Jennifer Hackett, from Wirral, first developed the concept for Nomad Gym & Wellness during her own fitness journey eight years ago. A regular gym-goer, who also practiced yoga and attended meditation sessions, she found herself travelling all over the city region to attend various classes, as no facility offered them all in one place.

Nomad founder, Jennifer, said:

“I was frustrated by having to travel all over the city just to be able to do all the classes I wanted to, and it was crazy to me that no-one was putting the gym and other wellness practices together in one place. The idea for Nomad grew from that.”

After researching and visiting leading gym and wellbeing facilities in both the UK and US, Jennifer found that none were bringing the offers together and spotted a gap in the market. Building on her previous entrepreneurial experience – establishing a chain of beauty salons in the city at the age of 19, which she sold in 2008 – Jennifer started scoping potential locations.

She also developed a business plan to take advantage of a gap in the market within the North West area, and combine the best of physical fitness including equipment, instructors and classes, with industry-leading mindfulness, meditation, mental wellbeing and education under one roof, in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Several locations fell through before Jennifer saw a “for sale” sign go up outside Hoylake’s former library. Bathgate was introduced to Jennifer by her accountant Adam Brighouse, from DSG Chartered Accountants, to help develop the finance structure for her proposal to rent the building.

Although largely self-financed by Jennifer, additional funds were required to support the purchase of equipment and fit-out of the business. Bathgate was able to provide a £150,000 loan over five years from its own finance book, The Bathgate Capital Fund.

Jennifer continued:

“The location was perfect because it is right in the heart of the community in Hoylake. The team from Bathgate were so excited about the concept and understood my vision from the start, and the fact it is also Wirral business was important, as I wanted to work with local suppliers, so we could create a thriving community together. They were invaluable in helping us to put a robust finance structure in place for the businesses.

Despite facing stiff competition, with ten proposals from other potential tenants being submitted, Jennifer received the keys to the building at the end of 2024 and following extensive building work and a high-spec fit-out, Nomad Gym & Wellness is now open and welcoming new members.

Jennifer added:

“Bathgate came in and did everything we asked them to and more. Not only did they provide the finance we needed to get the project over the line. I knew that I could call them if I had a question and they would pick up the phone and help, which they did.

“This was also my first venture back into entrepreneurship after I took an 18-year break to bring up my children. I’d lost a lot of confidence, but Paul and the team at Bathgate made me feel so comfortable and supported. Nomad has been my dream for eight years, and seeing my vision become a reality with their help has been fantastic. Now I just can’t wait to welcome people into our space.”

Nomad boasts a 2,000 sq ft state of the art open plan gym on the ground floor, with a separate 1,000 sq ft space dedicated to all things mind and wellness. It offers hour-long fitness, Yoga and Pilates classes, and recovery rooms offering red light therapy and compression boots. Memberships start from £55 – £1.80 per day over the course of a month – and gym sessions and classes also available on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Paul Trickett, BDM at Bathgate Business Finance, said:

“Jennifer’s passion for this project shone through from the start and we could see that she had identified a unique gap in the local market. Her understanding of the sector, clear vision for what Nomad would look like, and her community focus made her a pleasure to work with. We are so pleased that The Bathgate Capital Fund was able to quickly provide the finance needed to get the project over the line and we can’t wait to see where Jennifer takes Nomad from here.”

Adam Brighouse, Senior Manager ‑ Corporate Finance at DSG added:

“DSG Chartered Accountants have proudly supported Jennifer for over five years and I was thrilled to support her through the financial planning stages of this project as part of DSG’s corporate finance advisory services. Nomad Gym & Wellness has been structured with long-term sustainability in mind, and it’s fantastic to see that thoughtful planning come to life in a successful gym launch. DSG Chartered Accountants will continue to support Nomad Gym & Wellness as they grow, providing ongoing bookkeeping and VAT services through our Virtual Finance Office (VFO).”

To find out more about Nomad Gym & Wellness, visit: https://www.instagram.com/nomadgym