One Element looks beyond London

One Element is keen to bring its unique social fitness brand to people across the UK.

One Element’s founder has been talking about his desire to take his unique fitness franchise to a wide range of people across the country. Currently, One Element has 450 members who train across nine London park locations, but with founder Tom Marien’s recent decision to begin franchising his business, he’s hoping to attract ambitious fitness professionals that can take his successful business model to more locations.

The fitness franchise offers an alternative to traditional anti-social gyms and runs fitness sessions in parks across the capital. Its members are able to get outside and enjoy the fresh air while they connect with other fitness fans of all capabilities. One Element is reintroducing the social element to fitness that has been lost in many health clubs, as modern technology means we can block out those around us.

Marien explained how he was inspired to start his business 12 years ago after witnessing the positive effect of camaraderie at rugby pre-season training.

“I was managing a gym in Clapham Old Town and joined a rugby club, Old Wimbledonians. There were only two teams, yet 60 players would turn up for pre-season training, aged from 16 to 60 years old. The energy, laughter, high-fives and banter made the sessions great fun and they welcomed all new players with open arms. Everyone was included and they'd often finish with a drink in the bar.”

He added that the stark contrast between this fun environment and the “socially sterile” atmosphere of the gym spurred him on to create his own business. Now, he’s been working hard to enable others to run their very own outdoor fitness clubs. Marien said:

"This summer, after 12 months of developing the franchise business, we are launching a turnkey package that enables the right people to invest in their future and launch their own business in a matter of weeks."