The 2025 Moving Communities Customer Experience Survey, produced by Active Insight and Sheffield Hallam University in partnership with Sport England, is one of the largest studies of public leisure customer experience in the country. It captured more than 80,000 responses from 688 facilities across 182 local authorities in England.
The report highlights that satisfaction among leisure facility users remains strong, with 40% very satisfied and a further 34% quite satisfied, demonstrating three quarters of users reporting an overall positive experience.
Inclusivity and safety scored highly with respondents, with 85% describing their centre as inclusive and welcoming. The same proportion see people similar to themselves using the facility, and almost all (92%) feel safe attending at their preferred times; further reinforcing the sector’s role in community cohesion.
The survey also reinforces the wider wellbeing case for public leisure, with public leisure users reporting an average life satisfaction score of 7.8, higher than the UK population average of 7.6.
Although the case for bolstering the UK’s leisure facilities is clear, cost pressures remain persistent. According to the research, 31% of respondents say the cost of living has had a moderate or significant negative impact on their usage; a trend that has shown no signs of change or improvement from last year.
Shia Ping Kung, Senior Research Fellow in the School of Sport and Physical Activity at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “Drawing on more than 80,000 survey responses from 688 facilities across 182 local authorities, this report presents the most comprehensive dataset yet on customer experiences within Moving Communities.
“The large sample enables detailed analysis, helping operators identify and prioritise areas most in need of improvement. This evidence-based approach supports targeted resource allocation to improve the visit experience for underrepresented groups and can potentially increase participation.
“Together, these insights offer a valuable framework for addressing inequalities and strengthening service delivery.”
Respondents were also asked if they would recommend a facility and the data shows that satisfaction with the most recent visit is the strongest driver of recommendation. When that experience lands well, customers advocate, but when it doesn’t the drop is significant. Only 30% of customers who were unlikely to recommend their centre were satisfied with their last visit compared with 75% overall.
Cleanliness stands out as the sector’s clearest improvement priority. Alongside value for money and staff being helpful and friendly, it remains one of the top three factors influencing visits. Staff‑related attributes emerged as the strongest aspect of service delivery across these public sport facilities, with nearly 90% of respondents reporting satisfaction with staff helpfulness and friendliness.
Find out more by reading the full report.
