May 2010
The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine
No-frills clubs in spotlight
Rail threat to home and business By Mary Ferguson A TERRIFIED gym owner faces losing her home and business following government plans to build a high-speed rail link through the property. Caroline Owen-Thomas owns Weights and Measures Gym in South Heath, Buckinghamshire, and will lose everything if the proposed 250mph London to Birmingham train line goes ahead. Caroline lives above the gym – which is based in a converted pub – and told Workout she is ‘devastated’, especially as she first learned she may lose her home by watching the news. Government has the power to force her to sell her property to them, but it will be 18 months before a decision on the train line is made. Caroline said: “A few of my members who live nearby will be affected too and we are all pulling together to fight this. I’ve put blood, sweat and tears into the place for 17 years and now someone is going to come along and take it all away. I don’t know when or what will happen and I feel like a puppet on a string – with them playing with my life. “How am I supposed to keep my membership base when they know the
gym will be gone soon? They say they will stay until the end but I know that’s unlikely. When I close my eyes, all I can picture is a bulldozer coming through the front windows.” If the proposed route goes ahead, parts of the Chilterns countryside will be dug up so high speed trains can run non-stop from London to Birmingham. Caroline had her property valued last year, before the plans were announced, but fears she will end up losing money. She added: “I felt sick and numb at first, but now I’m just really, really angry. We are forming local action groups to fight this but I’ve got to wait 18 months before I find out whether the build will actually go ahead so I’m in total limbo. “There’s no point me putting any money into the business as I don’t know what will happen so it’s just a case of sitting tight. Petitions are being signed and letters are being written but it will be a while before I get any answers.” Caroline is supporting an online petition. To sign it, visit http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/railhighspeed/
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RESEARCH into the UK budget gym market is expected to help independent operators understand opportunities and threats facing the industry. Ray Algar, director of Oxygen Consulting, has spent the last five years tracking the emergence of ‘no frills’ clubs and will produce the UK’s first low-cost gym sector report. Ray, who spoke to all the CEOs of the country’s leading budget facilities, defines a low-cost operator by a price-point of less than £20 a month He told Workout: “It has been fascinating to hear more about their ambitious plans.
Independent gym owner Jason Matthews picked up a prestigious business award from BBC sport reporter Jake Humphrey, pictured above. Jason, who runs Ultimate Physiques in West Yorkshire, was given a ‘Lion’ Award at a ceremony organised by training providers City & Guilds. Formula One expert Jake was guest speaker at the event. Full story, Page 3
“It was inevitable that low-cost gyms would eventually arrive in the UK and there is growing activity in the sector, so I thought it was the right time to produce the report.” The report will be available at the beginning of May. Look out for analysis in the June issue of Workout.