A gym near Chester has become the biggest independent gym in the county after reopening in much larger premises. Aptitude Health & Fitness in Farndon has tripled in size and moved next door into a 16,000sq ft warehouse on Monument Place Business Park.

Family, friends and gym goers came together to transform the empty warehouse into the brand new gym which offers more facilities to more people in the community.

Over 250 supporters raised more than £31,000 in a successful crowdfunding campaign towards the expansion and relocation of the gym, beating its target. The money helped to speed up the build and allowed people who pledged money to access a wide variety of rewards.

Aptitude’s founder Gareth Preston, a former athlete from Huntington in Chester, also invested £200,000 into the build. The new gym has a gym floor twice the size with 78 machines, showers and changing rooms, more social space and outside seating and a kitchen for the Hideaway Café, which is open all day.

New longer opening hours are now on offer as well as a dedicated boxing space, a DJ booth, a functional area for HYROX and an increased 40 classes a week. Monthly memberships are available as well as pay-as-you-go.

A phase two will see an additional two studios being installed including a holistic studio and a spin studio.