Glasgow councillor raises concerns over lack of family discount membership options at Glasgow Club

Concerns over the lack of family discount membership options at the Glasgow Club which offers fitness opportunities across the city has been raised by a local councillor.

Councillor Paul Carey BEM is asking Glasgow Life, which operates the Glasgow Club, why there are no family membership possibilities and claims that the monthly prices are too expensive for Glasgow residents.

He said he found it “astonishing” that a dedicated family membership covering gym and swimming facilities was not available.

As it stands the FitClub offers a monthly fee of £32 per adult – aged 22 years and over – and a monthly fee of £21 for 13-21-year-olds meanwhile their ActivClub offers a monthly fee of £21 for adults aged 22 plus.

Councillor Carey BEM is now asking if the Glasgow Club could introduce a family membership covering a set number of adults and children.

He is also asking if it could offer one package for swimming and another covering gyms, swimming and fitness classes.

He said:“My constituents want to exercise, take their children swimming and make better use of local leisure facilities. However, when they look at the cost of individual memberships for every family member, the price quickly adds up.

“Glasgow Club’s published FitClub for a family with two adults and two teenagers amounts to £106 every month, or £1,272 a year.

“That is a considerable expense for an ordinary household already struggling with food bills, energy costs, housing and the everyday cost of raising children.

“Some of my constituents have described the situation to me as a money-grabbing exercise. While I recognise that leisure facilities have running costs, Glasgow Life must listen to these concerns and consider whether its pricing structure is putting families off exercising.”

Councillor Carey said that other local authorities like West Dunbartonshire are offering family memberships.

He continued: “West Dunbartonshire is a particularly good example of what can be done differently.

“Its leisure service offers a family membership for £67 per month, covering two adults and up to three children under 16.

“Renfrewshire’s OneRen also offers a family swimming membership for £43.50 per month.

“These examples show that leisure providers can consider different ways of making exercise more affordable.

“For young people, sport and exercise can build confidence, encourage friendships and establish healthy habits that last into adulthood. For older residents, staying active can help maintain mobility, balance and independence.

“These benefits matter to the whole city. If more people can access suitable exercise, we have a greater opportunity to improve public health and tackle health inequalities.

“Parents may have to choose between paying for leisure activities and meeting other essential household costs.

“Glasgow Life does provide free family swimming sessions at selected times, which is welcome. However, occasional free sessions are not the same as an affordable membership that allows families to exercise regularly throughout the year.

“Families need choice and flexibility. I recognise that Glasgow Life has to manage budgets, maintain buildings, pay staff and cover the cost of running pools and gyms.

“If we are serious about improving public health, we must make exercise easier to access and more affordable for everyone.

“Because when the cost of keeping fit becomes another financial burden, it is not only family budgets that suffer. Our communities and our health suffer, too.”

Glasgow Life say they review their membership and pricing structure regularly to ensure it remains accessible and affordable.

A spokesperson said: “Glasgow Club Membership packages are structured on an individual basis to ensure that pricing remains fair and accessible for the wide range of customers who use our services. Usage patterns within families can vary significantly, with different family members attending facilities at different frequencies, accessing different activities, and requiring different levels of support.

“An individual membership model allows customers to pay for the access they need rather than contributing towards a broader package that may not reflect actual usage. This approach also provides greater flexibility for households, enabling memberships to be started, changed or cancelled independently as circumstances change. It ensures customers only pay for the memberships that continue to provide value to them.

“Our membership products and pricing structure are kept under regular review as part of our ongoing work to ensure Glasgow Club remains accessible, affordable and responsive to customer needs.”