The Pride Gym Leeds: Owners of new state-of-the-art gym set to open want to be the "hub of Wetherby"
A new “state-of-the-art” gym is set to open in Leeds this weekend.
The Pride Gym will welcome its first customers into its transformed venue in Sandbeck Way, Wetherby, on Saturday, July 27.
The couple behind the venture, David and Claire Burke, were longing to open something together after David announced retirement from his career as a firefighter.
But Claire didn’t think a gym would be the best option for the couple.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Claire said: “David is very active, he can’t just sit still. But he wouldn't want to just go and take on a regular job, he needed to work with people and with the community.
“We'd thrown ideas around, maybe a little coffee shop but where we live, there's loads of coffee shops and we don't need that.
“Then one day, he said, ‘I'd love to open a gym’. And I said, ‘not a chance, that's a massive undertaking’.”
But David was persistent and the stars had aligned on a number of occasions leading Claire no choice but to get on-board.
They had secured a start-up grant from the government, help from good friends who owned a gym in Bradford and stumbled across the ideal property. It all led the couple to take on the keys to the property in January.
It has since been under transformation. Claire said she hasn’t seen her husband much as he has spent 16 hours a day working on the property, getting it ready for the launch this weekend.
And the response the gym has received from nearby communities has been “phenomenal”.
Claire said: “I would certainly say over 50 people have already signed up, and that's without the doors even being open.
“Everything is black and gold, it's sparkly, it's twinkling, it's absolutely massive. The buzz around Wetherby, Boston Spa, Harrogate and Knaresborough for this gym has been absolutely phenomenal.
“I have every faith that on Saturday morning, when we open those doors, that there will be flags flying and people falling over themselves to join. This is what I have manifested.”
The Pride Gym in Wetherby will operate as a traditional gym, with everything from free weights to treadmills. personal trainers will also be available. It will also feature a coffee shop.
Claire said: “People don't have to be coming in to work out. We want to become the hub of Wetherby where it's not just about training. We want people to feel comfortable, to just come in if they're thinking about joining the gym, have a coffee and we'll show you around.”
Find out more information about the Pride Gym Wetherby via its social media channels.