When personal trainer Frank moved his fitness community into a converted barn on a Surrey estate, he had a clear vision: a place where people who hate the gym could finally feel at home. With support from the Surrey Economic Growth Fund, that vision is becoming a reality.
Frank has been a personal trainer for two decades, and in that time, he noticed something that mainstream fitness has largely ignored.
“There is an opportunity to help people who do not want to be in gyms, or leisure centres and health clubs as the environment just doesn’t suit them,” he said.
That insight shaped his business, Fit With Frank, and his focus has been on helping people who don’t see themselves as the traditional gymgoer. He was mainly doing one-to-ones, but during the pandemic, Frank delivered home workouts online – which suited his audience. But as lockdowns lifted, something shifted.
“Post-Covid, people wanted to be back with other humans again,” he said. “So I started running group classes, and it got bigger and bigger. I had this crew of people who wanted to exercise and have a laugh.”
Not your typical gym location
In January 2026, Frank moved into a private barn on the Priory Farm Estate in South Nutfield, Surrey – a world away from the busy strip-lit gyms his clients want to avoid. The space has been fitted out with better floors, benches, weights and storage, and has an unmistakably relaxed feel.
“It’s got a sofa and a telly,” Frank added. “People feel comfortable.”
Frank said his clientele is largely aged over 40, with strength training for long-term health at the heart of what’s on offer.
“It’s giving them the confidence to say: I can do this stuff,” he said. “There is a definite demand for this.”
Until recently, Fit With Frank was built entirely around Frank himself – one-to-one sessions that, however popular, have a natural ceiling. The Economic Growth Fund grant has helped him make a pivotal shift: investing in the new space and equipment, and building towards a business that can grow beyond him.
“It is just me at the moment,” he said. “The growth fund will help us to grow. We need to be building a business that can go beyond me. The Growth Fund has helped – it has really accelerated it.”
Frank’s ambition is to recruit a like-minded trainer – someone who shares his values but might not thrive in a conventional setting. “Someone who is great with people but does not want to be in the mainstream gyms,” he said.
Fit With Frank knows its purpose and is solving a clear problem – helping people who feel excluded from mainstream fitness to build strength, community and confidence, all in a setting that is genuinely different. It’s a great example of how creative thinking can really take a business to the next level.
The Surrey Economic Growth Fund
To date almost £2 million has been awarded to dozens of recipients across the county via the Surrey Economic Growth Fund. This funding has helped to unlock significant match funding and private investment, growing Surrey’s economy by £9 million.
Any Surrey business looking for funding or help to grow can receive fully-funded support from Business Surrey. Get in touch to find out more via our Contact us form.
