Castle Gym to launch fundraising campaign for homelessness charity
A Nottingham gym which has been forced to close after 40 years in business is set to bow out by raising funds for a local homelessness charity.
Castle Gym will be donating the price of visits, memberships and “legacy merchandise” from its final week in operation to Emmanuel House as owner Luke Willmott and his team prepare to close the doors of the iconic facility for the last time.
The gym is set to close at the end of the month following a protracted battle over its future.
Willmott said: “It’s no secret that we have been forced to leave and sadly, we are going. It is hugely painful to us all as we’ve got a huge history here and we are a major hub for so many people but just down the road from us and indeed across the city, are people who do not have any home.
“The work the team at Emmanuel House do is crucial for so many people. We may be losing our home but we can still try to do something positive, even throughout this painful process, by passing our fees and merchandise income over to these guys to support their incredible work.
“I’ve just been to see their Winter Shelter which has re-opened on University Park where they can offer short-term emergency accommodation for up to 27 people per night. It is a fantastic facility, using space that would otherwise be vacant but it will cost them circa £1000 to run it every night. Our aim throughout our final month here at Castle Gym is to raise enough to support them for at least a day.”
Lauren Howatson, marketing and fundraising officer at Emmanuel House, said: ‘With no statutory funding for our core services, we rely on donations from individuals, schools, fundraising and businesses like Castle Gym to continue providing much needed support and services to the homeless and vulnerably housed in Nottingham.
“We know Luke and the gym team from past funding activities they have partnered with us on and we were delighted when he got in touch to see if they could help us again. It is most generous that at a time when they are sadly set to close their doors for the final time, they are helping us to open ours once again.”
Willmott added: “If this is to be the final month and last days for this historic place, let’s at least do something that provides hope for the future for other people here in Nottingham. It is all too easy when running a business to have a narrow focus on the day-to-day. Sometimes you need to look up and around you and help where you can.”
