PureGym

A Leeds-based gym operator that opened its first low-cost, 24/7 gym in Leeds city centre in 2009 and now runs gyms across the whole of the UK.

About PureGym

PureGym runs gyms where members get the equipment, the space and a friendly team without paying for extras such as pools or cafes. Its own site describes this as low-cost, no-frills fitness, with a free app, classes, personal training and workout content on top. The Yorkshire Post says the company pioneered 24/7, low-cost, no-contract gym memberships in the UK. The about page headline figures are more than 700 gyms and more than two million members, but those figures cover all of its countries, which the Yorkshire Post lists as the UK, Denmark, Switzerland and the USA, among others.

The first PureGym opened on Cloth Hall Street in Leeds city centre in November 2009. The company describes itself as having started as 'a small underdog with a big belief'. Its stated mission is to inspire healthier nations. Group chief executive Clive Chesser said that mission has always driven the business, and a CEO interview from an earlier period (Humphrey Cobbold, then chief executive) used almost identical words. The about page adds that 'everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy a fit & healthy lifestyle', and describes its aim as 'feel-good fitness, not just physical fitness', meaning strength plus mental wellbeing and confidence.

The registered office is Town Centre House, Merrion Centre, Leeds, and the company calls itself the UK's largest gym operator. Its UK gyms are listed in London, the North of England (including Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle), the East, the West (including Bristol), the South (including Brighton, Oxford and Southampton), the Midlands, Scotland (Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow), Wales (Cardiff) and Northern Ireland (Belfast). In the Yorkshire Post story about its 700th gym, in Pontefract, the company called the opening a return to its roots, because the site is about 16 miles from the first club. That opening created nine new jobs, which gives a sense of how many people work in a single gym.

On culture, the about page stresses a warm welcome, a gym that should not feel intimidating, and 'a team who genuinely cares'. It says its UK and Swiss gyms hold FITcert Level 4, an independent audit it says fewer than 4% of European gyms reach. It also promotes women-focused and student memberships and a safety initiative called TrainSafe. These are the company's own statements, not something we have checked.

A gym chain employs people in several kinds of role. In each gym there are team members who welcome members and look after the clubs, and personal trainers, who have their own route in via the company's site. Behind them are head office teams in Leeds such as property, marketing, app and digital, finance, people and customer support. If you enjoy sport, helping people feel confident, or working with data and technology that keeps a big business running, this is a company where those interests lead to many kinds of job.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Gyms open 24/7 in many locations, with no-contract memberships and a focus on equipment and space.', 'title': 'Low-cost gyms'}
• {'desc': 'Group classes and one-to-one coaching, with a separate route for becoming a PureGym personal trainer.', 'title': 'Classes and personal training'}
• {'desc': 'A free app and workout content for members.', 'title': 'App and online workouts'}

Key facts

• First gym opened on Cloth Hall Street, Leeds, in November 2009
• Registered office at the Merrion Centre in Leeds; gyms in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Mission in the company's words: to inspire healthier nations
• Holds FITcert Level 4 across its UK and Swiss gyms (company claim)

Website: www.puregym.com