Anytime Fitness gym to open in Rectory Grove Leigh

Construction is underway for a new Anytime Fitness gym in the former Post Office building in Rectory Grove, which has been vacant for several years.

Due the planning consent given by Southend Council, the gym will not immediately be open 24/7 as most Anytime Fitness gyms are. However, the owners plan to try and secure the right to stay open that long down the line.

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As a franchised business, the gym will be owned and operated by married couple Tony and Zoe Georgiou, who grew up in Leigh.

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The gym opening represents a dream come true for Zoe, who’s excited to be able to bring a community-first facility to her hometown.

The former Post Office building (Image: Google Maps)

“When this opportunity came up to open a gym where I grew up, it was something we wanted to grab with both hands,” said Zoe.

“The former Post Office site is incredibly well known in the area and we want to transform it into somewhere that’s of real benefit to the local community.”

Zoe has inspiration to call upon from her own family, with her sister running The Refill Room, the popular zero waste, organic food shop on Elm Road.

A recently opened Anytime Fitness gym (Image: Anytime Fitness)

“We know how important community is to the local area and that will be a huge influence on how we operate the gym,” Zoe continued.

“We want to be more than a gym and support local people in improving their wellbeing, mental health and physical independence. It’s also important to us that we champion other businesses in the area and forming mutually beneficial partnerships will be a key part of our offering.”

Construction underway at the site (Image: Lloyd Price)

The new gym is set to create at least four jobs opportunities, with the club already actively recruiting for full-time and part-time roles.

There are a number of publicly available car parks within walking distance of the gym.

Elm Road car park is located 30 metres to the north of the site, provides 102 spaces and is open 24/7.

A further car park is located on North Street, located approximately 250 metres to the east of the site, and provides 34 spaces.

Anytime Fitness first opened in the UK in October 2010, and since that time has seen its club network steadily increase with around 160 clubs across the UK and Ireland.