Jobs saved as former DW Fitness Club prepares to reopen

At least nine jobs have been saved at a former DW Fitness Club in Bolton.

The chain entered administration on August 8, when Wigan-based retailing and fitness group DW Sports pulled the plug on the business.

The chain operated 73 gyms and 75 retail sites across the UK.

The retail business is being wound down but it was hoped to protect as many jobs and gyms as possible through a restructuring process.

Now, the former DW Fitness Club in Bolton is to reopen under new ownership, with landlord The Emerson Group stepping in to save the venue.

The gym, which is on the Burnden Park retail park on Manchester Road, closed its doors on August 4.

When administrators BDO were unable to find a new operator to run the Bolton gym, The Emerson Group, which owns the retail park, decided to take on the facility itself.

The move has saved the jobs of nine members of staff who were made redundant following the closure.

Some of the centre’s self-employed personal trainers have also agreed to return to the venue and it is hoped that many of the club’s 3,300 former members will follow suit.

The gym, which has been rebranded Burnden Park Fitness Academy, will reopen on Thursday, August 27.

Situated on the ground floor of the building, facilities include a large holistic studio for yoga and meditation, a functional area, spinning studio, free weights section, and large class studio, as well as an indoor swimming pool, spa, sauna and steam room.

Beth Tweddle Gymnastics, a training academy for children run by the former Olympic gymnast, has recently opened on the first floor of the building, which was previously occupied by the DW Sports store.

Kirsty Humphries, the gym’s general manager, said that being able to return to the venue with her colleagues was a “dream come true.”

She said: “The last few weeks have been a real emotional rollercoaster.

“A lot of hard work had gone into getting the gym ready to open up again following lockdown, so to be told less than two weeks after we had reopened that the doors would be closed permanently and that we would all lose our jobs was absolutely devastating.

“We are a very close-knit team and are friends outside of work, so to be able to tell them that the gym would be reopening and that they could have their jobs back was an amazing feeling.

“Fitness is our passion so to be able to stay in the industry and return to the same venue with the same colleagues is a dream come true for us.”

She added: “We are very much a family club. There’s a real feeling of community and this gives us the opportunity to bring back members who have had to go elsewhere and who miss the unique service that we provide.

“We have a huge space here which means we haven’t had to take out kit or reduce capacity to meet social distancing guidelines.

“Having the backing of a company like The Emerson Group is fantastic and gives us a great platform from which to improve the member experience even further.

“It’s also great to have someone of Beth Tweddle’s stature in the same building.

“Although we are separate ventures, we complement each other very well and are planning to work closely together.

“She is offering a free trial to children of our members and there’s a real opportunity for parents to drop their children off at the academy and then use the facilities here.”

Simon Wilson, a director of Emerson Group, said: “As a company, we have made a huge investment in Bolton over the years, not only at Burnden Park but also at Middlebrook Retail & Leisure Park, in the refurbishment of the Last Drop Village Hotel and Spa, and through our housebuilding division, Jones Homes, which has built several developments in the area.

“Our decision to take on the former DW Fitness Club and to reopen it as Burnden Park Fitness Academy underlines our commitment to the town.

“As well as ensuring the survival of a popular and well-used fitness club, it will also benefit other businesses on the retail park and support local jobs and the wider economy, which is particularly important in these uncertain times.”