LEISURE
Community – clubroom manager Callum Salkeld and clubroom supervisor Karen Redmile are preparing for the launch of a new business club and hub to add to David Lloyd Teesside’ s offering, which already includes book, gardening, photography and art clubs.
CULTURE CLUB
Art, photography and business clubs in focus at David Lloyd Teesside
WORDS: DAVE ROBSON PICTURE: CHRIS BOOTH
It already runs a range of popular clubs – and now David Lloyd Teesside is starting a new one with the business community in mind. As well as being somewhere to get fit and socialise, the popular fitness and leisure complex – based near the Tees Barrage in Stockton – runs various clubs to cater for its members’ interests.
There’ s a photography club, for example, where you can hone your snapping skills, or an art club if you want to explore your creative side.
With an outside area for growing things, green-fingered members enjoy the thriving gardening club.
There’ s also a running club, a book club and more.
But while the centre is often used by businesspeople, there’ s not been a club specifically for them – until now.
It’ s been an unofficial work and meeting place for years, of course, with its welcoming clubroom the perfect spot to grab a coffee and a bite to eat while catching up on work, having informal business meetings or even taking Zoom calls.
From December, however, there’ ll be a new business club and hub.
A renovated upstairs room will be the venue for the new club, which aims to give businesses added value when using David Lloyd Teesside – whether as members or non-members.
Formerly used as a meeting and conference room, it will have all the mod cons businesses need, including wall TVs and internet connectivity.
By being connected to the groundfloor clubroom, food and drink will also be readily available.
And as clubroom manager Callum Salkeld explained, it will be a place where people can relax, network and socialise – but get business done too.
He told Tees Business:“ The idea is to offer local businesses a space that they can hire out for the day, or part of the day.
“ They can use it for conference calls, meetings and general socialising. And there’ ll be different packages, with food and drink available.
“ Members and non-members will be able to use it, although members will get a discounted rate.”
The new business club is one of Callum’ s first projects in his new role as clubroom manager, having started in 2022 as operations manager and, more recently, been health and safety manager.
The 24-year-old began his David Lloyd career with an apprenticeship four and a half years ago in his home city, Newcastle.
But since switching to Teesside in 2022, he says he feels right at home – even if the football banter is very much Tees versus Tyne!
And chances are, if you pop into the clubroom, you’ ll see him at a specific table he’ s claimed, near the kitchen, so he can feel part of the environment he oversees with clubroom supervisor Karen Redmile, rather than being tucked away in an office.
He smiled:“ I do have an office, but I like to sit here to see how things go.
“ My new role’ s different from health and safety, but it’ s very enjoyable. Before, there was a lot of paperwork but now I’ m dealing with members face on, constantly looking at how we can improve members’ experience and how we can bring people together.
“ The clubroom’ s a great social area. A lot of members will go to classes, meet new people, then come down and grab a coffee, smoothie, protein shake or some food. And that social side really links in well with our clubs.”
As dad to four-month-old baby son Roux, it’ s fair to say Callum’ s fully occupied – at home and at work!
But he’ s very confident the clubroom, the clubs and the new business hub will serve David Lloyd’ s 6,800 members well – and there may be other initiatives to come. He said:“ We’ re looking at expanding our range of clubs. We have a really wide membership – from babies right up until people who are 80-plus – so it’ s trying to find clubs that bring our whole community together.
“ We’ re going to get this business hub launched and then think of things we can do next. And we’ ll use members’ feedback on what they want – we don’ t guess what people want, we listen and act on their feedback.”
Visit davidlloyd. co. uk / clubs / teesside
The voice of business in the Tees region | 105