Pilates venture takes off after £750,000 investment

A West Midlands fitness entrepreneur is expanding her business after investing heavily to transform a vacant building into a thriving wellbeing hub.

Lauren Sankey has invested more than £750,000 to create a new Pilates studio in Lower Gornal, converting a disused site on Zoar Street into a modern fitness venue.

Trading as The Pilates Girl, the studio features a 10-bed reformer space, dedicated mat and personal training rooms, and an infrared sauna, designed to offer a comprehensive wellbeing experience.

The business has quickly built momentum, attracting more than 700 clients and creating several part-time jobs, with further recruitment planned.

Lauren said: “I’ve been absolutely blown away by the response since we officially opened our doors – after a near eight-month transformation project.

“Pilates is a real passion of mine, and I wanted to bring the experience to as many people as possible, regardless of age, ability or experience. 

“Once I passed my mat, pre and post-natal Pilates, small equipment and reforming qualifications, I knew it was the right time to make the dream become a reality and launch my own studio.

“Thanks to family backing, we were able to buy the building in Zoar Street at auction and then went about designing what we wanted from scratch. 

“Nearly £750,000 has been channelled into taking a derelict, crumbling two-story old office and transforming it into something really special.

“My husband’s business, S&R Construction, completed all the building work and I believe Lower Gornal now has access to a studio that wouldn’t be out of place in Birmingham, Manchester or London.”

A key feature of the studio is an on-site crèche, providing childcare support for parents looking to attend classes.

Building on The Pilates Girl’s early success, Lauren is now planning to introduce an organic café, offering healthy food and drinks to complement the fitness offering and create a social space for customers.

She added: “There’s a real community feel here and that’s something I want to build on. 

“The café should be open in a few months, and we’ll be looking for a chef to come in and run it in partnership with us.”

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