Fairfield City Council operates three leisure centres across outer Sydney (Australia), each of which offers a variety of quality and affordable services to keep communities fit, healthy and entertained. The three leisure centres are:
Cabravale Leisure Centre: provides a modern gymnasium fitted with the latest equipment; heated indoor program pool, sauna, and a multipurpose group fitness/program room, community function room, meeting and training facilities with computer access. This centre has been operating (with offerings beyond just a pool) for 17 years.
Currently, 30% of members use group fitness, and the demographics of its 900+ membership include:
- 47% males to 53% females
- Males aged 20 to 49 years make up 25% of entire membership base
- Females aged 20 to 49 years make up 24% of entire membership base
- 27% of all members are aged 60 years or older
Prairiewood Leisure Centre: caters for all health and recreation needs, with facilities including a large gymnasium with separate cardio and stretching areas, group fitness studio sauna 25m heated indoor pool with walk-in ramp 50m heated outdoor pool and of course, it is the home of Aquatopia. This centre has been operating (with offerings beyond just a pool) for 30+ years.
Currently, 27% of members use group fitness, and the demographics of its 1,700+ membership include:
- 52% males and 48% females
- Males aged 20 to 49 years make up 37% of entire membership base
- Females aged 20 to 49 years make up 22% of entire membership base
- 25% of all members are aged 60 years or older.
Fairfield Leisure Centre: offers a multitude of quality facilities and services, Fairfield Leisure Centre offers an open gymnasium, group fitness studio; steam room, 25m heated indoor swimming pool, 50m outdoor pool, fun Aqua Play Water Park with toddler pool, and multi-purpose indoor sports court. This centre has been operating (with offerings beyond just a pool) for 30+ years.
Currently, 16% of members use group fitness, and the demographics of its 1,500+ membership include:
- 56% males and 44% females
- Males aged 20 to 49 years make up 38% of entire membership base
- Females aged 20 to 49 years make up 27% of entire membership base
- 16% of all members are aged 60 years or older.
Les Mills Asia Pacific (LMAP): Tell us about your BODYCOMBAT 100 celebratory event
Fairfield City Council (FCC): The event was initially for our members, but then we extended the invitation to the Fairfield City Council community (i.e., non-members).
We had six BODYCOMBAT Instructors from our club leading the event. We also requested a Master Trainer, Tash, to join us, which meant we had a total of seven Instructors on stage. To kick things off, our members enjoyed a 30-minute mash-up class featuring “The Best Of” selections, chosen by our Instructors, which served as an exciting teaser for the main event.
LMAP: What were your specific goals for this event?
FCC: The way that this program makes you feel when you are either participating or teaching is incredible and contagious, and we wanted to share this, and celebrate and showcase the milestone, with our members and our community.
LMAP: What was your investment for this event?
FCC: It’s very hard to quantify our investment but covering printing, balloons, staff wages (in lead up and on the day) and trades, the investment may have been around $5,000 to $6,000 in total.
LMAP: What helped make this event successful?
FCC: The success of this event can be attributed to the passion and dedication of the Instructors, whose belief in the program inspired our members to fully engage. We began promoting the event eight weeks in advance, which gave us ample time to prepare promotional materials and organise a solid plan.
Recognising Fairfield City Council's strong social media presence, I reached out to the communications team and was able to schedule posts. Even the Mayor contributed to spreading the word, amplifying our reach
LMAP: How long have you offered BODYCOMBAT in your centres?
FCC:For 25 years! We started with BODYCOMBAT 1! Currently we provide 14 Live BODYCOMBAT classes and 3 Virtual classes.
Attendance varies across each centre and from day to day. At Prairiewood and Cabravale, our Monday and Tuesday evening classes are often fully booked with 40 to 45 participants.
On average, we see between 18 and 22 participants per class.
LMAP: Why is BODYCOMBAT so popular, globally?
FCC: BODYCOMBAT has stayed strong for 25 years because of the variety, new and old moves being introduced, the upbeat and motivating music, and the motivational Master Trainers. This program offers a dynamic and tailored experience. BODYCOMBAT guides participants through each movement, making them feel engaged and progressively closer to their fitness goals. The variety of options ensures that all fitness levels, from beginners to those who attend every day, are catered for.
Our members often share how empowered and strong they feel after a session. For the 45 minutes to an hour, they spend working out, they're able to let go of external distractions and fully focus on themselves. Many say, “This is unlike any other workout experience”.
Responses provided by Jessica Paulic (Group Fitness Manager) and Trevor Maggs (Recreation Planner) from Fairfield City Leisure Centres.
If your club would like to explore how BODYCOMBAT or other Les Mills programs can help attract, engage and retain members, contact your local Business Partnership Manager in Australia or Southeast Asia. Or to learn about becoming a BODYCOMBAT Instructor, go to www.lesmills.com.au/instructors/.
