Former Royal Marine and Virgin Active personal trainer Joe Wright joins the innovative firm to head up its health and wellbeing initiatives, delivering group fitness classes, recreational sports events and one-to-one sessions for the firm’s 400-strong team.
As part of its approach to workplace wellbeing, UKFast has installed a fully equipped gym, sleeping pods, living walls, indoor water features and an ergonomic office design. A yoga teacher visits UKFast Campus twice a week and fresh fruit is delivered daily.
UKFast Managing Director Gail Jones said: “When I was preparing to return to work after maternity I used the Female Fitness Academy to help me get back into shape. Lawrence noticed my fixation with beating my own personal bests each week and signed up to use the same personal trainer.”
UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones said: “After a month of having PT sessions the uplift in energy and confidence was so great, we decided to test out the theory on the entire board of directors.
“One year on, the difference is overwhelming. So much so that we’ve taken the step to recruit a full-time expert to help us reach the wider team.
“We see a clear and direct correlation between our investment in the health and happiness of our team and their productivity levels, and this extra energy is visible when they are dealing with our customers.”
UKFast’s approach to the wellbeing of its team has seen it deliver 18 years’ double-digit organic growth, with the firm recently declaring £47m turnover for 2017.
Joe Wright said: “The ethos of having a wellness coach in a business is absolutely amazing. As soon as I walked through the door at UKFast and felt the energy around the building, I instantly understood why having a personal trainer and a gym in the office is a great move.
“The better you feel from the exercise you're doing, the more energy and positivity you carry into the rest of the day, and that can only be a good thing for the business.
“This isn’t all about getting buff or losing weight, it’s about helping people to hit their personal goals and supporting those who don’t exercise regularly. It’s surprising just how many people have anxiety, low self-esteem or a lack of confidence. My goal is to inspire everyone in the company.”
UKFast is sponsor of Sale Sharks, squash champion Laura Massaro, Diane Modahl’s Sports Foundation and two 10k runs in the Manchester area – the City of Salford 10k and the We Love Manchester 10k.