A city centre gym is flexing its muscles and going from strength to strength only a year after administrators locked the doors.
Staff at Fit24 in St  Stephen’s Shopping Centre faced losing their jobs and going without pay for their last month at work when the owner ran into financial problems in December 2012.

But an approach by the landlords for the property prompted Jack Burton to take on the business and turn his dream of running his own gym into reality.

Still only 21, Jack has driven a remarkable upturn and has made up for any lack of experience by bringing in a crack team to help – dad Graham, mum Cheryl and brother Joe!.

Jack said: “When the business collapsed and I decided to take it on we only had 400 members because the rest had all left. In just under a year we’ve increased that to 3,000 and we’re aiming for 5,000 in our two-year plan.”

Jack gave up the chance of a rugby league playing career to join Fit24 as an instructor in May 2010. He progressed to become a personal trainer and then assistant manager before the gym closed just before Christmas last year.
He said: “There wasn’t any explanation. We were just told the gym was closing. We wouldn’t be paid for the hours we had put in during December and members were signing up with other gyms.

“But the landlords for the property asked me if I would be interested in taking it on. I knew I wanted to run my own gym, I didn’t expect to get the opportunity until I was in my 30s but I took it anyway.”

Jack used his savings to buy the equipment and then to add to it, increasing the capacity and the quality of the gym. He paid the staff out of his own money, saving ten permanent jobs and three freelance roles, and he created a family feel, not just by bringing in his own relations but also by driving the creation of a strong online community among the members. Joe is a personal trainer, Cheryl takes care of stock and cleaning and Graham looks after the accounts.

As the name suggests, Fit24 is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and as one of the keenest trainers Jack wanders in at all hours – to keep in shape but also to develop the business.

He said: “We’ll be open on Christmas Day, I’ll be here and I’m sure a few other people will be as well.

“I know when the busiest times are and the quietest times. The members range from 13 years old up to people in their sixties. Evenings in the early part of the week are the busiest and the early hours are quite empty, but we still get from 60 to 80 people between midnight and 6am and that’s one area for us to build on.

“It’s a very specific market at that time of night – taxi drivers, people who work in nightclubs and casinos, take-away workers who bring us pizzas! We want more of those people, and we also want to attract back all the people who left us so they can see how much better the place is now.

“I am always here, always training and if I see something that’s not right I change it. I am very focused about how I want this business to develop.”

Kathryn Shillito, HUllBID City Centre Manager, said the revival of Fit24 was good news for businesses throughout Hull.
“This is a good example of businesses working together, with the team at St Stephen’s Shopping Centre working to encourage and support Jack at a time when he really needed their help,” said Kathryn.

“That has helped to safeguard a significant number of jobs and also benefits other businesses including those who supply Fit24 and those who have loyalty partnerships with Jack’s business.”

Pictured: Jack Burton (left) and family.