Gold COMPANY PROFILE
CoverMe Ltd
CoverMe Fitness, an app for seamless, on-demand management and cover solutions for sports and fitness professionals. A platform where top-tier professionals - group exercise instructors, personal trainers and swimming instructors etc - effortlessly connect with clubs in three simple steps and just 30 seconds. One powerful app connecting the industry.
We're more than just a matchmaking service. CoverMe isn't just about filling slots; it's about recognising excellence and nurturing talent. We're all about making sure the best instructors get the recognition they deserve while helping clubs find and retain the cream of the crop.
At the heart of CoverMe lies a vibrant community of fitness pros who set the bar high and raise industry standards. By providing a safe and reliable way to streamline cover provision, we're not just changing the game; we're transforming how clubs manage their staff. With CoverMe in their corner, operators can redirect their focus towards business growth and member satisfaction, knowing their cover needs are in capable hands.
Key products and services
Our product range is designed to revolutionise club management. We're all about matching clubs with inspirational, fully qualified and meticulously vetted freelance instructors to keep disruptions at bay and member experiences soaring.
Our app, battle-tested and fine-tuned in real clubs, puts the power in the hands of operators. From managing existing instructors to scouting fresh talent, CoverMe has got it covered. With just three steps, managers can source cover, post audition requests and keep their schedules humming along smoothly.
But we don't stop there. We're all about perks too. Instructors who join our community earn points and badges, unlocking discounts from top brands like FitPro, CIMSPA and Sweaty Betty. It's our little way of saying thanks for being part of the CoverMe family.
Safety and compliance? We've got that covered too. Every certification and insurance document undergoes rigorous verification by our dedicated team. We'll even shoot you a friendly reminder when documents are due for renewal. Because when it comes to compliance, there's no room for compromise.
And let's not forget about the nifty QR code system. With just a scan, instructors can check in and out of clubs, while managers keep tabs on who's teaching and when. It's a game-changer for generating reports and saving precious time on admin tasks.
So there you have it: CoverMe Fitness, where convenience meets quality and excellence is the name of the game. Join us, and let's elevate the world of fitness together.
Shows attending
Elevate, FIBO, PerformX. IDEA World, IHRSA
case study: Transforming group exercise cover at Studio Society
Studio Society has been working with CoverMe since October 2022 to make the process of finding group exercise cover quicker and easier.
The fully immersive group exercise-based club, in London’s trendy West Hampstead, offers more than 250 classes a week including Body Pump, HIIT, boxing, yoga and Spinning. Finding class cover is an ongoing exercise for general manager Tony Zimmerling.
“We have 40 permanent instructors. Before using the CoverMe app, finding cover instructors would take hours of my time and was always in the back of my mind,” he says.
In the past, Studio Society’s instructors would post messages on their Facebook groups when they needed cover. Zimmerling would then receive an email from potential cover instructors, who he would research on social media before inviting them into the club to meet them and discuss how the classes work etc. The process was even more challenging for last minute cover.
“If one of our instructors phoned in sick, it would be left to me to find cover. I’d have to scour Facebook groups and message all my different WhatsApp contacts to try and find someone. Everything else would have to be put on hold until I’d arranged cover. It was really stressful,” he explains.
The CoverMe app has entirely transformed the process, allowing Zimmerling to source cover in minutes. “It’s so much easier now. Instructors just log into the app, post the dates they need covering with details of the class and rates of pay and the message goes out to all instructors within the chosen radius of the club. I see the job post, get notified when potential cover instructors respond and can accept or reject them,” he says.
“I love how easy it is. I posted for cover for a yoga class this morning and had responses from two qualified instructors within 15 seconds. And looking at the app now I can see I have 26 confirmed covers and three posts awaiting a response for cover needed over the next four weeks.”
The app’s automatic invoicing function saves considerable time at month end too. Instructors scan a QR code to access the club when they come in to teach, which generates an invoice that is sent to management.
“Instead of working through loads of documents on my PC, I just download a report from CoverMe, which details how many classes each instructor has taught and how much they are owed so I can process the payment. Payroll used to take a massive amount of time out of my day, but last month it only took two hours to process payments for 70 instructors, 30 of which were covers.”
An additional benefit of the CoverMe app is that it has acted as a source of new group exercise talent, says Zimmerling. “We have found some amazing new instructors through the app, which we wouldn’t have discovered without using the app.
“CoverMe is brilliant for us. Our permanent instructors love using it because it saves so much time. Many of them work in other clubs and still have to use the old way of finding cover. They love the fact they don’t have to do that here – it makes life so much easier for them and for management too.”
The fully immersive group exercise-based club, in London’s trendy West Hampstead, offers more than 250 classes a week including Body Pump, HIIT, boxing, yoga and Spinning. Finding class cover is an ongoing exercise for general manager Tony Zimmerling.
“We have 40 permanent instructors. Before using the CoverMe app, finding cover instructors would take hours of my time and was always in the back of my mind,” he says.
In the past, Studio Society’s instructors would post messages on their Facebook groups when they needed cover. Zimmerling would then receive an email from potential cover instructors, who he would research on social media before inviting them into the club to meet them and discuss how the classes work etc. The process was even more challenging for last minute cover.
“If one of our instructors phoned in sick, it would be left to me to find cover. I’d have to scour Facebook groups and message all my different WhatsApp contacts to try and find someone. Everything else would have to be put on hold until I’d arranged cover. It was really stressful,” he explains.
The CoverMe app has entirely transformed the process, allowing Zimmerling to source cover in minutes. “It’s so much easier now. Instructors just log into the app, post the dates they need covering with details of the class and rates of pay and the message goes out to all instructors within the chosen radius of the club. I see the job post, get notified when potential cover instructors respond and can accept or reject them,” he says.
“I love how easy it is. I posted for cover for a yoga class this morning and had responses from two qualified instructors within 15 seconds. And looking at the app now I can see I have 26 confirmed covers and three posts awaiting a response for cover needed over the next four weeks.”
The app’s automatic invoicing function saves considerable time at month end too. Instructors scan a QR code to access the club when they come in to teach, which generates an invoice that is sent to management.
“Instead of working through loads of documents on my PC, I just download a report from CoverMe, which details how many classes each instructor has taught and how much they are owed so I can process the payment. Payroll used to take a massive amount of time out of my day, but last month it only took two hours to process payments for 70 instructors, 30 of which were covers.”
An additional benefit of the CoverMe app is that it has acted as a source of new group exercise talent, says Zimmerling. “We have found some amazing new instructors through the app, which we wouldn’t have discovered without using the app.
“CoverMe is brilliant for us. Our permanent instructors love using it because it saves so much time. Many of them work in other clubs and still have to use the old way of finding cover. They love the fact they don’t have to do that here – it makes life so much easier for them and for management too.”
case study: Serco Leisure: finding cover for group exercise instructors
Choosing CoverMe to solve the problem of finding cover for group exercise instructors was an absolute "no brainer”, according to Serco Leisure’s National Commercial Programming Manager, Stephanie Wiltshire, a former a group exercise instructor who went on to manage group exercise for Serco’s leisure centres in Kent.
Serco Leisure, which manages 39 facilities with health and fitness operations across the country, recently went live with CoverMe at its Kent sites; Lockmeadow Leisure Centre in Maidstone, Maidstone Leisure Centre and Swallows Leisure Centre in Sittingbourne. Around 150 classes run each week across the three venues, and CoverMe is efficiently and effectively sourcing instructors around three to four times per week, when the regular team is on holiday or off sick.
Wiltshire, who has been working in the industry for 16 years, explains: “After spending years as either an instructor or managing group exercise, it was a no brainer to jump onboard an app where everything is in one place and cover can literally be arranged at the click of a button.
“A year ago, when I was Kent Health and Fitness Manager for Serco Leisure, finding cover for classes fell entirely on my lap for all our sites. It takes a lot of time out of a health and fitness manager’s day. It can also get very messy and diluted when you’re using different forms of communication – some instructors want to be contacted via group chats, others don’t, some prefer email and some like a phone call. It’s easy to make a mistake when the messages aren’t in one place.”
With CoverMe, operators are connected with inspirational, qualified and vetted instructors, filtered through the app’s algorithms and analytics, which identify the most suitable freelance instructors, factoring in skills, proximity and availability – all in real time – so managers can source and book class cover in just three steps.
“Having been responsible for finding the cover instructors myself, I would say CoverMe is saving our health and fitness managers around five hours plus per week. CoverMe significantly improves their work life balance; they are no longer the victim of multiple group chats, being contacted on every social media platform possible, every hour of every day,” continues Wiltshire.
The ability to have more than one admin on the app means staff can truly have time off and, when at work, can focus on other activities when they need to, knowing another member of the team can handle the cover request.
“For example, Caroline, our health and fitness manager at Swallows Leisure Centre, was on the gym floor delivering inductions the other day when a notification for cover came through on the app. She quickly approved the cover request, finished her appointment and then checked the app again to see that the cover had been arranged. Historically, the stress of trying to find time to send and manage all those messages, emails and calls would have been immense. As a result, we’ve definitely seen fewer class cancellations.”
Wiltshire has been impressed with CoverMe’s instructor portal, which requires all necessary certification and insurance documents to be uploaded and vetted by CoverMe’s staff before they are approved on the app. She says: “We require a £10 million public liability insurance from our instructors, and it’s really important to us that the CoverMe app can take that into when vetting suitable instructors. If an instructor is not compliant they cannot teach for us; it’s just another headache we no longer have to worry about. The same with insurance. CoverMe takes ownership, making sure these things are correct and up to date, with the parameters set by the club. CoverMe flags up when someone’s certification or insurance is due to expire and freezes their account if it’s out of date, so we always remain compliant. Before now this has been hard to keep tabs on.”
Wiltshire concludes: “The onboarding process was also super smooth and easy. CoverMe did 99.9% of the work for us, making it a stress-free and easy to manage process. It’s been a great tool for Kent so far and I will be overseeing the process as and when it launches across our other sites too.”
Serco Leisure, which manages 39 facilities with health and fitness operations across the country, recently went live with CoverMe at its Kent sites; Lockmeadow Leisure Centre in Maidstone, Maidstone Leisure Centre and Swallows Leisure Centre in Sittingbourne. Around 150 classes run each week across the three venues, and CoverMe is efficiently and effectively sourcing instructors around three to four times per week, when the regular team is on holiday or off sick.
Wiltshire, who has been working in the industry for 16 years, explains: “After spending years as either an instructor or managing group exercise, it was a no brainer to jump onboard an app where everything is in one place and cover can literally be arranged at the click of a button.
“A year ago, when I was Kent Health and Fitness Manager for Serco Leisure, finding cover for classes fell entirely on my lap for all our sites. It takes a lot of time out of a health and fitness manager’s day. It can also get very messy and diluted when you’re using different forms of communication – some instructors want to be contacted via group chats, others don’t, some prefer email and some like a phone call. It’s easy to make a mistake when the messages aren’t in one place.”
With CoverMe, operators are connected with inspirational, qualified and vetted instructors, filtered through the app’s algorithms and analytics, which identify the most suitable freelance instructors, factoring in skills, proximity and availability – all in real time – so managers can source and book class cover in just three steps.
“Having been responsible for finding the cover instructors myself, I would say CoverMe is saving our health and fitness managers around five hours plus per week. CoverMe significantly improves their work life balance; they are no longer the victim of multiple group chats, being contacted on every social media platform possible, every hour of every day,” continues Wiltshire.
The ability to have more than one admin on the app means staff can truly have time off and, when at work, can focus on other activities when they need to, knowing another member of the team can handle the cover request.
“For example, Caroline, our health and fitness manager at Swallows Leisure Centre, was on the gym floor delivering inductions the other day when a notification for cover came through on the app. She quickly approved the cover request, finished her appointment and then checked the app again to see that the cover had been arranged. Historically, the stress of trying to find time to send and manage all those messages, emails and calls would have been immense. As a result, we’ve definitely seen fewer class cancellations.”
Wiltshire has been impressed with CoverMe’s instructor portal, which requires all necessary certification and insurance documents to be uploaded and vetted by CoverMe’s staff before they are approved on the app. She says: “We require a £10 million public liability insurance from our instructors, and it’s really important to us that the CoverMe app can take that into when vetting suitable instructors. If an instructor is not compliant they cannot teach for us; it’s just another headache we no longer have to worry about. The same with insurance. CoverMe takes ownership, making sure these things are correct and up to date, with the parameters set by the club. CoverMe flags up when someone’s certification or insurance is due to expire and freezes their account if it’s out of date, so we always remain compliant. Before now this has been hard to keep tabs on.”
Wiltshire concludes: “The onboarding process was also super smooth and easy. CoverMe did 99.9% of the work for us, making it a stress-free and easy to manage process. It’s been a great tool for Kent so far and I will be overseeing the process as and when it launches across our other sites too.”
case study: Fitness instructor Elli uses CoverMe to find classes that work with her schedule
Keep on moving
Elli, 25, is a self confessed fitness fanatic, who recently moved back to the UK having worked abroad for three years in Canada and Greece as a ski, snowboard, fitness and yoga instructor.
She explains: “I started teaching fitness classes after graduating in the Bioprocessing of New Medicines (Business & Management) in the middle of the pandemic. I didn’t want to start my first job behind a desk whilst working from home, and realised how much I loved fitness, yoga, skiing and snowboarding, and wanted to share that with other people!”
Elli qualified as a group exercise instructor in 2020, going on to certify as a yoga instructor a year later, followed by her ski and snowboarding qualifications in 2022 and 2023 respectively. But her passion for doing group exercise started as a 16 year old. She says: “I found my love for group exercise at a weekly Zumba class that I went to with my friend and our Mums!
“I now teach every type of class I can from Yoga to Circuits, Legs, Bums and Tums to TABATA and Zumba to Aqua! But Yoga is my favourite to teach as I can be so creative with the class plan, and also hybrid strength/cardio classes with lots of heavy weights and loud music. I love the energy in the room when you create an amazing class!”
Mixing it up
“I've been doing seasonal work for the last three years, spending the summer in Greece and the winter in Canada. The nature of this work meant I would often be back in the UK for a month between seasons, where I would go to the local gym to try to pick up cover shifts and classes. The management at Studio Society in London where I was covering shifts recommended I download CoverMe to pick up cover classes and I've never looked back. CoverMe made this so much easier and less labour intensive.
“Now I’m in the UK permanently and looking to start a full-time career in London, CoverMe has given me the flexibility to pick up different classes that work with my schedule, I can even choose the distance I’m happy to travel and the rate I want to work for. All the cover work I get is through CoverMe.
“It’s definitely made the visibility and ease of finding classes much easier, especially those in central locations as I’m keen to teach at just two or three different clubs to minimise my travel time around London. Plus, I know if I travel abroad again, I can come back and find work.”
Elli’s advice to other instructors using CoverMe for the first time: “It’s important to have a high quality profile as it’s your first impression to a potential employer. Make sure to highlight your key skills and add a bit of personality to your bio. A great, active photo in your favourite class will also draw people in!”
Elli, 25, is a self confessed fitness fanatic, who recently moved back to the UK having worked abroad for three years in Canada and Greece as a ski, snowboard, fitness and yoga instructor.
She explains: “I started teaching fitness classes after graduating in the Bioprocessing of New Medicines (Business & Management) in the middle of the pandemic. I didn’t want to start my first job behind a desk whilst working from home, and realised how much I loved fitness, yoga, skiing and snowboarding, and wanted to share that with other people!”
Elli qualified as a group exercise instructor in 2020, going on to certify as a yoga instructor a year later, followed by her ski and snowboarding qualifications in 2022 and 2023 respectively. But her passion for doing group exercise started as a 16 year old. She says: “I found my love for group exercise at a weekly Zumba class that I went to with my friend and our Mums!
“I now teach every type of class I can from Yoga to Circuits, Legs, Bums and Tums to TABATA and Zumba to Aqua! But Yoga is my favourite to teach as I can be so creative with the class plan, and also hybrid strength/cardio classes with lots of heavy weights and loud music. I love the energy in the room when you create an amazing class!”
Mixing it up
“I've been doing seasonal work for the last three years, spending the summer in Greece and the winter in Canada. The nature of this work meant I would often be back in the UK for a month between seasons, where I would go to the local gym to try to pick up cover shifts and classes. The management at Studio Society in London where I was covering shifts recommended I download CoverMe to pick up cover classes and I've never looked back. CoverMe made this so much easier and less labour intensive.
“Now I’m in the UK permanently and looking to start a full-time career in London, CoverMe has given me the flexibility to pick up different classes that work with my schedule, I can even choose the distance I’m happy to travel and the rate I want to work for. All the cover work I get is through CoverMe.
“It’s definitely made the visibility and ease of finding classes much easier, especially those in central locations as I’m keen to teach at just two or three different clubs to minimise my travel time around London. Plus, I know if I travel abroad again, I can come back and find work.”
Elli’s advice to other instructors using CoverMe for the first time: “It’s important to have a high quality profile as it’s your first impression to a potential employer. Make sure to highlight your key skills and add a bit of personality to your bio. A great, active photo in your favourite class will also draw people in!”
Plans for the next 12 months
This year will see further expansion across the UK in geographical regions to establish
the largest network of fitness professionals, including group exercise instructors, personal trainers, sports coaches, swim teachers etc of any platform.We have recently launched in Australia and North America and will also roll out to Canada, South Africa and Europe in the next 12 months.
Testimonial
“This is a fantastic concept and exactly what all class operators need to enhance efficiency, member satisfaction levels and avoid the frustration of classes being cancelled or changed at short notice.”
– John Treharne, founder, The Gym Group and executive chair and non-executive director, CoverMe
"The advancement of technology puts everything at our fingertips 24/7: food, fashion, and fast cars. And now the same is true for group exercise instructors - CoverMe is the ‘Uber' of class subbing.”
– Emma Barry, co-founder, Good Soul Hunting and non-executive director, CoverMe
updates & press releases
13 May 2024
Roehampton Club raises the bar for class cover with CoverMe
Roehampton Club raises the bar for class cover with CoverMe
Roehampton Club is an exclusive club in south London catering for 5,000 members, which prides itself on delivering exceptional fitness experiences. With 120 group exercise classes scheduled every week across its two studios, swimming pool and outdoor spaces, maintaining high-quality instruction is vital.
Before adopting CoverMe, managing group exercise cover was a time-consuming challenge, which often resulted in last minute substitute instructors taking classes leading to inconsistent quality of delivery.
The app has helped the club maintain its high standards while managing the group exercise team more effectively, says Lucy Carter, Assistant Gym and Studios Manager.
“Before CoverMe, we would put requests for class cover on our group WhatsApp chat of 60-70 instructors. The trouble was there were a lot of people in the group who I’d never met or spoken to, so I had no way of knowing if they could deliver a class to the standards we expect or even if their qualifications or insurance were up to date. The group ran on a first come, first served basis, so whoever was quickest to respond was booked to cover the class, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were the right person to deliver that class.”
The CoverMe app has allowed Roehampton Club to connect with a wider pool of instructors while ensuring quality standards. The app provides detailed instructor profiles, including qualifications, photos, videos and details of their passions and specialisms, allowing Lucy to make more informed decisions and book the best cover for classes.
“Looking at their profiles I can select the most suitable people to cover our classes. Sourcing instructors locally for Les Mills classes had been really difficult for us, but we’ve been able to reach out via the app and attract these specialised instructors. Using the technology to connect with high-quality instructors has led to improved class experiences and increased member satisfaction,” she says.
“The quality of substitute instructors has definitely improved, so much so that members have asked if we can keep them on to run their own classes.”
In addition to saving valuable time, CoverMe has given the club greater control and compliance with industry standards.
“Previously, when someone started working with us, I’d email them for proof of their qualifications and insurance. Then I’d put a note in my diary to contact them a week before the documents were due to expire to check they had been updated. With the app, instructors are blocked if their documents aren’t up to date so I don’t have to do anything at all.”
CoverMe is now the primary method of managing group exercise at Roehampton Club, with all instructors using the app to arrange class cover. This has allowed Lucy and the team to focus on other aspects of studio management including expanding the club’s class offerings and using CoverMe to source new instructors for its most popular sessions like Pilates and yoga.
By integrating the CoverMe app into its operations, Roehampton Club has optimised group exercise management and improved the calibre of cover instructors to maintain its high standards.
Before adopting CoverMe, managing group exercise cover was a time-consuming challenge, which often resulted in last minute substitute instructors taking classes leading to inconsistent quality of delivery.
The app has helped the club maintain its high standards while managing the group exercise team more effectively, says Lucy Carter, Assistant Gym and Studios Manager.
“Before CoverMe, we would put requests for class cover on our group WhatsApp chat of 60-70 instructors. The trouble was there were a lot of people in the group who I’d never met or spoken to, so I had no way of knowing if they could deliver a class to the standards we expect or even if their qualifications or insurance were up to date. The group ran on a first come, first served basis, so whoever was quickest to respond was booked to cover the class, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were the right person to deliver that class.”
The CoverMe app has allowed Roehampton Club to connect with a wider pool of instructors while ensuring quality standards. The app provides detailed instructor profiles, including qualifications, photos, videos and details of their passions and specialisms, allowing Lucy to make more informed decisions and book the best cover for classes.
“Looking at their profiles I can select the most suitable people to cover our classes. Sourcing instructors locally for Les Mills classes had been really difficult for us, but we’ve been able to reach out via the app and attract these specialised instructors. Using the technology to connect with high-quality instructors has led to improved class experiences and increased member satisfaction,” she says.
“The quality of substitute instructors has definitely improved, so much so that members have asked if we can keep them on to run their own classes.”
In addition to saving valuable time, CoverMe has given the club greater control and compliance with industry standards.
“Previously, when someone started working with us, I’d email them for proof of their qualifications and insurance. Then I’d put a note in my diary to contact them a week before the documents were due to expire to check they had been updated. With the app, instructors are blocked if their documents aren’t up to date so I don’t have to do anything at all.”
CoverMe is now the primary method of managing group exercise at Roehampton Club, with all instructors using the app to arrange class cover. This has allowed Lucy and the team to focus on other aspects of studio management including expanding the club’s class offerings and using CoverMe to source new instructors for its most popular sessions like Pilates and yoga.
By integrating the CoverMe app into its operations, Roehampton Club has optimised group exercise management and improved the calibre of cover instructors to maintain its high standards.
01 May 2024
CoverMe Fitness launches in Australian market with industry veteran Tony Zonato at helm
CoverMe Fitness launches in Australian market with industry veteran Tony Zonato at helm
CoverMe Fitness, the innovative studio management app for the fitness industry, launches this month in Australia, with industry veteran Tony Zonato leading the rollout as Managing Director for the region.
Designed exclusively for the fitness industry by fitness people, the CoverMe app is revolutionising studio management by providing a comprehensive platform for recruiting, recognising, rewarding and managing group exercise staff - all in one user-friendly app.
In less than a year, the app has been adopted by more than 100 clubs and 4,500 instructors across the UK, including global brands like Virgin Active. CoverMe also has an impressive 100% retention rate and 97% class cover record.
Building on its success in the UK, CoverMe is poised to make its mark in Australia. Rosanna Tucker, Co-Founder of CoverMe, says: “We’ve experienced impressive growth in the UK since launching the CoverMe app in 2023, and our expansion is ongoing. However, our vision has always been to extend our services to meet the needs of operators and instructors worldwide. Australia represents the first stage of this international expansion and we expect to see similar growth in this new market.”
CoverMe’s new Managing Director of Australia, Tony Zonato, joins the company from Body Bike Australia, where he was General Manager of Operations & Sales. With two decades of experience in the fitness sector, Zonato has a wealth of firsthand knowledge as a group experience instructor, personal trainer, group exercise manager and master trainer. Additionally, as the founder of the popular GROUPEX Podcast, Zonato has a deep understanding of the challenges of studio management and the latest industry trends.
Zonato says: “I want to help maximise the potential of group exercise; it’s the most important tool venues have for retaining members, but only when its firing on all cylinders. CoverMe plays a vital role in customer satisfaction allowing clubs to run a dynamic group exercise schedule delivered by professional, skilled instructors, thereby minimising class cancellations and inadequate instructor cover.
“The time is right for CoverMe in Australia; the fitness industry has been crying out for a solution like this for some time. I’m looking forward to engaging with cub owners and instructors, understanding their challenges and providing a solution to what can be one of their biggest problems. Statistics show that group exercise managers and club owners spend on average 4.6 hours per week managing timetable changes and instructor cover. Reclaiming this valuable time will allow them to focus on business operations and elevating their offer.”
CoverMe Fitness is set to expand into the US fitness market in April.
Designed exclusively for the fitness industry by fitness people, the CoverMe app is revolutionising studio management by providing a comprehensive platform for recruiting, recognising, rewarding and managing group exercise staff - all in one user-friendly app.
In less than a year, the app has been adopted by more than 100 clubs and 4,500 instructors across the UK, including global brands like Virgin Active. CoverMe also has an impressive 100% retention rate and 97% class cover record.
Building on its success in the UK, CoverMe is poised to make its mark in Australia. Rosanna Tucker, Co-Founder of CoverMe, says: “We’ve experienced impressive growth in the UK since launching the CoverMe app in 2023, and our expansion is ongoing. However, our vision has always been to extend our services to meet the needs of operators and instructors worldwide. Australia represents the first stage of this international expansion and we expect to see similar growth in this new market.”
CoverMe’s new Managing Director of Australia, Tony Zonato, joins the company from Body Bike Australia, where he was General Manager of Operations & Sales. With two decades of experience in the fitness sector, Zonato has a wealth of firsthand knowledge as a group experience instructor, personal trainer, group exercise manager and master trainer. Additionally, as the founder of the popular GROUPEX Podcast, Zonato has a deep understanding of the challenges of studio management and the latest industry trends.
Zonato says: “I want to help maximise the potential of group exercise; it’s the most important tool venues have for retaining members, but only when its firing on all cylinders. CoverMe plays a vital role in customer satisfaction allowing clubs to run a dynamic group exercise schedule delivered by professional, skilled instructors, thereby minimising class cancellations and inadequate instructor cover.
“The time is right for CoverMe in Australia; the fitness industry has been crying out for a solution like this for some time. I’m looking forward to engaging with cub owners and instructors, understanding their challenges and providing a solution to what can be one of their biggest problems. Statistics show that group exercise managers and club owners spend on average 4.6 hours per week managing timetable changes and instructor cover. Reclaiming this valuable time will allow them to focus on business operations and elevating their offer.”
CoverMe Fitness is set to expand into the US fitness market in April.
15 Jan 2024
CoverMe app reduces pressure of missed group exercise classes for master trainer
CoverMe app reduces pressure of missed group exercise classes for master trainer
As an instructor with more than 20 years’ experience under her belt, Syreeta Stracey knows only too well the struggles of finding cover when she’s unwell or a holiday means she cannot take her regular classes. Being introduced to the CoverMe app has changed that.
“The ease of finding cover when I need it has been such a blessing. I don't have to worry about finding the cover myself, as I did before, I just post the classes that need covering on the app and go and enjoy my time off. CoverMe does the rest. It’s so much less stressful.”
Syreeta has been an instructor at Studio Society in London since the club opened in 2017, where she teaches Zumba and Strong Nation, as well as indoor cycling, strength training, Yoga and a raft of other classes.
She says: “I love the community we have built at Studio Society over the last six years. The members are amazing and I've been lucky enough to create a lot of strong friendships, which I will be forever grateful for. I don't have a favourite class. When I teach I feel blessed and happy in that moment and think this is my favourite class, but then I go and teach another class and feel the same way.”
Syreeta has danced and taken part in competitive sports since childhood. Determined to work in the industry, she trained in a range of disciplines to teach multiple classes. Now a high-profile fitness professional, Syreeta has been a master trainer for various dance and fitness programmes, training students to become fitness instructors, and is currently a presenter for Zumba and Strong Nation (formally Strong by Zumba), showcasing them on stage at national and international fitness events. She also teaches sport to children with disabilities.
In addition to allowing Syreeta to enjoy some well-earned downtime, without the stress of souring replacement cover herself, CoverMe helps freelance group exercise professionals like Syreeta to maximise their income. Free to download, the app allows instructors to find work when and where they want by raising their profile with gyms, studios and clubs in locations that suit them. CoverMe sends personalised class cover notifications direct to instructors’ mobiles – all they have to do is hit a button to accept and earn more by teaching more of the classes they love.
"Before CoverMe, I found work via other instructors, social media platforms and WhatsApp groups. Being part of the CoverMe community has increased my earning potential. It's comforting to know that if extra work comes up I can choose to apply or not. Extra work means extra money, and if I do more training courses or become qualified to teach other classes I can add these to the app and get even more offers of work – so my potential income is uncapped,” she says.
Syreeta’s advice for other instructors looking to raise their profile is don’t hold back. The more information you can provide, the better: “Employers will always look at your profile when you apply for a job at their fitness facility via CoverMe, so the more detail you have on your biography, including pictures and videos of you teaching the class they’re looking to cover, the more likely you are to get the work.”
“The ease of finding cover when I need it has been such a blessing. I don't have to worry about finding the cover myself, as I did before, I just post the classes that need covering on the app and go and enjoy my time off. CoverMe does the rest. It’s so much less stressful.”
Syreeta has been an instructor at Studio Society in London since the club opened in 2017, where she teaches Zumba and Strong Nation, as well as indoor cycling, strength training, Yoga and a raft of other classes.
She says: “I love the community we have built at Studio Society over the last six years. The members are amazing and I've been lucky enough to create a lot of strong friendships, which I will be forever grateful for. I don't have a favourite class. When I teach I feel blessed and happy in that moment and think this is my favourite class, but then I go and teach another class and feel the same way.”
Syreeta has danced and taken part in competitive sports since childhood. Determined to work in the industry, she trained in a range of disciplines to teach multiple classes. Now a high-profile fitness professional, Syreeta has been a master trainer for various dance and fitness programmes, training students to become fitness instructors, and is currently a presenter for Zumba and Strong Nation (formally Strong by Zumba), showcasing them on stage at national and international fitness events. She also teaches sport to children with disabilities.
In addition to allowing Syreeta to enjoy some well-earned downtime, without the stress of souring replacement cover herself, CoverMe helps freelance group exercise professionals like Syreeta to maximise their income. Free to download, the app allows instructors to find work when and where they want by raising their profile with gyms, studios and clubs in locations that suit them. CoverMe sends personalised class cover notifications direct to instructors’ mobiles – all they have to do is hit a button to accept and earn more by teaching more of the classes they love.
"Before CoverMe, I found work via other instructors, social media platforms and WhatsApp groups. Being part of the CoverMe community has increased my earning potential. It's comforting to know that if extra work comes up I can choose to apply or not. Extra work means extra money, and if I do more training courses or become qualified to teach other classes I can add these to the app and get even more offers of work – so my potential income is uncapped,” she says.
Syreeta’s advice for other instructors looking to raise their profile is don’t hold back. The more information you can provide, the better: “Employers will always look at your profile when you apply for a job at their fitness facility via CoverMe, so the more detail you have on your biography, including pictures and videos of you teaching the class they’re looking to cover, the more likely you are to get the work.”
12 Dec 2023
Face of CoverMe secures regular teaching job through the app
Face of CoverMe secures regular teaching job through the app
In 2020, 36-year-old Aparna started teaching yoga in her home country of India, following a successful 10-year career as an actress and model and a two-year stint as a flight attendant with Qatar Airways.
She explains: “As an actress and model I worked with some renowned names, but when opportunities became slower in 2017 I got a little restless and joined Qatar Airways in order to travel.
“I visited about 50 different countries around the world before coming back to Mumbai to start my yoga teacher training courses, almost four years ago now.”
10 months ago, Aparna moved to London with her husband, the comedian and actor Aadar Malik, and was keen to continue teaching yoga, as well as her modelling journey.
She says: “I reached out to studios to find work, and started teaching a few times a week at different venues near to my home, where I was also introduced to the CoverMe app.
“The best thing CoverMe has done is secure me a regular teaching job. I started using the app to find cover classes and went on to get a permanent class at a local studio, which I’m thrilled about. I also became one of the faces of CoverMe, securing one of my first UK modelling assignments through the app.”
Showcasing qualifications
Aparna is deeply invested in her teacher training, having dedicated 500 hours to different courses, including a Yoga Sutra course with India’s prestigious Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute & Research Center.
She is certified in Trauma Informed Yoga and teaches Vinyasa flows, Hatha flows, Slow flows, Power Yoga, yoga and meditation, as well as breathwork and meditation.
She has also completed a certified course on Samkhya philosophy; the base philosophy of yoga. But her biggest passions are leading Chakra Yoga, breathwork and meditation and Yoga Nidra sessions.
She says: “The most important thing for me was the ability to add all my training certificates to the CoverMe app. I'm proud of my qualifications and want to showcase them to make me stand out from the crowd”.
Aparna believes her strong bio also helped her get noticed by club managers.
She explains: “I listed my styles of teaching, areas of expertise and the things I’m most passionate about in my CoverMe profile to give potential employers a good idea of who they would be hiring.”
This, along with lots of images showing Aparna teaching, proved a winning formula, helping her to find regular work teaching the classes she loves within months of arriving in a new country.
She explains: “As an actress and model I worked with some renowned names, but when opportunities became slower in 2017 I got a little restless and joined Qatar Airways in order to travel.
“I visited about 50 different countries around the world before coming back to Mumbai to start my yoga teacher training courses, almost four years ago now.”
10 months ago, Aparna moved to London with her husband, the comedian and actor Aadar Malik, and was keen to continue teaching yoga, as well as her modelling journey.
She says: “I reached out to studios to find work, and started teaching a few times a week at different venues near to my home, where I was also introduced to the CoverMe app.
“The best thing CoverMe has done is secure me a regular teaching job. I started using the app to find cover classes and went on to get a permanent class at a local studio, which I’m thrilled about. I also became one of the faces of CoverMe, securing one of my first UK modelling assignments through the app.”
Showcasing qualifications
Aparna is deeply invested in her teacher training, having dedicated 500 hours to different courses, including a Yoga Sutra course with India’s prestigious Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute & Research Center.
She is certified in Trauma Informed Yoga and teaches Vinyasa flows, Hatha flows, Slow flows, Power Yoga, yoga and meditation, as well as breathwork and meditation.
She has also completed a certified course on Samkhya philosophy; the base philosophy of yoga. But her biggest passions are leading Chakra Yoga, breathwork and meditation and Yoga Nidra sessions.
She says: “The most important thing for me was the ability to add all my training certificates to the CoverMe app. I'm proud of my qualifications and want to showcase them to make me stand out from the crowd”.
Aparna believes her strong bio also helped her get noticed by club managers.
She explains: “I listed my styles of teaching, areas of expertise and the things I’m most passionate about in my CoverMe profile to give potential employers a good idea of who they would be hiring.”
This, along with lots of images showing Aparna teaching, proved a winning formula, helping her to find regular work teaching the classes she loves within months of arriving in a new country.
05 Sep 2023
New research reveals wide impact of short-notice group exercise cover
New research reveals wide impact of short-notice group exercise cover
A series of new research projects have shed light on the significant challenges faced by leisure operators and group exercise instructors in finding short-notice cover for classes, as well as its impact on members.
One study, conducted by Leisure-net Solutions on behalf of on-demand group exercise cover app, CoverMe, finds that sourcing high-quality freelance cover when instructors fall sick or are absent is one of the most significant challenges faced by club managers. The task not only consumes hours each week but often results in class disruption and cancellations, which are detrimental to both operators and their customers.
Another survey conducted by EMD UK found that group exercise instructors avoid taking time off due to the stress of finding cover, with almost a quarter of instructors (24%) juggling up to seven different WhatsApp and social groups for the different classes they teach.
According to Leisure-net’s Operator Report, a staggering 63% of leisure operators offering group exercise programmes reported spending valuable time each week trying to source replacement instructors to cover classes and prevent cancellations that would disappoint their customers. Even more concerning, nearly one-fifth of operators (17%) said they have to allocate time every single day to find class cover.
Despite their best efforts, operators often face difficulties in securing adequate replacement instructors, leading to unavoidable class cancellations or changes. In fact, 41% of operators are forced to cancel or change their group exercise classes every week due to their inability to find suitable cover.
The impact of disrupted and cancelled classes are far reaching. Researchers also surveyed individuals who had participated in group exercise classes within the last six months and found that a third (33%) regularly or quite often experienced disruptions or cancellations to their classes. As a result, 36% of participants stated they would not recommend a club to a friend if they encountered frequent disruptions to the group exercise timetable, while 16% said they would cancel their club membership altogether.
Very often, finding class cover falls to the instructor themselves in the event of illness or holidays. This means calling in favours from their instructor colleagues or posting messages in WhatsApp and other social groups, all of which is very time-consuming. As a result, more than half (54%) of instructors say they simply avoid taking time off, while half (49%) say they find the process stressful.
Failing to find cover has significant implications for instructors. In most cases, classes are simply cancelled causing instructors to lose income. Beyond this, many instructors worry that failing to find class cover risks letting participants down, losing customers and damaging their reputation.
Sue Wilkie, Head of Instructor Support at EMD UK says: “It’s hardly surprising that group exercise instructors feel so stressed about finding cover for their classes when they are sick or go on holiday. Research shows that half of instructors regularly view one to three different social groups when trying to source cover, while 7% keep track of eight to 14 social groups. And almost a quarter of instructors (23%) say they don’t know where to source cover, which increases the risk of class cancellations and is clearly bad news for instructors, clubs and clients.”
Today’s operators benefit from advances in technology in almost all areas of club management, yet when it comes to sourcing freelance instructors, managers still rely largely on substitute instructor lists and seeking help from other instructors through messaging platforms like WhatsApp. Very often, club managers are forced to accept whatever cover is available, rather than the ideal cover that would ensure a great member experience. The CoverMe App’s algorithm matches inspirational, qualified and insured freelance instructors, vetted by CoverMe’s own in-house team, with gyms and studios, factoring in skills, proximity and availability – all in real time – so managers can source and book class cover in less than 30 seconds.
“Sourcing high quality group exercise cover is one of the most time-consuming and challenging aspects of club management. That’s why we are delighted to be working with an increasing number of club operators, including Nuffield Health, Serco and BXR, to solve this problem, improve efficiency, enhance member satisfaction and eliminate the frustration and operational time consuming activity of class changes,” says Rosanna Tucker, CEO of CoverMe.
One study, conducted by Leisure-net Solutions on behalf of on-demand group exercise cover app, CoverMe, finds that sourcing high-quality freelance cover when instructors fall sick or are absent is one of the most significant challenges faced by club managers. The task not only consumes hours each week but often results in class disruption and cancellations, which are detrimental to both operators and their customers.
Another survey conducted by EMD UK found that group exercise instructors avoid taking time off due to the stress of finding cover, with almost a quarter of instructors (24%) juggling up to seven different WhatsApp and social groups for the different classes they teach.
According to Leisure-net’s Operator Report, a staggering 63% of leisure operators offering group exercise programmes reported spending valuable time each week trying to source replacement instructors to cover classes and prevent cancellations that would disappoint their customers. Even more concerning, nearly one-fifth of operators (17%) said they have to allocate time every single day to find class cover.
Despite their best efforts, operators often face difficulties in securing adequate replacement instructors, leading to unavoidable class cancellations or changes. In fact, 41% of operators are forced to cancel or change their group exercise classes every week due to their inability to find suitable cover.
The impact of disrupted and cancelled classes are far reaching. Researchers also surveyed individuals who had participated in group exercise classes within the last six months and found that a third (33%) regularly or quite often experienced disruptions or cancellations to their classes. As a result, 36% of participants stated they would not recommend a club to a friend if they encountered frequent disruptions to the group exercise timetable, while 16% said they would cancel their club membership altogether.
Very often, finding class cover falls to the instructor themselves in the event of illness or holidays. This means calling in favours from their instructor colleagues or posting messages in WhatsApp and other social groups, all of which is very time-consuming. As a result, more than half (54%) of instructors say they simply avoid taking time off, while half (49%) say they find the process stressful.
Failing to find cover has significant implications for instructors. In most cases, classes are simply cancelled causing instructors to lose income. Beyond this, many instructors worry that failing to find class cover risks letting participants down, losing customers and damaging their reputation.
Sue Wilkie, Head of Instructor Support at EMD UK says: “It’s hardly surprising that group exercise instructors feel so stressed about finding cover for their classes when they are sick or go on holiday. Research shows that half of instructors regularly view one to three different social groups when trying to source cover, while 7% keep track of eight to 14 social groups. And almost a quarter of instructors (23%) say they don’t know where to source cover, which increases the risk of class cancellations and is clearly bad news for instructors, clubs and clients.”
Today’s operators benefit from advances in technology in almost all areas of club management, yet when it comes to sourcing freelance instructors, managers still rely largely on substitute instructor lists and seeking help from other instructors through messaging platforms like WhatsApp. Very often, club managers are forced to accept whatever cover is available, rather than the ideal cover that would ensure a great member experience. The CoverMe App’s algorithm matches inspirational, qualified and insured freelance instructors, vetted by CoverMe’s own in-house team, with gyms and studios, factoring in skills, proximity and availability – all in real time – so managers can source and book class cover in less than 30 seconds.
“Sourcing high quality group exercise cover is one of the most time-consuming and challenging aspects of club management. That’s why we are delighted to be working with an increasing number of club operators, including Nuffield Health, Serco and BXR, to solve this problem, improve efficiency, enhance member satisfaction and eliminate the frustration and operational time consuming activity of class changes,” says Rosanna Tucker, CEO of CoverMe.
CoverMe Ltd: featured in HCM and FIT tech magazines
HCM People: Bev Brinkworth and Rosanna Tucker
Our ambitions are to expand globally to introduce Studio Society to key markets, reshaping fitness paradigms
CoverMe Ltd
Tel: 07891 503525
Email: [email protected]
Web:
www.covermeapp.co
Address:
5 Hyde Road ,
Paignton,
Devon,
TQ4 5BW,
England
Louise Crossland, head of commercial
CoverMe Ltd video gallery:
Key personnel
Rosanna Tucker, co-founder and CEO
Beverlee Brinkworth, co-founder and COO
Louise Crossland, head of commercial
Edith Meredith, head of onboarding
Beverlee Brinkworth, co-founder and COO
Louise Crossland, head of commercial
Edith Meredith, head of onboarding
Key customers
All venues, from boutique studios to big-box fitness sites, including:
• Virgin Active,
• Fitness First,
• Total Fitness, and
• Serco Leisure.
• Virgin Active,
• Fitness First,
• Total Fitness, and
• Serco Leisure.
