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08
Jul
Cancer patient faces £2,000 loss as Harrogate gym closes
A Harrogate couple have paid £1,900 for an 18-month gym subscription, only to find the gym will be closing at the end of the month.
Andy Lethaby said he joined Atlas Fitness, on Claro Road, to help his recovery from cancer.
His wife Jo also took up an offer for an 18-month subscription at a discounted rate, which required them to pay £1,000 and £900 respectively upfront.
They signed up for this in November 2025, only to receive a message at the beginning of July saying the gym would close – leaving them with 11 months of the membership lost.
Although one of the subscriptions was paid by credit card, leaving the potential for a refund, the other was paid by bank transfer and so that money has no way to be returned.
Mr Lethaby said his wife had been a member for 10 years and trusted the upfront payment option but the couple now felt let down.
He added:
Jo only signed me up to the gym because I have cancer and wanted to get fit, to help my recovery. There is no way we can lose this money when I have serious health issues.
Mr Lethaby also raised concerns for people who had paid for lifetime membership.
He also questioned why Mr Schofield, the gym's owner, offered long-term memberships when the latest accounts for the company, for the year ending August 31 2025, showed the company made a loss of £62,000.
Mr Lethaby said:
“Had I known about the debts at the time of sending those payments then it would have been clear we would have paid monthly at a higher rate, rather than the 18-month option. That’s my issue.”
Mr Schofield replied:
At the point of selling the upfront memberships last year we had good cash flow but that has declined this year, we have also lost core marketing avenues, plus the increase in business expenses which has meant we have struggled to get new members profitably and has led to the decision to close. The upfront memberships we sold were 12-month memberships with six months free and sold at a heavily discounted rate.
Mr Schofield said staff would be paid, adding:
“We have also had discussions with the possibility of the gym being taken on in which case I’ve requested all contracts are upheld to do everything I possibly can to make sure members are not out of pocket. Refunds at this point are now out of my hands and with the liquidators.”
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