'It’s friendly, it’s approachable': The Pudsey father-daughter team bringing small-group fitness to life
In Pudsey, father and daughter Ian and Beth Cotton are helping their neighbours find strength, health, and self-belief - one small group at a time.
BFIT isn’t your typical gym. Born out of lockdown restrictions and a family’s passion for sport, it’s the realisation of Beth’s long-held dream and a testament to what can happen when a business is built on heart, community, and a little West Leeds grit.
Beth’s journey began five years ago but took root during the COVID lockdown, when gym doors closed and routines were upended. Undeterred, she set up socially distanced training sessions in her parents’ back garden, with homemade equipment and a pop-up gazebo.
“I want to help more people in that way, the way my mum felt, and it kind of started from there. The reward of seeing other people go from feeling like they can’t do something to feeling like, oh, actually, you know what? I’ve got that self-belief back,” she told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
Word spread quickly through Pudsey and beyond, as locals sought connection and purpose.
“It went mad,” Beth said. “People were looking for something positive they could do - and we were there.”
As sessions multiplied, Beth’s father Ian - with three decades in banking and corporate finance - stepped in first to help with the books, then with coaching.
“Now we’ve got two people coaching, which allows us to put more sessions on each week. We’ve recently signed a lease on a new premises about a mile up the road, which allows that continued growth and more client capacity,” Ian explained.
Their partnership deepened the family connection and paved the way for growth: from a makeshift garden studio to a purpose-built facility, always anchored in their local roots.
BFIT stands out as the only dedicated small-group, private personal training studio in West Leeds - a niche offering that focuses as much on mental well-being as physical transformation.
“We are the only small group PT facility that purely focuses on that service in West Leeds. Every client’s got a different focus and a different goal. It’s about the personalisation of the programme to them and what they need,” Beth said.
Groups are kept small, sessions tailored, and the atmosphere remains both motivating and supportive. “It’s friendly, it’s approachable, but it also pushes you,” she adds.
Running a small, independent studio hasn’t been easy. Lockdowns, rising costs and quick decisions about moving or expanding have tested the Cottons’ resolve.
“Anyone that owns their own business will never sit here and tell you that it’s been easy. It’s always really, really hard, but I love the process and the struggles that you face,” Beth admitted.
For Ian, the payoff is clear: “It’s a great opportunity for me, being able to be part of that journey on a full-time basis. The main thing for me is the physical well-being links nicely to mental well-being as well. It’s a separation from day-to-day strains, and it’s just great to hear when our approach has made a difference for someone.”
With a larger Pudsey home set to open this winter, BFIT has its sights on doubling in size over the next few years - without losing the warmth and community that make it stand out.
“We’ve created the platform now. The membership, the movements we’re seeing, the number of inquiries and positive responses from the community - there’s clearly a demand there for what we offer,” Ian said. “We want to remain rooted right here in West Leeds, growing so we can help even more people in the years ahead.”