Business angel to give backing to gym group’s expansion plans

Mr Ewin, from Leeds, is an experienced business angel who sold his legal software group, Visualfiles, to a US company in 2006.

He has joined Xercise4less’ managing director, Jon Wright, from Wetherby, to support the company’s expansion across Yorkshire and the North.

Terms were agreed this week on the new Stockton fitness centre on New Street, Mandale Triangle in Thornaby.

It follows the launch of the company’s Wakefield health centre which opened last October, and has already tripled membership to more than 6,000.

Mr Ewin is co-director of Ewin Woodward Developments, of Boston Spa near Leeds, with Mark Woodward, his former managing director at Visualfiles. The company invests in and advises small and medium-sized companies in the Yorkshire area.

Mr Ewin said yesterday: “I have known Jon Wright for many years and have followed his progress with Xercise4less with great interest. Jon was a pioneer of the budget gym model in Northern England at his gym in Xscape, Castleford.

“He then repeated, if not surpassed that success, at his second gym in the old Allied Carpets Warehouse on Denby Dale Road, Wakefield, where it continues to grow rapidly. The objective is now to accelerate our expansion plans across Yorkshire and the North East”.

Xercise4less is now in advanced negotiations on further sites across Yorkshire and the North and talks are continuing to agree lease terms on a number of properties. Further announcements will be made soon.

Mr Ewin added; “I will be providing mentoring and business support to Jon, rather than finance, and giving him the benefit of experience drawn from managing a worldwide operation with 150 staff. His plans are incredibly exciting.”

Mr Wright said: “We are delighted to be working with Neil who is a real business heavyweight.”