Winners of the FIA FLAME Awards 2003 – which provide an opportunity for exceptional performance in the industry to be recognised and applauded – were announced at the Bodylife Gala dinner on 17 September.

The black-tie event was held at the Hilton Metropole, Birmingham, during the LIW/FIA/Bodylife supershow.

Winners were: Club of the Year (under 1,000 members), sponsored by Leisure Finance: Springs Women’s Fitness, Hertford and Club of the Year (1,000-2,500 members) sponsored by the QJ Group: Old Hall Country Club, Chester. David Bloomberg, owner, said; “I’m particularly excited for our team, who really deserve this recognition. Entering this award really motivated all the staff and made them understand the level of service we must offer”.

Club of the Year (over 2,500 members) sponsored by The Nautilus Health and Fitness Group: LivingWell Premier Barnsley. John Taylor, general manager of LivingWell Barnsley, said: “This award reinforces the attention we have paid to customer care and the commitment our team put into providing members with exactly what they want from a health club.”

Centre of the Year, sponsored by Life Fitness: Andover Leisure Centre. Sheridan Easton, chief executive of Valley Leisure, said: “Both myself and the management team are extremely proud. Our success is down to the determination of the team, who are committed to working towards excellence.”

Corporate Club of the Year, a new category sponsored by Christie and Co: Canary Wharf Health Club. Mark Mantell, general manager of the Canary Wharf Health Club, said: “The awards process provided a very clear focus within the areas which really impact the most on our team members and our service delivery. To win the award has truly been the focus of every team member and that’s exactly what it took to win.”

Spirit of FLAME, sponsored by SIBEC: Aspire National Training were awarded Spirit of FLAME for their pioneering work with special needs groups and the promotion of social inclusion within the community, as well as the exceptional levels of training and education within the team.

Nigel Wallace, executive director of the FIA, said: “The standard of entrants in the FLAME 2003 awards has been exceptional. Both the finalists and the winners should be extremely proud of their achievement and should be regarded as leaders in the fitness industry”.