CLUB Kingswood has been crowned the king of clubs at a national awards ceremony.

The Basildon health and fitness centre beat competition from a host of rivals from across the country to land the top award at the National Fitness Awards.

It is the second time the club, in Sparrows Herne, has been voted the best club in the UK and general manager Alex Owen was delighted to repeat the success of 1998.

“We are an independent club, so to win a national award is a big achievement for us,” he said.

“We have been here 43 years and the reason we are still here and have been successful is the team of staff here.

“There are lots of clubs with nice facilities, but it’s how you treat people when they are at your club that counts.

“People use us for different reasons and we treat everyone equally, so there is no elitism here. It can be daunting to go into a club for the first time and we try to alleviate that as much as possible.”

The club made the shortlist of five in two categories for the awards: Southern gym of the year and top customer service in the country.

Victory in the former saw Club Kingswood go up against the winners of the northern and midlands & Wales categories for the club of the year crown.

The Essex club claimed the prestigious title and the judges’ comments included “This club stands head and shoulders above the rest of its many rivals” and “Club Kingswood is more than just a club; everything they do there is outstanding”.

Judging was carried out through a survey of members and undercover judges checking out the facilities while posing as customers.

Club Kingswood was presented with the two awards by former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies MBE at a ceremony held at the National Railway Museum in York.

Mr Owen said the club was determined not to rest on its laurels as it seeks to defend its title.

“We can shout it from the rooftops and we have put advertisements up in the club to tell customers of our success,” he said. “And a lot of our members have congratulated us.

“We will continue to work on it because you are only as good as your last award.

“For us it’s a real boost and it’s a real reward to our staff for all their hard work. It’s also great for Basildon as well.”