Old School Gym

Meet Angel, founder of the Old School Gym in Maplethorpe, Lincolnshire.

How did you get started?

I started going to a gym to gain fitness, but soon felt that training in a leisure centre was not the best fit for my training style which is more about weight-lifting and strengthening.

So, I eventually found a gym in Louth, Lincolnshire, as they presented more opportunities for weight-lifting and included 24 hour access, which meant that I could go whenever suited me. I loved it there – it was where I first properly experienced a gym community – and as a result, I made so much progress!

Having decided that the fitness industry was definitely something I wanted to be more involved in, I changed careers from being a sports coach and qualified lifeguard, and completed an online course to become a personal trainer. I then changed to a gym in Skegness, which was closer to my job at the time.

Living in Mablethorpe, I had become well-known locally for being a committed gym-goer. Many people asked where I trained, and the fact that it was at a gym 40 minutes away from where I lived, gave me the idea and determination to start researching what it would take for me to open my own 24 hour gym locally, and if it could be possible.

In looking for potential locations, I wanted to rent an old school building on the High Street (hence the name, Old School Gym!). I based my business plan around this venue, however, the building needed too much work for me to be able to start the business there. Later on a unit became available, sparking interest from lots of other interested parties, and having applied for a business loan, along with some lifelong savings that I had worked really hard for, I eventually heard the wonderful news that the loan had been approved and everything fell into place, I could now base ‘The Old School Gym’ in the unit I loved and knew would work well!

I cannot thank my family enough for their support and belief in me, without them I wouldn’t have had the confidence to go for it. Both my parents made every effort to help get the unit decorated and ready for opening earlier this year.

How did you hear of the SWEF business grant?

In terms of the grant, a family friend of mine does a lot of work in the community and she told me about the grant. She said it would be perfect as I am a young business owner looking to help the local community create healthy habits.

The grant enabled me to purchase a machine called a leg press which has quickly become a favourite in the gym and is used consistently throughout the day! I really believe this piece of kit has also brought in new members due to the accessibility - it is a particularly brilliant machine for any beginners or anyone nervous about starting to ‘strength train’.

What does the future hold?

My next investment will be to build a mezzanine in the unit to enable even more space for our members, and also to allow room for more cardio and weight training equipment.

In a year’s time the business will be thriving, the gym community will have grown even more, and most importantly, will have built friendships within the establishment, that will last a lifetime. I also hope that the people in Mablethorpe will have the possibility of becoming more fit and less overweight, so that I can help lessen the number of referrals to the NHS.

I am excited to finally put my personal training qualification to use! Most of all, I can’t wait to bring together the gym community in Mablethorpe.’