The award was the latest in a string on wins for co-owners Holly McBride-Donaldson and Jennie Moyse following their acquisition of the business in November 2017. They have since won eight awards in the last five years, six local and two national awards.
Holly McBride-Donaldson has been with Club Zest for twenty years, originally starting out as a receptionist then being promoted to manager in 2002. She is now the co-owner of the gym with Jennie Moyse, who has been a trainer with Club Zest for seven years, working as a gym instructor and personal trainer for three years before acquiring the business alongside Holly in 2016.
Holly said: “When the previous owner announced back in May 2016 she was retiring and wanted to give Jennie and I the opportunity to purchase the business I knew it was an offer we could not pass up. I’ve never ever seen myself working anywhere else because the club and members mean so much to both of us.
“Being part of Club Zest is being part of a tight-knit community. Together, we all partake in group challenges, trips away and charity fundraising. We have previously raised £10,000 for local charities, including The Bradley Lowrey Fund, Wearside Women In Need, Breast Cancer UK, St. Benedict’s Hospice, Sunderland Soup Kitchen and Sunderland Royal Hospital.”
Club Zest has a dedication to supporting the local community and the needs of its client base. Jennie has supported a variety of women over the years through her teaching. Member of Club Zest, Frances Smith said: “In 2017, I suffered a major stroke which despite months of rehabilitation has left me with some long-term disabilities. Joining Zest has made such a difference to my physical and mental wellbeing.
“I was unsure if I would be able to become a member because of my physical disabilities but the team at Zest took their time to get know me, and what my strengths and weaknesses were. Going to zest gives me a purpose and something positive I can focus on to continue to help my recovery. Zest is more than just a gym to me, it is a community that is inclusive, caring and fun, which I am so grateful to be part of.”
Jennie said: “There are different memberships at the gym available, to suit the needs of the individual. However, all memberships include an induction and regular progress checks. This is all part of the process involved in helping members to achieve their personal fitness goals. The induction includes a full health analysis and a chat about the lifestyle habits of the individual.
“An individual program is then created for the person with clear and realistic expectations, and they are supported by an instructor until they are confident with the use of the gym.”
Holly and Jennie’s first port of call as owners was to completely refurbish the gym, spending £12,000 on renovations to give the gym a more modern style to match their new approach. They celebrated the refurbishment with a grand re-opening, to which regular members of the gym attended, as well as interested members of the public. Since then they have continued to invest money into the business, introducing new equipment and redecorating.
Another factor in Holly and Jennie’s new mission was to extend the opening hours of the gym, opening at 6am and putting on early morning classes in order to become more easily accessible for the members.
Natasha McDonough, Chair of Sunderland Area of North East of England Chamber of Commerce and MD of MMC Research & Marketing has been a member of the gym for over six years. She said; “Congratulations to Club Zest and its owners Jennie and Holly who have put Sunderland on the national map for the organisation’s holistic approach to health and wellbeing.
“I am delighted that Holly, Jennie and the team have been recognised for the fantastic work which they do within the Sunderland community and their dedication to supporting local women. I am a proud member of the gym and can wholeheartedly say that this award is very much deserved.”
Holly said: “I wanted to make my own changes, offer more services and create a wider community. I wanted to build on an already successful club.”
A variety of fitness classes are also available every day of the week. Jennie said: “The classes include popular and well-known forms of exercise, such as Yoga, Spinning, Pilates and Zumba. But if you are after something different and want to try out a new way of getting fit, there is also the inclusion of new fitness trends, such as Piloxing, which is a blend between Pilates and Boxing, Pound which is a form of cardio using weighted drumsticks, Retro Aerobics, Clubbercise, and much more.”
Government guidelines and forced closures of gyms certainly created challenges for the team at Club Zest, but the resilience and dedication of the team allowed them to continue supporting members throughout with digital classes and a personable, friendly and bespoke approach with their members. Jennie said: “It was a difficult time for us, but we got through it and are so happy to see our members back in the gym. We want to hugely thank Sunderland Council for supporting us with grants.”
Winning the National Fitness Award for Ladies Only Gym of the Year is a huge achievement for Holly, Jennie, and Club Zest as a whole. Holly said: “We are delighted that the club has been recognised for providing health and wellbeing support to local women and look forward to continuing.”
