Club news

Happiest Gym in Britain 2016 – thank you for voting

April 21, 2016 @ 9:02 pm

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We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who voted for Fresh in the Happiest Gym in Britain 2016 campaign run by ClubWise. After we made it to the shortlist, we were leading in the online vote-off at one stage – very exciting – alas we finished at the close of the competition in 4th place. This is still amazing, and is testament to our happy members and enthusiastic team in Shepperton. We are proud of you all. Here’s Fresh’s entry which got us to the final:

 

Fresh smiley2Fresh is very proud of its community and fitness team. We appeal to a broad range of people because every individual is made to feel welcome – there are no barriers to participation. We make fitness accessible and appropriate for all ages, attitudes and aptitudes. Our youngest member is 14, and our oldest is 75, and they come in all shapes and sizes. We foster our community online and in the gym, because not everyone is on Facebook and we know face-to-face goes a long way.

We offer a timetable filled with a great cross-section of classes, which are always well-attended, and facilitate member activities outside of the gym such as cycling trips abroad and mountain climbing. These are open to all levels of fitness – in fact, climbing Snowdon last year was an idea from our fitness instructor Anton who is 24 and confined to a wheelchair (we raised funds to buy an adapted off-road trike, planned a safe route, and off we went. He was on top of the world that day!).

Fresh is independent, not part of chain, and we are proud of our town Shepperton. We involve the community in our activities when it adds value to our offering – even the local butcher provides monthly nutritional recipes.

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The happiness of our members comes first, naturally. We also value our team’s happiness because customers can only be truly happy when they experience excellent service. We engage fitness instructors who are professional, passionate about fitness for all, and exemplary team players. They know our gym users by name, their goals and wellbeing, and take an on-going interest in their progress. If someone’s unhappy, we’ll notice, and see what we can change for the better (sometimes, just listening helps).

Fresh participants and instructors bond – whether it’s on the gym floor, in a class, at a quiz night, Christmas party or games in the park. They learn, banter, they respect each other. Importantly, our instructors also support each other, apart from when they are battling to don the best Christmas jumper. Did we mention we have fun at Fresh?!

Fresh smiley3We know that people have different attitudes and motivations towards physical activity. Some thrive on being pushed, some need a lot of encouragement. Some feel different on different days. It’s our job to get this balance right, and we feel we do it well. For those who suffer with mental health or physical limitations, Fresh is their lifeline and has given them a reason to carry on. ‘No pill can do what exercising at Fresh does for you’. Their words, not ours.

Fresh is not an exclusive gym. It’s inclusive. It’s not elite and we eliminate ‘gymtimidation’.

How do we achieve this? One example is our offering of classes especially for under 16s (Spartan Club for boys and Panther Club for girls) to introduce them to respecting and appreciating their bodies and using the gym safely. Instilling this at an impressionable age is how we as an industry can change the perception of ‘the gym’. Rather than being a place for vanity or intimidation, we demonstrate that it’s an accessible, supportive hub for nurturing physical and mental positivity.

Fresh happy board

We created a pinboard for the Happiest Gym in Britain campaign where members could share their happy feelings about Fresh. We read wonderful things, all attributed to our personal approach and passion for getting everyone working to their potential.

“We’re not like other gyms”. We’re not – and we truly believe this. So do our customers. Our ethos is ‘fun, fitness, community’… just read our happy board and you’ll see for yourself that this shines through. At Fresh, our members feel comfortable, happy and positive when they participate… so they keep it up, and keep fit, for life.

 

Thank you to everyone who wrote a smiley message for our happy board – you are amazing!

 

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ClubWise, in association with UKActive and Gym Owner Monthly magazine, launched The Happiest Gym in Britain campaign to celebrate the gyms and clubs across the UK that are building friendly, inviting communities and encouraging exercise participation across all demographics. ClubWise wanted to help change gym culture perception and help more people reap the benefits of regular exercise. The campaign was supporting MIND, the mental health charity, who are doing some wonderful work around promoting the benefits of exercise to individuals with mental health issues.

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Friday6.30 am - 8.00pm
Saturday8.00am - 6.00pm
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Telephone: 01932 225 953 . Email: info@trainfresh.com