Our co-operative
We are proud to be the first cooperatively-run gym in the UK.
Â
A co-operative is “an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned enterprise”.
Â
Being a co-operative means the gym is run by the people who use it, so all decisions are made in the interests of our collective health.
Â
Anyone who comes to our classes is welcome to join and get involved. In the co-op you’ll meet other brilliant people, co-create your dream gym, and help pioneer this unique approach.
Â
Benefits of membership
Â
- Feel more motivated and engaged in your health
- Make decisions on how the gym is run
- Input on classes and workshops
- Connect with people with shared values
- Opportunity to gain skills to take into employment
- Try out a new skill
- Access our open gym sessions for free
- 10% off sessions and workshops
Joining our co-op
- We use a pay-what-you-can model for determining membership fees, ranging from ÂŁ10-ÂŁ50 for the year.
- When you sign up you’ll receive an e-mail providing more information about how the co-operative functions and an invitation to join our discussion platform, Loomio, and the shared Drive folder we use.
- In the co-op you’ll meet other brilliant people, co-create your dream gym, and help pioneer this unique approach.
- We have General Meetings four times a year. There are subgroups dedicated to specific aspects of running the gym that may meet more frequently. The only criterion for membership is to attend at least two of our four General Meetings in the year, and this can be done remotely.
What being a member involves
Here’s a few examples of what co-operative members have done in the past:
- Help co-design our dream gym
- Organise socials, workshops and events
- Apply for funding
- Design and illustration
- Help with manual jobs
- Â Connect with other local cooperatives
Members are expected to play an active role in decisions around the gym. The minimum we expect is for people to attend 2 general meetings a year. These are usually held online.
Â