From care home director to award-winning fitness franchisee

Jaspal Singh embraced the local community to establish an award-winning Anytime Fitness franchise

Jaspal Singh had always been passionate about helping others in the local community, even becoming a director for a care home company in Peterborough. With health and fitness being regularly incorporated into the care home’s daily activities, Singh realised his desire to take this passion one step further.

“I asked myself on several occasions how I can continue to benefit people’s lives away from the care home,” said Singh. “So, I immediately considered whether opening a gym was feasible.”

After conducting research into opening his own gym, difficulties temporarily halted his plans. However, it wasn’t long before Singh started looking into gym franchising. His background in healthcare gave him the confidence to combine this experience alongside opening a gym, and he soon came across Anytime Fitness UK.

Attracted by the gym’s premium facilities, equipment, and homely feel, the Essex-based franchisee was particularly impressed by Anytime Fitness UK’s commitment to making a positive impact within its club’s local community.

Although Singh did not possess any prior fitness experience, once he made the decision to become an Anytime Fitness franchisee, the company’s support office was there to help every step of the way, including signing his franchise agreement and choosing the equipment and layout for the gym.

“Anytime Fitness’ franchisee engagement and training were critical during the club’s development plan,” said Singh. “Being given the choice of either a five or 10-year franchise agreement provided reassurance that I’d be able to recoup my initial investment over a longer time period. Their support office was always on hand to ensure any queries I had were answered quickly, always providing the correct guidance.”

To provide a memorable experience for the local community and mark the club’s opening day, Singh enlisted the support of the reigning World’s Strongest Man, Eddie Hall, to cut the ribbon at the new club, an experience he reflected on fondly: “Essentially, we wanted to celebrate the club’s opening in grand style and give the residents something to talk about. His appearance proved to be so popular that people were queuing down the street!”

However, Singh was aware that these high-profile appearances weren’t necessarily for everyone, and highlighted how the club’s community engagement stretched beyond regular gym-goers.

He explained: “The club’s staff always ensure there is a steady stream of inclusive community activities including paid-for nights out and charity events, of which notably have fundraised amounts up to £1,500 towards Mind, Anytime Fitness UK’s official charity partnership.

“When possible, I always try to ensure I link our club work back to where it all started – the care home industry – and donate money to local care homes in Peterborough and Essex so they can run special events for their residents.”

As a result of this work within and outside the gym, Anytime Fitness Peterborough was awarded the Peterborough Telegraph Gym of the Year, an accolade that Singh labels as a testament to his team and members’ engagement.

Since opening last year, the gym’s membership numbers have soared past 1,200, allowing Singh to quickly become cash positive within 18 months.