The European fitness club certification scheme called FITcert has another success story with all 110 SportCity clubs in the Netherlands reaching level 3.
Based on the European Standards for the operations and management of all fitness clubs known as EN17229 the FITcert scheme is a practical way that clubs can prove conformity with requirements. Stan de Lange the Product Director for SportCity said “Since 1994 SportCity is working in the fitness industry to be an example in the value market and premium brands. We love to offer our expertise and quality to our dear customers and therefore keeping a high standard is very important for us. We are very glad to see that EuropeActive has taken the initiative to start up FITcert as a standard. It gives us the change to uplift the value market and the perspective that our partners and customers have of the fitness industry. SportCity is proud to have accomplished FITcert level 3 together with IFCI register and we are now moving forward. We hope that many clubs and club owners will do the same so we can send a message to the market that we are a good and reliable partner.”
The game-changer of FITcert is that clubs are independently checked by international inspection or certification bodies, and the scheme is quality managed by the Royal Netherlands National Standards Body (NEN). Co-Director of ICI the inspection body who oversaw the conformity assessment of SportCity was Raymond van Oerle who commented “SportCity, in line with the other leading European operators signed up to the FITcert scheme. This milestone means that all SportCity clubs are now compliant against the level 3 requirements of FITcert. Through a remote assessment covering 20 quality points we audited different clubs and established compliance of each club individually. What’s more, SportCity has commitment to implementing Stage 4 within its operations, showing its commitment to quality as a premium brand and making it a market leader in the Netherlands! This latest certificate of a significant player in the industry shows the potential of FITCert and the pace with which it is growing!”
At the recent European Health and Fitness Forum in Cologne EuropeActive President David Stalker praised leading European operators for committing to FITcert and recognised that “club certification is an important step in our journey to demonstrate we are offer safe and well-run clubs that can provide excellent products and services so we can strengthen our credibility, and can move more quickly in the direction of being considered essential healthcare providers.”
About EuropeActive
EuropeActive, formerly the European Health and Fitness Association (EHFA), is the leading not-for-profit organisation, based in Brussels, representing the whole of the European fitness & physical activity sector. Membership is open to all stakeholders – private or public – including club operators, suppliers, manufacturers, national industry associations, training providers, higher education and accreditation institutions. The EuropeActive Team is fully committed to consulting and working with the different stakeholders mentioned above, including other NGOs promoting health-enhancing physical activity, sector media and research and scientific institutions. EuropeActive aims to work closely with European Union institutions and international organisations to achieve its overall goal to get more people, more active, more often.
According to the EuropeActive/Deloitte Market Report 2022 the European fitness sector serves over 56.3 million consumers, generates 17.1 billion Euro in revenues and consists of approximately 63,000 facilities.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
