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£3.5m gym for cancer patients to open in Harrogate

A £3.5 million exercise and wellbeing centre is to open in Harrogate in autumn.

The Yorkshire Cancer Research Centre at Hornbeam Park will offer free, personalised fitness, nutrition and wellbeing support to people with cancer. It aims to help patients prepare for treatment and recover better.

The building will incorporate a café, shop and donation centre and will also become Yorkshire Cancer Research’s new head office. The charity will relocate from its premises at Grove Park Court in Harrogate.

It currently has 70 staff, including those at its seven shops, and expects to have 100 by March next year, partly due to the new centre, which will create 10 new jobs and 40 volunteering opportunities.

Its shop sites include Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough.

People will be able to self-refer to the exercise centre and visit for free, although they will need to sign-up and book.

Most users are expected to come from within 15 miles of Hornbeam Park and up to 1,500 people are expected to use the service in its first three years.

The gym will offer one-to-one support

The charity is recruiting fitness instructors with specialist cancer knowledge. Many sessions will be one-to-one.

Everything people do at the centre will be analysed and used to improve understanding of exercise as a treatment for cancer patients.

Yorkshire Cancer Research plans to open at least four new fitness and wellbeing centres across the region in the next 10 years.

Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:

“Yorkshire will be at the forefront of exercise as a treatment” and the centre would “inform future cancer treatment in the UK and elsewhere in the world”.

Evidence shows that exercise can increase the success of cancer treatment, reduce side effects and speed up recovery, as well as improving life expectancy.

The programme builds on the charity’s Active Together service in Sheffield, which was launched in February 2022, in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. So far it has helped more than 370 people with cancer.

Yorkshire Cancer Research will relocate from its current site at Grove Park Court in Harrogate.

Dr Scott said:

“Despite clear evidence that being physically active is safe and has a positive effect for people with cancer, exercise services are not routinely available and most patients are not as active as they could be following a diagnosis.

“Our long-term goal is for these programmes to become a standard part of care embedded in and delivered by the NHS across Yorkshire and beyond.”

Pure Gym to open in Knaresborough tomorrow

Pure Gym is to open its newest gym in Knaresborough tomorrow.

The gym, which will employ nine staff, will be open from 6am to 10pm Monday to Friday and from 8am to 8pm on Saturday and Sunday.

It will provide about 40 classes a week free to members.

It has 220 pieces of equipment, a functional zone, a free weights area, cardio equipment and a fitness studio. Certified PTs will be available to help.

Based on the site of the former Lidl supermarket on York Road, the gym will welcome its first customers at midday tomorrow.

A typical Pure Gym layout. Pic: James McCauley

A Pure Gym spokesperson said:

“Our newest gym will offer members high-quality, low-cost fitness facilities and provide them with access to state-of-the-art equipment to use to achieve their fitness goals whenever they choose.”

Tomorrow’s opening means Knaresborough and Harrogate will both have Pure Gyms — but not Ripon. The Stray Ferret asked the company if it had any plans t open in the city.

The spokesperson said:

“We are always on the lookout for new sites that will enable us to provide as many people as possible with access to affordable, flexible fitness.

“We currently don’t have any concrete plans for a site in Ripon, but will continue to keep an eye out for potential locations for our next Pure Gym.”

Pure Gym was launched in 2009 and now has 1.2 million members and 340 UK clubs.

It is majority owned by American private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners.

Ripon temporary gym to remain in place until 2024

The temporary gym at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon looks set to remain in place until March next year.

The £300,000 facility, which is operated by Brimhams Active on behalf of North Yorkshire Council, was installed last month.

The installation enabled the closure of the existing gym on the upper floor of the 28-year-old leisure centre next to the new swimming pool, paving the way for ground stabilisation works costing £3.5 million to be carried out under the building.

In a statement due before next week’s full council, Cllr Simon Myers, executive councillor for culture, arts and housing, confirmed that the facility is expected to be in place until next year.

He said:

“The temporary gym will include the high-quality, state-of-the-art Technogym equipment currently available in the existing leisure and wellness centre.

“As well as expert advice and guidance from the Brimhams Active team, customers will still be able to use the changing and shower facilities in the new pool area, as well as the sauna and steam suite as they will remain open as normal.

“Group exercise classes will also continue to be provided at Hugh Ripley Hall. The new swimming pool will remain open as usual.

“The temporary gym will be used until the refurbishment project is completed by March 2024.”

The installation of the gym comes after an investigation into ground conditions beneath the older half of the leisure centre after an underground void was discovered in 2020.

At the time, Harrogate Borough Council said the void is understood to have been “present for a number of years and was only discovered when the reinforced concrete slab, which provides the foundation for the new swimming pool, was cast”.

Still no timeframe on refurbishment of Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens

The company behind plans to transform Harrogate’s Crescent Gardens with a two-storey extension has said it still plans to go ahead with the scheme.

Harrogate-based property developers Impala Estates plans to turn the building into offices, a rooftop restaurant and a gym. But there is still no timeframe on when it will happen.

Impala bought the former Harrogate Borough Council headquarters for £4 million in 2020.

The council, which vacated the building in 2016, approved Impala’s plans in May last year. But since then work has not started and there has been no further update.

The Stray Ferret asked Impala why the redevelopment had been delayed and what the latest timeframe was, and also whether its plans had been revised.

James Hartley, a director of Impala, said:

“Planning was granted with conditions attached in which myself and my design team are working through with the council.

“The plans for the development have not been revised since planning.”

David Hartley, a director of Impala, told a council meeting last year the plans would bring “significant public benefits” to the town, “which include bringing an empty building back into use and creating quality office space”.

Crescent Gardens was vacated by the council when it moved into its Knapping Mount headquarters in 2017.

Gym offers free Harrogate classes to boost fitness in January

A free community class will be on offer at a Harrogate fitness studio every weekend this month.

CrossFit Harrogate is inviting anyone who can’t afford gym memberships or who doesn’t know where to begin with a more healthy lifestyle to try its weekly group session.

It will take place every Sunday at 12.15pm, lasting 45 minutes, at the gym’s base at The Zone on Hornbeam Park.

Head coach Anneka Thompson said:

“We want to invite people that are going through financial hardship, parents, grandparents, anyone that wants to exercise but doesn’t know where or how to begin to come into our gym for a free community class every Sunday for the month.

“This is our way of offering help to those that could use some friendly faces and some movement in their lives. If we get a good turn out, we would look to continue it.”

The sessions will run on Sundays, January 8, 15, 22 and 29. To book a place, call Anneka on 07471 697824 or email her by clicking here.

Why Harrogate’s Stuart Perrin set up the UK’s first affordable boutique gym

This story is sponsored by Coach.

Join the Fitness Revolution with Coach Gyms Harrogate

After operating a health and fitness setting in Harrogate years ago, Stuart Perrin spotted a gap in the market for a luxury gym that doesn’t cost the earth.

The former resident of the town is now the owner and CEO of Coach, the UK’s first affordable boutique gym.

Launching in Leeds in 2020, he went on to open a £1.5m site at Harrogate’s Hornbeam Park in January this year with more in the pipeline.

He said:

“There’s a real gap for a quality product at affordable rates in the town. There was an option to pay a small fortune or next to nothing.

“But there was a huge gap in the middle for people wanting quality but without the high prices.

“Coach itself is a boutique health and fitness concept, which basically means in a nutshell everything is really high-end; fixtures, fittings, experience.

“However, we offer it an affordable price. If you were going to a club like this in London, you would be paying £200 a month. Here you can join for as little as £29.

“It’s something very different and is the biggest gym in Harrogate as well. Since we opened in January, we’ve overtaken every other club from a membership size and perspective quite significantly.”

Coach boasts more than 200 pieces of state-of-the art equipment, as well as over 200 instructor-led fitness classes across four studios.

Surge Padel, where members can play one of the world’s fastest growing sports, can also be found on the first floor.

Mr Perrin added that there was a large focus on providing a female-friendly experience – a segment he feels is under-represented in the current market.

He said:

“Although we’re not a ladies only gym, we are definitely geared towards females when it comes to communication and experience – even down to the lighting.

“The lighting levels in Coach are quite low, a bit like a nightclub. Research went into the exact lighting level we need to achieve to make women feel less self-conscious.”

Since launching in Harrogate on January 21, Mr Perrin said the reception in the town had been “exceptional”.

He said:

“Within that time we have grown the business really fast and it has been really exciting. People come and see the product and unless they want a swimming pool, they wouldn’t join anywhere else. That’s not us being arrogant, I believe the value for money we offer is unrivalled.”

Coach Gyms is redefining affordable luxury. Join now from only £18.99 a month. Find out more and join the fitness revolution today!

Pure Gym set to open in Knaresborough in March

Pure Gym has revealed it plans to open in Knaresborough in March.

The no frills health club operates more than 300 gyms in the UK, including one in Harrogate, which opened in 2015.

The Stray Ferret revealed in March that it planned to open on the site of the former Lidl supermarket on Knaresborough’s York Road.

In an update today to the Stray Ferret, Pure Gym promised to bring “affordable, flexible fitness to Knaresborough” with an introductory offer of £12.99 a month.

Pure Gym in Harrogate, which opened in 2015.

The Lidl closed in 2018 and in February last year Homecare Pharmacy Services began providing covid clinics from a building in the car park until it moved in September last year to larger premises on Knaresborough’s Chain Lane.

Pure Gym now aims to have a gym up and running on the site alongside the main road in four months. It will open from 6am to 10pm daily.

A Pure Gym spokesperson said:

“Pure Gym is delighted to be bringing affordable, flexible fitness to Knaresborough.

“Scheduled to open in March 2023, the brand-new gym will be spread across about 11,500 square feet and will offer pin and free weights, group exercise classes, a range of machines and equipment, a large functional area and access to our PTs to help members achieve their fitness goals.

“The people of Knaresborough and the surrounding areas will enjoy access to Pure Gym’s flagship low-cost, zero-contract memberships to help support their physical and mental wellbeing. We look forward to welcoming new members to Pure Gym Knaresborough – look out for our opening offer.”

New gym set to open on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road

A gym company from Leeds is set to expand to a second site on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road this year.

North Studio is planning to open in Wellington House, the building that is already home to cycling brand Prologue.

Posting an image of the new premises on Instagram, the company said:

“We are super excited to finally announce our expansion into Harrogate at the end of this year.

“Keep your eyes out for more details over the coming weeks!”

North Studio’s existing Leeds venue in Roundhay offers a strength room with weights and cardiovascular equipment, and a cycling room where spin classes take place.

It also has a more relaxed studio for yoga, pilates and barre classes, and the gym sells shakes, smoothies, teas and coffees on site as well.

Classes are £15 each with discounts available for block bookings, and membership starts from £70 per month.

It is the third business this week to confirm plans to open on Cold Bath Road. A new pet shop will open in the former home of the Refilling Station, while plans have been submitted to create a cafe-bar and record store further up the hill opposite Valley Drive.

Ripon gym Intrim closes for good after nearly 40 years

A Ripon gym that opened nearly 40 years ago has closed permanently following a dispute between the gym owner and landlord.

Intrim 24/7 opened in 1984 and was one of the longest running gyms in the Harrogate district.

It was based above discount store Yorkshire Trading Company, on Queen Street.

A notice on the building says the premises have been repossessed by the landlord due to non-payment of rent.

The gym closed its doors in June 2021 but Phillip McKay, who has owned the business since 2003, told the Stray Ferret he had hoped to re-open.

But Mr McKay said he has now been given until the end of the month to remove his equipment and has given up on hope of returning.

Intrim was based above Yorkshire Trading Company.

He said the gym initially closed following structural problems and there had been a subsequent disagreement over who was responsible for repairs. He added:

“My business has traded in Ripon for more than 38 years and I have run it for the last 20 years. It’s an important part of the community.

“It’s been an absolute nightmare. The members have lost memberships and there has been a lot of bad feeling about that.”

Phllip McKay with his son inside Intrim.

Mr McKay has been driving a HGV for the past year while his business has been closed.

He plans to store his equipment until he can find new premises, but added he might be forced to sell it if the right property doesn’t become available.

He said:

“After covid we were doing really well and come June 24 last year, it was just gone. It has been a nightmare.

“Hopefully we will get the equipment moved and find another premises. I just don’t know what’s around the corner.”

The notice placed on the Ripon gym.

A notice on the gym says it was repossessed on June 28 for non-payment of rent.

Mark Johnson, operations and compliance manager at Yorkshire Trading Company, confirmed the landlord, Nicholls Property Partnership, had repossessed the property.

He added:

“The lease has been forfeit by the tenant for non-payment of rent owed. This information is displayed on the notice displayed on the property.

“All other matters are subject to ongoing legal proceedings, and we are not in a position to comment at this time.”

Harrogate gym launches strength training for menopausal women

A Harrogate gym has launched strength training sessions for women over 40 in an bid to “change the narrative” around menopause.

The sessions will be held at Eleven Eleven Sports Performance, which launched a studio on Otley Road in May.

The programme will focus on heavy lifting and increasing strength training to stimulate and build muscles to make up for the decline in the hormones estrogen and progesterone. It will also include sprint interval training, plyometrics and stabilising exercises.

Information will also be given on how to lead a healthier lifestyle to help lower cortisol levels, which is known as the stress hormone.

The sessions will be led by coaches Mark Nel and Kelly Loe, who moved to Harrogate from South Africa a year ago.

The couple co-own Eleven Eleven with Liz and Dean Kemp.

Empowering women

Ms Kemp said:

“Lifting weights is going to be good for anyone over the age of 40, but for women specifically because of the imbalances in hormones and the massive impact it has. Estrogen is a muscle-building hormone, so if that’s dropping you need to replace it.

“It’s trying to empower women to say you can do something about it. You can lift heavy and you will get the same effect and you will be able to build that lean muscle mass. This is even more important when you get older.

“It’s turning something negative into something positive. It’s about getting the narrative out there that you can pick up a barbell at any age if you are coached in the right way.”

The semi-private classes are limited to four participants to allow them develop their technique and lift safely.

They are being held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtimes from 12-1pm and 1pm-2pm.

New skills

It is hoped that under the guidance of Mr Nel and Ms Loe, who are both skilled weightlifters, the sessions will encourage women to try something new and gain new skills.

Ms Kemp said:

“I turned 50 this year and I’m a control freak. I didn’t like the changes going on in my life without knowing how I could help and take back control. I think that was where it started from.

“You can’t control what your hormone levels are doing, but there are so many ways you can improve your health and body composition.

“I was training with Mark and Kelly and I realised what they were doing is what the over 40s need in their life to create a healthier and fitter lifestyle going forward.

“It’s about changing the conversation and mindset around it and focussing on the positive.

“It’s being in the right environment to be able to train safely and do what we need to do to replace what our hormones used to with nutrition, healthy living, sprint training and jumping and not being scared of doing it.”

Age is just a number

Mr Nel, who has 24 years experience in the fitness industry, said no matter what age you are, you should still be able to achieve the same ability as someone who is younger if you are taught correctly.

He said:

“You might not lift the same weight or speed, but you are not restricted to ‘you can’t do that because you are this age’. To me it doesn’t matter if you take the right approach. There are athletes doing it at 70.”

Mr Nel, who has a string of accolades under his belt in both CrossFit and weightlifting, added that programmes can be modified for individuals depending on their ability.

He said:

“If your ability is just a barbell, you have that option to go through. If you are someone who is a fit 67-year-old and you want a little bit more intensity that option is there as well.”

Foundations

There will be a focus on mastering three basic foundations of bench, squats and deadlifts before advancing further.

Ms Kemp said:

“The other thing that makes it unique is you are benchmarked. So you have your set standard and until you reach the next level you don’t progress. It allows you to understand what your weaknesses are and what you need to work on.”

Ms Loe, who has been coaching since 2015 and specialises in CrossFit, added:

“I think we have created an environment where we respect more of the technique side of it than lifting heavy. We cheer on the person who is coming last and trying the hardest, as opposed to the person coming first. We do not tolerate massive egos.”

Ms Kemp said there was so much information out there about menopause that it could be overwhelming.

She added:

“That’s what we want to strip back to the bare functions of what you can do to take control and turn the difficult transition into something positive.”

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Empowering women

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New skills

Age is just a number

Foundations