A ladies-only gym in Preston which was one of the first locations to be started by a now nationwide chain has closed.
The Transform Hub Preston Ladies was located within the former Broughton Printers building at Oliver’s Place in Fulwood and opened in January 2019.
Part of the national Transform Hub brand the franchisee has called time on the sessions with the chief executive of the fitness brand saying this was ‘despite considerable efforts’ to ‘support improvements’.
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Blog Preston understands the gym closed with immediate effect on Friday 6 March – with members posting on social media about ‘being left up the creek without a paddle’ in their quest for physical fitness.
Chief executive of The Transform Hub, James Calderbank, has written directly to all members affected.
In a statement to Blog Preston he addressed the closure of the gym which has more than 180 members.
Mr Calderbank said: “The decision to close Transform Hub Preston Ladies was taken by the franchisees who operated the gym. The location holds significant personal meaning for me, as I previously led sessions there as a PT (personal trainer), I was closely involved with the community, and it was one of the first Transform Hub locations to open.
“While it is always disappointing when a location closes, maintaining a consistent, high-quality experience for members across the Transform Hub network must remain our priority. We worked closely with the franchisees and made considerable efforts to support improvements at the location. However, despite a number of steps taken to address operational factors, the experience being delivered locally was not consistently aligned with the standards our members should expect from a Transform Hub gym.
“The gym had built a strong community of close to 200 members. Our immediate priority was making sure members were looked after, which is why we stepped in as franchisor and contributed to ensure that members who had paid in advance receive refunds for any unused time. The majority of refunds have already been processed, with the remaining handful expected to be completed within the next 7-10 working days.
“We are currently helping members transition from the now-closed gym in Fulwood to the Transform Hub gym in Bamber Bridge.”
The gym brand – which offers personal lifestyle and fitness coaching – now has 3,700 active members and 25 locations across the UK with a further 11 planned to launch this year.
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