Members of David Lloyd Gym Express Frustration Over New Membership Package
David Lloyd, a well-known health club and leisure company, has faced backlash from its members after introducing a new £140-a-month ‘queue jumping’ package. Standard members, who already pay as much as £3,000 a year, are upset about the new offering, which allows certain individuals to book tennis courts a day ahead of regular users.
The ‘signature’ package was initially launched at 13 of the premium gym’s branches. It gives patrons early access to booking tennis courts, which has sparked significant controversy among existing members. The issue has escalated particularly at the Raynes Park branch, where former tennis player Tim Henman once trained, leading to a wave of protests from angry members.
A Growing Petition Against the New Package
A petition has been started by hundreds of furious members in response to the new package. They argue that it is an example of ‘pure greed’ by David Lloyd, making their current memberships seem ‘meaningless’. Members claim that the company is turning a capacity issue into a money-making opportunity.
At the Raynes Park branch, which is located near Wimbledon, the demand for tennis courts is extremely high. One anonymous member shared with The Telegraph that members have to race against each other to book games, often logging into their accounts at 7:30am nine days in advance.
This member mentioned that while his branch isn’t part of the trial, he and his fellow members have joined forces to start a petition against the ‘signature’ package. There is growing concern that this new membership could be rolled out permanently across all gyms.
Financial Implications and Member Concerns
The cost of standard memberships can be quite steep. One member said that he and his partner spend £2,385 a year each on their membership, while a single membership costs around £3,000. In contrast, signature members can book their courts 10 days ahead, giving them a clear advantage over standard users, who are limited to booking nine days in advance.
So far, 342 club members have signed the petition to stop the rollout of the new signature membership at Raynes Park. The petition states that court availability is already severely constrained, and members regularly struggle to book tennis courts even when they are available.
It added: ‘Introducing a tier that allows a subset of members to book earlier than everyone else would inevitably worsen an existing access problem.’
Reactions and Company Response
The Raynes Park member claimed that the new membership is a ‘quiet conversion of basic court access into a pay-to-play model’, which strips value from existing memberships. He emphasized that introducing paid priority access does not fix a capacity issue, but rather monetises it.
Online, Redditors have threatened to ‘cancel and take their money elsewhere’ in retaliation to the new membership scheme.
History and Notability of the Raynes Park Branch
The Raynes Park branch holds a special place in the history of David Lloyd. Founded by former tennis player David Lloyd in 1982, the company now operates 109 centres across the UK. The Raynes Park branch is particularly notable as it was where Tim Henman trained. Judy Murray, mother of Andy Murray, has also visited to give tips to youngsters and coaches.
Boris Becker has made appearances at the club, including a charity match against Sue Barker, as reported by The Times.
Company Defense of the New Package
In response to the criticism, a David Lloyd spokesperson defended the signature membership. They told the Daily Mail: ‘At David Lloyd Clubs, we offer a range of membership packages designed to suit different needs and budgets. We are currently trialling a new Signature package, created to provide personalised health and wellness support.’
They added that only a very small number of these memberships are available, so they don’t anticipate any meaningful impact on court booking availability. The package includes premium health checks, curated health plans, tailored personal training based on the results of those checks, and a range of member benefits.
The trial is running until the end of March at 13 of their 109 clubs across the UK.
