Harborough gym has been forced to close by the Covid-19 crisis

A leading Market Harborough gym has been forced to close by the Covid-19 crisis.

The owners of the Training Shed said they are axeing the fitness centre off St Mary’s Road with a “heavy heart”.

They are acting after losing thousands of pounds since closing in mid-March days before the lockdown was imposed.

The company told gym users and clients on Friday June 19: “It is with a heavy heart that we now have to announce that the Training Shed in Market Harborough will not reopen and will be closed down on a permanent basis from today.

“The business, as you will understand, has suffered significantly from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The ongoing running costs of the business during lockdown and the inability to be able to provide and charge for our normal services have resulted in a situation we never thought possible.

“We have worked tirelessly throughout the entire lockdown period to see how the facility could reopen in a safe, effective and financially viable way.

“The seriousness of the situation unfortunately means that re-opening under social distancing guidelines and rules to maintain safety are not financially viable for our operations of this site.”

They added: “We would like to thank our team for sticking by us the whole way, their health, safety, and wellness has always come first along with that of our members which is why we closed our doors on the 17th March, days before being instructed to do so.

“We will always prioritise our people over profit.

“We would like to also thank those who have continued to support us during this time, none of the acts of kindness and support towards us have gone unnoticed.

“The closing of the Training Shed in Market Harborough is a saddening time for all involved but it is far from the end for Training Shed.

“We remain committed to the future growth of our business - albeit a future delivered on a different platform.”

The owners has had to shut two of its four local sites – but is striving to keep almost all of its staff despite the twin coronavirus blows.

And they are rapidly developing an “online tool to track your own personal health and wellbeing”.

“To find out what your wellbeing score is and receive a free 52-page e-book full of helpful tips designed to improve all aspects of your health and wellness follow this link to our website https://www.trainingshed.com/wellbeing-score/”