Grow your 50+ membership with body and brain health
Give over-50s another reason to join, and to stay. A VBuddies brain-health programme your members talk to, alongside the gym they already love.
A VBuddies conversation
The opportunity in 50+ membership
26.9M
UK adults aged 50+, 46.8% of everyone aged 16+.
+4.8M
more UK gym members by 2032 if growth holds, from 12.2M today. Over-50s are the biggest headroom.
2×+
More than twice as many over-55s have left a gym as currently belong to one.
+8.6%
growth in members aged 65+ in 2025, the fastest-growing group for some networks.
Why they leave, what they want
60%
of over-65s name dementia as the condition they fear most
75%
believe a person can influence their own brain health
14 everyday risk factors — from inactivity to isolation — are modifiable. Brain health gives over-50s a reason to keep coming back that goes beyond the gym floor.
A gym for body and mind
Members talk with VBuddies about their own lives, in their own words. A weekly conversation that supports memory and mood, available wherever they are — in the club, at home, on the go.
Memory Wellbeing
From £1 a seat a month
Members talk with VBuddies about their own lives, building a personal memory story alongside their fitness routine.
Memory Retention
From £4 a seat a month (add-on)
An add-on for members who want more: structured reminiscence and recall exercises, designed to support retention.
VBuddies
Good afternoon, Lisa
Shall we add to your story today?
How it grows 50+ membership
Attract
50+ enquiries from a brain-health offer that stands out in the local market.
Convert
50+ joins, with a membership reason that goes beyond equipment and classes.
Retain
Fewer 50+ cancellations, as members build a habit that keeps them coming back.
Brain health opens new doors
Families
New partners who care about cognitive wellbeing, reached through your club.
Employers
New partners who care about cognitive wellbeing, reached through your club.
Insurers
New partners who care about cognitive wellbeing, reached through your club.
Retirement groups
New partners who care about cognitive wellbeing, reached through your club.
See what brain health is worth to your club
Extra membership income a year at +10%
£726,750
Memory Wellbeing seat prices fall with volume, from £5 a seat a month (under 300 seats) to £1 (50,000+). A franchise club buying through its network pays £1 a seat whatever its size. Annual membership income, not profit, before any franchise royalties. Defaults: 25% of members aged 50+, £48.45 average monthly fee (LeisureDB, 2025). Growth figures are scenarios for the pilot to test.
In the club
Scan
Members scan a QR code in the club to start their first conversation.
Set up
They set up their profile and choose a time that suits them.
Talk
VBuddies calls them each week, wherever they are.
Community sessions
Optional in-club gatherings where members share stories together, building the social connection that keeps 50+ members engaged.
Pilot dashboard
A simple dashboard shows 50+ joins, rejoiners and cancellations across the pilot, so you can see the difference as it happens.
Prove 50+ growth in three months
| Measure | Target |
|---|---|
| Former 50+ members rejoining | 2% of lapsed 50+ members |
| New 50+ joins | +3% above the same period last year |
| 50+ cancellations | −10% versus the same period last year |
Net 50+ membership growth: about +1% in 3 months.
The team and the science
Lijia Zhang
Co-Founder & CEO
Dr Jon Fearon-Jones
Co-Founder & Director
Dr Sabine Buchholz
AI Scientist & Engineer
Prof Louis Renoult
Scientific Advisor, UEA
Dr Helena Gellersen
Advisor, University of Cambridge
Secure your place
Sign
Sign a simple pilot agreement — no cost to you for three months.
Nominate
Nominate a club lead and choose a start date in January 2027.
Agree
Agree the measures you'll watch on the pilot dashboard.