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New community-focused gym opens

Kofi Smiles,in Hulland
Eleanor Maslin,East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
BBC Nadia Ali - a woman wearing a white blazer and black top - is holding up two black weights in a gym. There are mirrors behind her.BBC
Nadia Ali is the project manager for the women and girl's department at The Peel Project

A new gym, aiming to bring people "of all walks of life" together, has opened in Hull.

The facility, on Leonard Street, opened on Wednesday and was set up by The Peel Project, a local charity which helps individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

The charity said the gym was designed to be inclusive, with features such as a women's gym, boxing sessions, family support and coached sessions with affordable memberships.

Jamal Choudhury, one of the founding directors at the project, said: "There are a lot of people who feel unsafe and for this space to be for people of all walks of life to come together, that's what is needed in our city."

Jamal Choudhury - a man with black hair and short black stubble - is wearing bright blue boxing gloves and resting them over the side of a boxing ring. He is smiling into the camera and wearing a black top.
Jamal Choudhury says he hopes the gym will bring people in the city together

Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside's Kofi Smiles, Choudhury said, with the help of partners, the charity had managed to "transform a rundown building into a state-of-the-art facility" which supports people who struggle financially.

The group decided to set up the gym last year after it was donated several pieces of equipment by Places Leisure, a UK social enterprise.

Choudhury said: "We want to target the people that face the most inequalities and people that haven't accessed gyms before.

"We've seen the impact it's had on building communities and improving health and wellbeing."

Nadia Ali, project manager for the women and girl's department at the Peel Project, said the new gym was "well overdue" in Hull.

"It's a huge positive step into making healthcare and gym services accessible to the wider community," she said.

Peel Street Project Street art on Peel Street in Hull, which includes the project's logo in bright colours.Peel Street Project
The Peel Project helps families from ethnic minority backgrounds and the communities they live in

Ali said, before the gym was created, the charity heard there was "a huge lack of women going to the gym because they didn't feel comfortable or supported".

"We've worked really hard to alleviate all those barriers," she added.

This includes incorporating a £10 a month membership for women to access the gym, personal trainers and a free creche service during the week.

The gym received funding and support from more than 20 organisations, including Hull and East Yorkshire Mind and Hull City Council.

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