Deptford: I quit my high-flying marketing job and spent my life savings turning empty railway arch into gym

Before leaving her previous job, Kim Mansell put in 16 hours days to realise her dream of setting up the group training studio in Deptford.

The 36-year-old did personal training in the morning before heading to her 9-to-5, earning £50,000, and then spent the evenings planning the gym project. Her hard work eventually paid off in February when she left her former job and opened Après London.

Lewisham Council granted planning permission for the project a month earlier in January. Ms Mansell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that she wanted to create something for the community where she lives.

She said: “The thing with Deptford is, we know it’s up and coming. But I live here. It’s my local community. I love the fact I built this here, on my doorstep, where I’m already part of the community.

“I had £10,000 in savings: [that’s] wiped out completely, gone. That was my only buffer. I have no family that I can go stay with. It’s just me. It’s a massive risk. If it doesn’t work, I lose everything. It’s all or nothing.”

In 2022, Deptford High Street was named one of the coolest 33 streets in the world following a vote by Time Out magazine. The southern half of the high street has undergone a £2.1 million refurbishment in recent years, according to Lewisham Council.

Membership prices at Après London begin at £125 for nine classes per month. While the cost comes in a lot higher than the average monthly gym membership, Ms Mansell said she thought the small class sizes (six people to one personal trainer) and community aspect of group training made the extra price well worth it.

She added: “If you’re someone that’s not very good at sticking to their goals, being part of a fitness community is the best way for you to stay motivated and committed to your goals.”

If the gym is a success, Ms Mansell hopes to also eventually open a coffee shop in the arch on Resolution Way. But her ambitions extend beyond South East London.

She said: “I want to be able to make it work here for the next couple of years and then say to investors: ‘this is the big idea to take Central London, to take abroad’ and make a huge impact on the fitness sector.”