’s going to be a tough few months before we get back up and running and it will take longer to secure our financial position. However, after everything we have faced as a team I’d like to focus on the positives and the opportunities we can hopefully take advantage of. 

 

• The first positive is that we are still in business, we are solvent, we’ve retained approximately 11,000 members and a strong team of staff 

 

• We are maximising the funding from the Job Retention Scheme and although we have lost a month’s income, we aim to balance this out from the scheme and will continue to do so as we recover 

 

• We are expecting the £100 million funding pot for Leisure to open in December & we have already been informed we have a strong case for the funding application to support our recovery 

 

• We have officially requested financial support from NBC and they are looking at options to support our position – at this stage we have not been turned down 

 

• We have applied for a recovery fund from the BFI for the Forum Cinema and we are expecting some success with this application and should know the outcome by the end of November 

 

• We have applied for the second round of discretionary grant funding from the recent lockdown, although this is a small grant, we are expecting to be successful in our application 

 

• The initial response from members to support Trilogy through this second lockdown seems positive and as a result we have seen less requests to freeze or cancel – however its early days and this pattern could change 

 

• We continue to minimise expenditure and maximise income where we can as we work through this situation 

 

I remain confident we will get through this challenge and will recover stronger. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

12 November 2020 

 

One week into the second national lockdown and with approximately 20 days to go, we remain optimistic that we will open as planned from the 2nd December. 

 

The second lockdown will reduce our income further and with the delay of the Retention Bonus in February, we are expecting a loss in the region of £250,000 to £300,000. After a difficult seven months this lockdown will significantly impact our financial stability. 

 

We’re taking advantage of the Government furlough scheme and planning the re-opening and service to capitalize on this scheme to safeguard the future of the company. The aim, as always is to balance the position of the company and to safeguard jobs and this means making decisions that may not be favourable to everyone. 

 

If not aware, we’re offering the opportunity to buy extra leave. You can purchase additional annual leave for 2021 through the salary sacrifice scheme. Please visit ‘Wider Wallet’ for more information. 

 

Although we would like to pay everyone earlier in the month of December, unfortunately due to the logistics of reclaiming the Furlough Funding from Government and the timelines to make this claim, we won’t be able to pay staff earlier than usual in December. 

 

Although the second lockdown adds further pressure on NLT there is still light at the end of the tunnel and opportunities, we can take advantage of. 

 

We will be applying for financial support from Sport England via the £100 million funding pot to support Leisure. We are also reaching out to NBC for support due to the loss of income we face. 

 

The Job Retention Bonus is hopefully only delayed, and we should receive this fund (or similar) next Spring (TBC). Although less than originally forecasted we should still receive a reduced level of income from our memberships in November. 

 

We are doing everything possible to raise funds, reduce costs and I remain confident we will get through this situation. 

 

Thank you again for your continued understanding. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

3 November 2020 

 

Dear Colleagues 

 

 

As mentioned yesterday, I can confirm that all Trilogy sites will close for a month-long lockdown at the end of business tomorrow, Wednesday 4th November. 

 

As an industry, NLT are working with UK Active collectively to lobby Government to remove Leisure Centres from this lockdown to support the Health & Wellbeing of the Community. However, in real terms it is unlikely that this will be successful prior to Thursday’s lockdown. 

 

A second lockdown adds greater pressure on our financial viability as a company. We are obviously taking advantage of all the funding & financial support packages available; however, these are limited. 

Unfortunately, due to this situation we have no other choice than to re-introduce the furlough scheme for staff during lockdown. The core team of staff who are required to run the business throughout lockdown will be placed on Part Time furlough, reducing costs as much as possible during this time. 

 

Your line manager will speak with you directly this week regarding furlough arrangements. You will also receive a personal letter detailing the furlough arrangements. 

 

We are requesting that you take any outstanding leave during this lockdown period. You will be paid 100% for leave taken which is financially advantageous to you. As previously highlighted, you will be able to carry up to 5 days leave over to next year (plus any purchased leave) and you will be required to take leave on the 24th & 31st Dec this year. 

 

Should you wish to take advantage of this and use your annual leave during lockdown email your Line Manager / Area Business Manager stating the number of days / hours you wish to use. Your request must be in by no later than 3.00pm on Friday 06 November 2020. I apologise for the short notice on this, however our payroll team do need the time to make the adjustments to ensure you get 100% pay for these annual leave hours. 

 

Unfortunately, the Government have given minimum notice for this lockdown and therefore we are still translating the details. If you have asked any questions that have not yet been answered, we will aim to answer these ASAP once the detail has been clarified. 

 

Due to the precarious position we face financially, we have made the difficult decision to continue to collect memberships during this lockdown. We will be communicating this approach to all members within the next 24hrs. 

 

We are asking members to support Trilogy during this difficult period in the hope that we can remain viable and stay open for the Community. However, we understand this is a difficult time for everyone and have given members the opportunity to freeze their membership if they’d prefer. 

 

As we approach another lockdown, I understand this can be a difficult time for everyone in the team. Please use the staff webpage (below) for advice and support during this time and the links available. 

Although this continues to be a testing time for everyone, I remain confident for the future of the company and positive that we will get through this situation. 

 

Thank you again for your continued understanding. Please remember if you have any questions or for further information please visit the staff webpage https://www.trilogyleisure.co.uk/staff/ 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

2 November 2020 

 

Dear Colleagues 

 

 

You will be aware from the PMs announcement on Saturday 31 October that England is going into a second lockdown on Thursday. 

 

To reduce social contact, the Government has ordered certain businesses and venues to close. These include: 

 

Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, leisure centres and gyms, sports facilities including swimming pools, golf courses and driving ranges, dance studios, stables and riding centres, soft play facilities, climbing walls and climbing centres, archery and shooting ranges, water and theme parks. 

 

As a result NLT will be closing all facilities as instructed – end of play Wednesday 4 November 2020. 

 

I appreciate there will be questions regarding the closure this week. Further corporate information will follow regarding operations & shutdown, furlough arrangements, membership management and customer communications ASAP as we work through the detail and information. 

 

For further information on the lockdown visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november#businesses-and-venues 

 

Kind regards 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

27 October 2020 

 

Our phased Business Recovery Plan continues to progress well. 

 

Demand for Berzerk is positive and we plan to increase the opening to seven days per week starting this week (OCT HT). Junior after school and pre-school sessions will expand in early November. This approach will support the JNR Membership growth, which has seen a healthy increase since re-opening. 

 

We are taking a flexible approach, extending opening hours and expanding activities as consumer confidence grows and demand for our service increases. Due to the current environment there is still no plan to re-launch Lazzargeddon – viability of this business will be reviewed ongoing. 

 

Membership Update 

 

JNR memberships are indicating a healthy net gain. However, we’re expecting to see a slow-down in growth prior to the NY and need to ensure we are working hard to retain the existing membership base. 

 

Adult membership levels are currently at 65% of pre COVID and Junior memberships are at 66% - so although recovery is heading in the right direction our core income is 35% less than pre-lockdown. 

 

Government Announcements 22.10.20 – An interesting day for the Leisure industry 

 

• £100m funding pot confirmed for (outsourced) local authority Leisure Facilities 

• Increase to Job Support Scheme funding - TBC 

• Gyms & Leisure Facilities removed from Tier 3 as automatic closures 

• It is legal to run exercise classes, but Government advise not to (in Tier 3) 

 

We are now working closely with NBC to progress a joint funding application at the earliest opportunity. We’re also now reviewing changes to the Job Support Scheme and how this is implemented. 

Director of Public (DPH) Health Visit 

 

We have invited the DPH to visit our facilities. I’m confident this will put NLT ahead of the curve for any potential Tier 3 lockdown, adding value to our case to remain open as a COVID secure environment. 

 

The intention is to approach this on three levels: 

 

1. Site visit / evidence of measures in place / Risk Assessment & Safe Environment Plan 

2. UK Active COVID data & low rates in Leisure (this has helped Liverpool to re-open gyms) 

3. Evidence differentiating NLT - highlighting the work we do supporting mental health, easy access facilities, key worker support (NGH Cripps) 

 

Based on our current ongoing financial position we are still doing what we can to minimise expenditure and increase income. I appreciate your continued support with this approach. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

15 October 2020 

 

With the announcement of the Three Tier Structure this week, we have been seeking clarification that Leisure Centres will automatically close if Northampton is placed in the Tier Three Category. 

 

UK Active have confirmed that the closure of Leisure Centres is not mandatory. There would be further consultation prior to any lockdown of Leisure Centres, if we were placed in the Tier Three category. 

 

We are now aiming to protect the business by speaking directly with the Director of Public Health (for Northampton) to confirm the measures in place that ensure we operate a COVID secure environment. 

 

We are also aiming to differentiate Trilogy from other gyms by clarifying how we support the Mental Health & Wellbeing of individuals, offer greater access to all through our concessions scheme, deliver a wider H&W programme and by directly supporting key workers via open access to our facilities. 

 

Our dialogue with NBC remains positive and their support is key to avoiding a future lockdown. Obviously with the current rate of infections, we are building on every possible relationship to gain support for our business in the event of a lockdown. 

 

We also continue to work directly with UK Active to gather the relevant data to support our cause to remain open and we remain optimistic that we will not face a second period of closure. 

 

I apologise to those staff waiting for information and an update regarding the end of the ‘Furlough Scheme’. NLT is preparing all relevant information to be sent out. Unfortunately, the detail and eligibility regarding the new ‘Job Support Scheme’ has not yet been confirmed by HMRC. 

 

We understand we cannot keep people waiting, therefore If we do not receive a final update from HMRC by the end of this week, NLT will send out a position update to all relevant staff ASAP. 

 

The Business Recovery plan continues to move forward and we’re now reviewing options to expand the opening hours at Berzerk, increase children’s activities and expand Swim School to meet demand. 

 

It is encouraging to see a steady increase of users within our facilities, indicating positive consumer confidence. 

 

Thank you for your continued support and hard work keeping the business afloat. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

8 October 2020 

 

Trilogy had a good week last week, with the re-opening of Berzerk and the re-start of the 50+ activity programme. Streamlining the gyms and swimming sessions has also offered flexibility to customers using the facilities, which will encourage more members to return. 

 

With Swim School and Gymnastics courses growing we are starting to see our Junior members slowly coming back. It is a very slow recovery, although membership levels are growing with Junior memberships at 64% and Adult memberships at 65% of pre-lockdown levels. 

 

Unfortunately, I must balance out the optimism, with the realism of our position. It is a slow recovery and our membership levels are still 35% lower than pre-lockdown and we are operating on reduced hours and reduced visits. Ultimately our income levels are considerably lower than before lockdown and our cashflow position and financial stability as an organisation remains vulnerable. 

 

Where appropriate we are taking advantage of the new Government ‘Job Retention Scheme’. With the furlough scheme ending this month we will be notifying and updating all staff of the relevant changes A.S.A.P. We are still awaiting the final detail of this new scheme prior to implementation. 

 

Thank you for your support and understanding regarding the introduction of Face Masks and the Track and Trace app. We understand that not everyone is comfortable with these changes, however, to safeguard customers and staff, we do have to comply with our legal obligations and guidance. 

 

We continue to focus on moving Trilogy forward as we re-open the Coffee Box, plan the introduction of our Health Suites, expand our children’s activity programme and October Half Term programme. 

 

Unfortunately, due to viability 20% of all public Leisure Facilities in the UK remain closed. NLT’s focus is on Business Recovery and the aim as always is to balance the financial viability of our service, develop consumer confidence and ensure Trilogy maintains financial stability throughout this period. 

 

Thank you for your continued support and understanding. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

30 September 2020 

 

I am pleased to confirm that Berzerk will re-open its doors this Friday after approximately 28 weeks. Berzerk will initially open on reduced hours and will expand it’s opening times when appropriate. 

 

Trilogy has now streamlined gym opening & public swimming to attract more customers. The plan is to re-start the 50+ Programme as of Friday this week & to open Coffee Box facilities on reduced hours, from next week. 

 

As previously mentioned, re-opening our facilities is a balance between customer demand, financial viability and creating a safe COVID secure environment. 

 

For the remainder of the financial year we continue to implement our Business Recovery Plan focusing on income generation and minimising expenditure. Although we still face a difficult few months, the Chancellors statement has helped support our position and gives us options. 

 

Face Covering Policy for Customers 

From 1 October 2020, other than when participating in physical activity we are asking our customers over the age of 11 to wear a face covering when inside Trilogy centres. 

 

Whilst our colleagues are not required to enforce the wearing of face coverings by our customers, we want to protect one another in the most effective way and therefore ask for your support on this important matter. 

 

 

Find out more - Face Covering policy here  

 

Face Covering Policy for Staff – Starts Immediately 

 

• When working in a public, customer facing environment within NLT facilities and when speaking with customers – all staff must wear a face covering as appropriate 

• Studio Instructors teaching classes are not required to wear face coverings whilst teaching 

• Swim Teachers, Gymnastics & Activity Coaches are not required to wear face coverings whilst instructing or coaching (optional choice – but must keep 2 metres distance) 

• Non-public facing office staff are not required to wear a face covering within an office - however when within a public environment in the building staff must wear a face covering 

• Lifeguards within the pool environment and are not required to wear a face covering 

• Apart from above - when in any public area in the building and when moving throughout the building, all staff must wear a face covering 

 

Associated Considerations 

 

• Trilogy staff must adopt a common-sense approach to this policy 

• When using Berzerk – customers in seated areas would always be treated as hospitality customers (eating & drinking) and not expected to wear face coverings 

• To reiterate – please apply common-sense regarding face coverings – Trilogy staff must encourage - not attempt to force customers to wear a face mask 

• Trilogy cannot supply customers with face coverings – customers will have to use their own 

• Children under 11 years do not have to wear face coverings – proof of age is not required 

• It is a legal requirement that customers within the Cinema / Café outlets / Coffee Box areas must wear face coverings – these can be removed when seated & consuming food & drink 

• Face Coverings are either a face mask, face shield or both items together 

 

Please note – there will always be a context and scenario regarding face coverings that may not have been considered – if Trilogy staff experience a situation that is not highlighted above – please adopt a practical, common-sense approach to making a decision on face coverings - please ensure that customers are made to feel welcome and encouraged to use Trilogy clubs at all times. 

 

Please remember if you have any questions or for further information please visit the staff webpage https://www.trilogyleisure.co.uk/staff/ 

 

Thank you for your continued support and understanding. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

 

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

23 September 2020 

 

Summary of the Government announcement to help control the rate of CV-19 infections 

• Where appropriate staff should be encouraged to work from home 

• Hospitality should close to the public at 10pm (Bars/restaurants/cafes) 

• 15 attendees at a wedding function maximum 

• Rule of six does now apply to indoor sports 

How will this affect NLT 

• Providing the guidelines are followed, there are no further restrictions to the numbers using our facilities for Classes / Gym / Cinema 

• We are still waiting for confirmation if staff need to wear face masks – staff working in the Coffee Box will need to wear a face mask – however we do not expect all staff to be asked to wear face coverings – until confirmed otherwise - staff do not need to wear face masks 

• Indoor team sport is no longer exempt from the rule of six (apart from children) – so NLT cannot host team sports inside the facilities 

• Organised activities for children are exempt from the rule of six – meaning we can continue with our plans to re-open Berzerk & expand our Playschemes 

Ensuring we continue to follow the framework & guidelines we have in place – then we can continue to streamline & re-organise our programme and controls as planned. We await the final detail to be published and we will monitor the changes & clarification over the next 48 hours. 

 

Phased opening provisional dates 

 

Week commencing 21st Sept - Streamline gym opening & introduce showers 

Week commencing 28th Sept - Streamline Pool bookings 

Week commencing 28th Sept - Phased opening of Berzerk 

Week commencing 28th Sept - Re-start 50+ activities & Trilogy Turtles & Coffee Box DSC 

 

Membership numbers are slightly lower than expected at this stage, with Adult membership totals at approximately 51% and Junior membership levels at approximately 55% of pre lockdown levels. 

 

Participant numbers continue to creep up with 6,700 visits to the gym, classes and general swimming last week and over 2,200 swim school & gymnastic students. 

 

As the PM announced these new restrictions could be in place for another six months, however, we will continue to adapt and revise our plans as necessary to keep pushing forward. We remain confident and optimistic regarding the future of the company and safeguarding the team. 

 

Thank you for your continued support  

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

17 September 2020 

 

As you’ll be aware it has now been six-months since we were directed to close our facilities due to the Coronavirus. Although we re-opened on a phased approach in July we are still not fully operational, and at this time we continue to work hard to balance the stability and viability of the company. 

 

I would like to thank everyone again for your support and focus getting the business up and running under difficult circumstances. I would also like to thank those of you in the team who remain on furlough. I fully appreciate everyone’s patience whilst we attempt to steer Trilogy into a stable, viable position and aim to return to full operations. 

 

The positive news for Trilogy and Northampton is that CV-19 numbers in the town are slowing down, hopefully removing the threat of a localised lockdown. This is significant for our Business Recovery plans and ultimately means that we can continue with our phased re-opening and with the aim of being close to fully operational by October Half Term. 

 

Due to the viability and hot weather, we have pushed back and delayed the re-opening of Berzerk. We will be announcing a re-opening date early next week and the team will be notified of their ‘Return to Work’ with plenty of notice. 

 

We continue to balance our income and expenditure through minimising all unnecessary spend and by driving membership income and encouraging ex-members and new members back to our clubs. This approach is our primary aim to safeguard the company. 

 

We are currently working closely with NBC, UK Active and Community Leisure UK to source any available financial support and Government funding, but as you can appreciate every organisation is stretched financially and this is not proving fruitful at this time. 

 

Our participation levels continue to grow week on week and although our membership levels are lower than expected and slow to recover, I am confident Trilogy will work through this difficult time and emerge stronger in the long run. 

 

Thank you again for your continued support. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

9 September 2020 

 

From Monday 14th September, social gatherings of more than six people will not be allowed. On our behalf, UK Active are seeking clarification from Government and we’ll obviously be confirming clarification (prior to Monday) ourselves from the relevant Central Government sources. 

 

Although pubs, cafes & restaurants are included – these establishments (or similar) can remain open, they can have more than six customers inside – but groups (of six) must be socially distanced. 

 

At this stage we believe our Social Distancing rules do adhere to this ruling – customers can access our facilities as long as they follow our Social Distancing rules and keep 2 metres apart – groups up to six can use our facilities – any larger groups would have to split up and keep 2 meters apart. 

 

Contract bookers can use our facilities (including group fitness) as these are organised team activities (sports) – we would ask them to follow our SEP. This new ruling should not affect our phased re-opening and the plan to open associated areas (showers) or relax our bookings system. 

 

The message as always is to follow the key standard CV-19 Government guidelines: 

 

• If you have Covid-19 symptoms, stay at home and self-isolate 

• Keep 2 metres apart and avoid people who have Covid-19 symptoms 

• Always wash your hands with soap and water on a regular basis 

• Avoid touching your face, eyes, ears and nose 

• Do not shake hands and avoid touching other people 

• Avoid high touch areas and disinfect high touch areas frequently 

 

Important – If at any stage you have CV-19 symptoms you must inform your Line Manager and take a CV-19 test ASAP. Under no circumstance must you return to work or enter any NLT facility until your CV-19 test results come back negative and you have been informed you do not have CV-19. Please be aware that due to the seriousness of this virus if you attend work whilst you are waiting for a CV-19 result, then you could be subject to disciplinary action. This approach is to protect and safeguard all NLT employees. 

 

Over the next few weeks as we continue to focus on Business Recovery and our phased re-opening plan, our attention will be on contacting ex-members to re-join, adapting our controls & re-starting more activities and promoting the message to all that it is safe to return to Trilogy. 

 

Thanks for your continued support at this difficult time. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

2 September 2020 

 

We are approximately five weeks into our phased re-opening plan, and I can confirm that due to the commitment and hard work of everyone involved we have received positive feedback from our customers. 

 

Dependent on the customer response and viability, the aim is to be close to fully operational by October Half Term. The final stage of the phased plan is to gradually restart activities as follows: 

 

• Tuesday 25 August - Dry Side Bookings – Badminton / Table Tennis / Squash 

• From Mon 31 August – Contract (club) bookers start to return – dependent on availability 

• From Mon 31 August – Swim School & Gymnastics Courses will restart 

• From 07 September – Gymnastics Courses will restart 

• Week Commencing Sept 14 – Berzerk Activity Centre phased/reduced opening (TBC) 

• Week Commencing Sept 14 – 50+ Activities to Re-Start (TBC) 

• Early October – Focus on Children’s Activities restarting 

 

Throughout September and early October, the focus will be on viability, reduced expenditure levels and developing income through the reintroduction of key activities. 

 

If everything is on plan, the intention will be to start to gradually reopen changing rooms, restart open sessions, open more associated activities and relax the customer journey (where appropriate). These decisions will be based on the current environment, customer response and the local number of CV-19 cases. 

 

Although we have seen a growth in customer usage and participation levels within the gym, the classes and swimming, unfortunately our current membership levels are below where we expected. Obviously with lower than expected membership levels, our income and Business Recovery plans are significantly affected. To remain viable and to ensure financial stability as a business we continue to minimise all expenditure where possible as we move through the next few months of trading. 

 

There is a mixed response within the UK Leisure Industry with as many as 50% of all public sector leisure facilities remaining closed due to financial pressures and sustainability. Although ensuring the business remains viable is proving difficult, we are now open, and we remain positive and optimistic for the future of the NLT. 

 

Thanks for your continued support at this difficult time. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director  

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  

 

19 August 2020 

 

As we continue to work through our phased re-opening plan, we are now planning the final stages and restarting more activities over the next few weeks. 

 

Tues 25th August the aim is to restart dry side bookings for Badminton, Squash and Table Tennis – we will be following governing body guidance for these activities and these activities will be launched in a phased manner. We will not be launching team sports at this stage. 

 

Mon 31st August we will be re-introducing contract bookings in a controlled phased approach dependent on social distancing guidance and governing body advice. 

 

From 1st September we will be re-introducing Swim School & Gymnastics over a three-week period in a phased and controlled manner – all students will be contacted regarding the start date for their return and all instructors will be informed of their return to work date along with the training plan. 

 

We are working on a phased re-opening for Berzerk, with a plan to open mid-September – this is currently work in progress and we will confirm the actual re-opening date over the next few weeks, along with updating the relevant staff for this facility prior to re-opening. 

 

We are also reviewing the 50+ programme and Children’s Activities to determine a date for restarting these activities and how we can relaunch these in a safe and viable way. Our aim is to focus on working towards having the facilities close to full operation by October Half Term – however this will be determined by demand from our customers and viability. All dates are subject to change and we remain flexible in our approach. 

 

We are keen to drive our business forward and get all staff back to work as soon as possible. The participation levels are increasing weekly with 900 customers attending fitness classes last week, 2,400 attending swimming and 2,977 attending gym sessions, overall a steady increase in participation levels. 

 

As we have not had a full month of collecting memberships, at this stage we are finding it difficult to ascertain our exact membership levels and the income through the business. Re-opening the sites and turning the income back on has been like starting a new business and it will take some time to confirm how well we are performing, and which activities and sessions are proving viable. 

 

As previously mentioned, we do need to ensure we balance our safe planning with business viability and need to ensure we can operate financially all the activities we re-open. Therefore, to protect the business we must take a cautious approach by managing our expenditure at this stage. 

 

Thank you again for your understanding and patience at this time. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

12 August 2020 

 

As you are aware Trilogy has been open on a phased return for approximately two and half weeks and operationally everything is going to plan. 

 

Numbers in the Cinema have been quiet; however, overall in the past week we have had 2,742 visits to the gym, 1,475 visits to Swimming and 779 Class visits. Approximately 5,000 visits in total in our second week of opening. 

 

We did indicate Dry Side bookings would start Monday 17th August; however, this is still under review and a date for this will be announced ASAP. 

 

Swim School is on schedule to re-start the first week of September and it is likely this will launch in a phased, stage by stage approach. This is still work in progress but we are keen to get Swim School back up and running as planned. 

 

Although Soft Play has been given the green light to re-open in Wales, the Government have still not announced a start date for England. We are now working on plans to re-open Berzerk towards the middle of September. To ensure we create a Safe Environment for Play, we are working on bookable sessions, reduced numbers, reduced equipment and possibly reduced opening hours. 

 

We do need to ensure we balance our safe planning with business viability and need to ensure we can operate financially all the activities we re-open. We are keen to re-open Berzerk with a view to being fully operational at both Berzerk and Lazergeddon by October Half Term. 

 

Although the number of customers returning is positive, we are still attempting to determine a clear picture of income and membership levels to balance this against expenditure. It will take a few weeks to build up this business intelligence to have a clear financial position. 

 

I also need to be clear that as a business we are still financially vulnerable and if the income does not balance against our expenditure, we will have no choice but to stop certain activities and potentially re-furlough staff. This is not something we want to do; however, we will have to make the right decision to secure our financial stability. I am sure you have seen that DW Fitness have closed, Energy Northampton has closed, and many other businesses are closing or making redundancies across the UK and this is something we want to avoid. 

 

As Government support reduces and we attempt to recover as a business we know the next few months will be tough. I appreciate your support and understanding as we work through this difficult period. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

5 August 2020 

 

Latest Update from John Fletcher 

 

You will be pleased to know that we are now well into our phased re-opening plan for Trilogy and everything is going to plan, members are happy and overall the plan has been successful to date. 

 

As you know we re-opened the gyms on the 25th July, we launched a reduced studio class programme 1st August and we started general swims this Monday 3rd August. 

 

We will be re-opening the Forum Cinema this Friday 7th August with a reduced programme and the team have worked hard to pull together a two-week Summer Playscheme running at Duston 17th & 24th August all within the current guidelines. 

 

We are yet to confirm a definite date for dry side bookings to re-commence. However, the Swim School launch (reduced programme) is still on target to for early September. 

 

After four months of closure with the facilities empty it has been great this week to welcome swimmers back and see the centres in use. 

 

Last week alone Mon 27th to Fri 31st July we had just over 2,000 visits in our sites, and with the additional activities re-opening this week we are starting to see these numbers increase. 

 

We continue to receive support from our customers, and we have had only positive feedback in relation to the re-opening of the sites and the way in which we did it. 

 

I look forward to more of our customers returning as we re-start more activities and to those of you who have yet to return to work, I would like to thank you for your patience and understanding. 

 

As we move through the phased reopening plan, casual non-contracted staff will be receiving letters to explain that they will be coming off the furlough scheme at the end August 2020. However, if you are a casual employee you are paid in arrears which means that you will receive the furlough pay that you previously received in your August and September pay. Any work you undertake during September will be paid in Octobers pay. 

 

Once again if you have any questions please use the comments form at the top of the page. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

29 July 2020 

 

As I’m sure you are aware, we opened our gyms as planned last Saturday. I would like to take this opportunity to genuinely thank everyone involved in getting the clubs ready and reopen. 

 

To those of you who have yet to return to work, I would like to thank you for your patience and understanding whilst we work through the phased opening plan. 

 

I visited every club over the weekend and the teams working at each site were in great form, managing and delivering a safe and friendly environment in a very professional manner. Due to this excellent work, our members were happy, relaxed and pleased to be back. This was evident from all the positive and supportive social media comments we received over the weekend. 

 

We had approximately 500 members in total use our clubs over the weekend, and we look forward to welcoming back more of our customers with the re-launch of our (reduced) studio programme this Saturday 1st August. This will be further complemented by the return of our General Swim Sessions on Monday 3rd August 

 

I remain confident and optimistic that Trilogy will bounce back stronger than ever. However, I need to be clear that we have had four months of zero income, and as a company we remain financially vulnerable and will experience our most difficult months of trading in Nov/Dec. 

 

Whilst we continue to make some tough decisions that not everyone will be happy with, my intention is to safeguard the interests of the company, protect jobs and to ensure that NLT will survive in the long run. 

 

We have had a great start to the re-opening, we are on track to deliver the phased opening plan and we remain very positive for the future. 

 

Once again if you have any questions please use the comments form at the top of the page. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

15 July 2020 

 

Latest Update from John Fletcher 

 

Once again thank you for your patience and understanding at this difficult time. 

 

You will be pleased to know that we are on target and working hard to ensure that Trilogy will re-open as planned on Saturday 25th July. 

 

As previously mentioned, due to continuing financial pressures and the potential threat of another possible spike we will be implementing the phased reopening plan as outlined below: 

 

• Saturday 25th July Trilogy H&F Gym 

• Saturday 1st August Studio Classes (reduced) 

• Monday 3rd August General Swimming Sessions 

• Friday 7th August Cinema (weekends only / limited hours) 

• Monday 17th August Dry Side Court bookings – TBC – provisional 

• Tuesday 1st Sept Swim School (in line with schools) 

 

Once we receive the green light and guidance, Berzerk Soft Play and the Dry Side JNR Activities (TBC) will be slotted into the plan as appropriate. 

 

The phased opening plan is a live approach and as such is subject to change. Although we are confident the areas will open as detailed, any issues or problems could result in a delay. We will of course endeavour to find a solution should this happen. 

 

After the announcement that face masks will be made mandatory in shops from 24th July, we are seeking further guidance and clarification to see if this directive will be extended to Leisure Centres. We are not expecting facemasks to be made mandatory for Leisure Centres, however we will keep you updated on this. 

 

To reiterate, everyone will be notified in advance of their return to work date. We are staging the return to work in line with the phased opening plan, and again ask for your continued understanding and patience with this approach. 

 

We are keen to get everyone back to work, however, we must ensure we safeguard everybody in the team and protect the business overall. 

 

When returning to the workplace, please follow the ‘Safe Environment Plan’ and the general CV-19 Government guidance. If at any stage you are unclear what the guidance is, or what safe working practices you should follow then please speak directly to your Line Manager for advice. 

 

We are engaging with our customers as appropriate with updates and opening dates to ensure they understand what to expect when they return. I am pleased to say, that so far, we have had positive feedback from our customers wanting to return. 

 

Once again if you have any questions or for further information please continue to return here to our staff page.  

 

Thanks again for your continued support. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

10 July 2020 

 

Latest Update from John Fletcher 

 

As always thank you for your patience and understanding at this difficult time. 

 

Following the Government announcement yesterday in relation to indoor gyms I am delighted to confirm that we will be re-opening our centres on Saturday 25th July. 

 

Whilst this is positive news, due to continuing financial pressures and the ever potential threat of a possible spike we continue as planned to re-open with a phased approach. Over the next few days we will be working on aligning our plan to ensure we are ready to reopen in a secure and safe way on the 25th. 

 

Due to various media inaccuracies and exaggerations regarding gyms many of our customers will be cautious about returning to our facilities. To encourage confidence in our customers we will be focusing on: 

 

• Implementing our safe environment plan and the systems necessary to deliver this 

• A positive consumer confidence message – ‘Staying Fit Together in a Safe Environment’ 

• And ensuring we always deliver the processes and safe environment plan when we reopen 

 

The reopening announcement is just the start of our recovery as a business and we will continue to work with our team and partners to deliver a safe environment. We will also continue to work with other organisations within the industry to pressure the Government for further financial support. 

 

I would like to reiterate my genuine thanks to each and every one of you during what has been and remains a very difficult time. Your continued patience is appreciated as we start the phased reopening of our business and I look forward to welcoming you back to work. 

 

If you have any questions or for further information please visit the staff webpage. https://www.trilogyleisure.co.uk/staff/ 

 

Thanks again 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

 

08 July 2020 

 

Latest Update from John Fletcher 

 

Once again thank you for your patience and understanding at this difficult time. 

 

Trilogy has now been closed for trading for approximately 110 days, nearly a third of the year. However, Boris Johnson has been indicating recently on various media outlets that the Leisure Industry may reopen within a couple of weeks. 

 

We understand that there has been some detailed discussion regarding the management of airflow within gyms and once this has been ironed out, then a date for reopening will be made clear. 

 

I understand that this is an uncertain time for everyone, however, we remain positive and optimistic about our future as a business and remain confident that we will be open and welcoming customers back into our facilities very soon. 

 

As previously mentioned, we have been working on clear communications to showcase what Trilogy is doing to keep its customers safe through our ‘Staying fit together in a safe environment’ campaign. 

 

If you haven’t seen it already on our social media platforms, here is our ‘Staying fit together in a safe environment’ campaign video: https://www.trilogyleisure.co.uk/ 

 

We also have a ‘Welcoming you back’ webpage and press release ready to go as soon as we get a date to reopen. 

 

We continue to develop our relationship with NBC ensuring we receive their support throughout this difficult time. We also continue to work with UK Active directly, following the reopening framework and receiving information and guidance from the industry. 

 

We are working hard on researching all possible funding and financial support streams for NLT and we are actively looking into funding for loss of income via NBC to see if we are eligible for this support. 

 

Once again if you have any questions or for further information please visit the staff webpage. https://www.trilogyleisure.co.uk/staff/ 

 

Thanks again for your continued support. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

 

 

01 July 2020 

 

Latest Update from John Fletcher 

 

Once again thank you for your patience and understanding at this difficult time. 

 

As you can appreciate at this stage, we are receiving limited information from Government regarding the opening of Leisure Centres & Soft Play facilities. 

 

Several articles in the mainstream media recently have supported our cause and the call to reopen Leisure Facilities. Other than the general mention of a reopening date mid-July there has been no further information from Government. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jun/28/back-us-or-risk-losing-half-uks-public-leisure-centres-industry-warns 

 

We understand that the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, PHE Deputy Director and representatives from SAGE are visiting Leisure Facilities this week to review the safety of our industry for reopening. Hopefully these visits will nudge the Government into making a clear decision to reopen Leisure Centres very soon and I am still confident we will get a reopening date in July. 

 

Please also remember to support the cause & sign this petition: 

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/307146 

 

During the closure period there has been a lot of working going on to ensure we’re ready to re-open our doors to the public and as you can see from the images at Lings Forum, the gym equipment has been relocated ensuring we meet the social distancing guidelines (in all of our facilities). 

 

We are now developing clear communications for customers to understand what Trilogy is doing to keep them safe through our ‘Staying Fit Together in a Safe Environment’ campaign. 

 

Once again if you have any questions or for further information please visit the staff webpage https://www.trilogyleisure.co.uk/staff/ 

 

Thanks again for your continued support. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

 

 

 

26 June 2020 

 

Latest Update from John Fletcher 

 

Once again thank you for your patience and understanding at this difficult time. 

 

Following on from the Government announcement this week that Leisure Centres will remain closed, UK Active has issued a statement that Leisure Centres could open from mid-July. 

https://www.ukactive.com/news/ukactive-response-to-government-announcement-on-reopening-fitness-and-leisure-sector/ 

 

As previously mentioned this is still speculation. However, the announcement is simply a delay in our plans and we remain both optimistic and confident Trilogy Leisure will reopen its doors very soon. 

I have written to both the Prime Minister and our local MPs conveying our disappointment and requested that the decision is reversed. 

 

My voice is one of many and with a collective effort, this could add pressure on the Government to review and change their decision. 

 

NLT has posted a statement online to all our members asking for their support and to contact their MP expressing their disappointment that Leisure Centres remain closed. I ask you all to join that support by emailing your local MP, and to lend your voice by signing the petition below to pressure the Government to reverse this decision. 

 

Michael Ellis – Northampton North - michael.ellis.mp@parliament.uk 

Andrew Lewer – Northampton South - andrew.lewer.mp@parliament.uk 

Andrea Leadsom – South Northamptonshire - andrea.leadsom.mp@parliament.uk 

 

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/307146 

 

Unfortunately, due to the decision this week we have had to review our timeline to bring staff back from furlough. If you are directly affected by this change you will be receiving a letter clarifying the situation within the next few days. 

 

Once again if you have any questions, or for further information please visit the staff webpage https://www.trilogyleisure.co.uk/staff/ 

 

Thanks again for your continued support. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

 

 

 

 

23 June 2020 

 

Latest update from John Fletcher 

 

Dear Colleagues 

 

Once again thank you for your patience and understanding at this difficult time. 

 

As you were aware, we were very hopeful and confident that the Government would announce today that the Leisure Industry could to re-open its facilities on 4th July. We have been working towards this date, preparing the facilities and developing our communications ready to go live. 

 

We were shocked and disappointed when the announcement came today that the hospitality sector could re-open on the 4th July (Bars & Restaurants), however Indoor Gyms and Swimming Pools would remain closed to the public. 

 

We have spoken directly with UK Active regarding this position and unfortunately there is zero clarity on a date for Leisure Centres to re-open, and the Government at this stage is giving no indication when a date will be announced. 

 

There is some speculation that Leisure Centres will be given the green light to open mid-July, however this is speculation at this stage. 

 

Over the next couple of days, we will consider the information coming from Government (not the media interpretation) and review our position and approach before we move forward. 

 

We are currently in dialogue with NBC, UK Active and all relevant organisations, ensuring we receive the correct information and widest support possible for NLT at every stage. 

 

The announcement today was not what we expected and not what we wanted; however, we will continue to push for an opening date via UK Active and we remain confident and positive. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

Kind regards 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

 

 

16 June 2020 

 

Latest update from John Fletcher 

 

Dear Colleagues 

 

Once again thank you for your continued support and patience during this difficult time. 

 

Unfortunately, industry position has not changed since last week, and despite UK Active lobbying the Government via the DCMS there is still no clarity on a confirmed opening date for Leisure Centres. 

We continue preparations to re-open our Gyms on the 4th July and are in the process of ramping up communications to our customers via our ‘staying fit together, in a safe environment’ message. 

To ensure compliance with social distancing guidelines, and to keep our customer’s safe, as part of our re-opening plans we are relocating some of the gym equipment into our Dance Studios & Sports Halls and moving a number of fitness classes into larger areas. This will enable us to accommodate more members where appropriate. 

 

We are keen that all staff returning to work have completed technical refresher training along with specific CV-19 training. Your Line Manger will make contact with you over the coming weeks to discuss this. 

 

We have had a positive response from our partners (NBC) and have been fortunate to secure a small discretionary grant from them to help support our business during this lockdown period. However with zero income we are managing every aspect of our financial position closely to ensure the business is able to re-open. 

 

As you will be fully aware this is a difficult time for everyone and although we remain confident in our ability to re-open safely and encourage our customers to return to Trilogy, we are under no illusions this will be easy and continue to do everything we can to support the business. 

It is important to understand that when we re-open, the customer journey and work environment will be a different place prior to closure, with social distancing, ‘bookable only’ sessions, additional cleaning procedures and a managed customer journey. 

 

With this in mind we ask for your understanding, support and flexibility to ensure we can create a safe and welcoming environment for all. 

 

If you have any questions, queries or ideas please use the form at the top of the page. 

 

Remember ‘Team Trilogy’ we will bounce back stronger. 

 

I look forward to catching up with you all very soon. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

Northampton Leisure Trust 

 

 

 

 

12 June 2020 

 

Latest update from John Fletcher 

 

Dear Colleagues,  

 

Firstly I would like to thank you for your continued support and patience during this difficult time and trust that you are keeping well. 

 

As previously mentioned we are preparing for a phased re-opening starting potentially with Gyms returning on 4th July once we get the ‘final okay’ from Central Government. The opening of other activities will follow dependent on the success of the gym launch and customer response. 

 

We will endeavour to open swimming pools dependent on the direction from Central Government and if this activity is deemed to be economically viable. I will keep you up to date as we move forward. 

 

To reiterate my previous message, we are doing everything within our power to ensure we safeguard staff and customers, this includes the introduction of a ‘Safe Environment Plan’ based on the UK Active framework, CV-19 specific training for all staff, the introduction of PPE equipment, clear guidance for customers, the relocation of equipment to ensure safe social distancing and management of the customer flow. 

 

Throughout this period we have ceased all non-essential costs, minimised all essential costs, actively pursued all funding, grants and loan options to support our cashflow, and have engaged directly with our host authority for political, capital and revenue support to keep the business afloat. 

 

We are engaging on a regular basis with NBC and you may have seen the recent positive article outlining the Capital Investment for plant and machinery. NBC have also politically and practically outlined their support for the continued long-term partnership with NLT. 

 

NLT continues to engage closely on a weekly basis with Community Leisure UK, UK Active, Sport England, Swim England and all other relevant organisations for guidance. 

 

Upon opening we intend to maximise income by communicating directly with all cancelled members, offer a PAYG option to encourage consumer confidence in our product, launch a short-term discounted membership offer (supported by flash sales). We are also looking at how we can develop and monetise our live online class offering. 

 

Over the coming weeks as we plan for the re-opening of the business you will receive details regarding a phased return to work. Please do not be concerned if you do not receive this, you are not being ignored and will receive details in due course. The furlough scheme is complex, HR guidance is constantly changing and there is a large volume of information to adhere to. Should you wish to discuss or clarify any of the details contained in the information we send please speak directly with your Line Manager or email your questions via the staff website. 

 

Once again a sincere thank you for your support, understanding and patience. Working collectively as a team I remain optimistic and positive about the future of NLT. 

 

Team Trilogy 

 

John Fletcher 

Managing Director 

Northampton Leisure Trust