Coronavirus: Fundraiser raises over £3,000 after Fratton martial arts gym Gym01 is forced to close

Adam Lake, from Portsmouth has set up a fundraiser to help save mixed martial arts gym, Gym01, in Rodney Road, Fratton from closing after members have cancelled their memberships and the owners are worried they may struggle to keep it afloat.

Adam said: ‘I have been a member of Gym01 for a few years and it has had a huge impact on my life. It is a home from home and a place where I can relieve any stress from the “outside world”. I know I can speak for many Gym01 members when I say the gym is a space where we can all honestly express ourselves through martial arts. It would be greatly upsetting and heartbreaking to see Gym01 fail to carry on after this all dies down.’

So far the GoFundMe page has received over £3,000 of donations from other passionate gym-goers like Adam.

The money will go towards paying the gym’s 17 staff members, as well as trainers and coaches who work on a self-employed basis but are paid for the classes they hold.

Co-owner Gareth Johnson said: ‘To see how much Gym01 meant to everyone is really the most humbling part of it and it’s what we have been working hard on building something in the city so people can feel like they have a second home.’

The gym’s self-employed coaches are paid by Gareth and Brian to hold classes on a monthly basis.

The two are going to use the funds to continue to pay the coaches until the end of the month as if the gym was still open and they were holding classes as normal.

Gareth said: ‘People have been generous to us so we want to continue that spirit to our coaches. It wasn’t just for the gym it is for the whole community.

‘We’ve just spent a lot of money to open a 24-hour gym too, so it’s absolutely devastating.’

You can help out with the fundraiser by going to www.gofundme.com/f/keep-gym01-alive