Ravenscourt Bootcamp

What does your business do?

Ravenscourt Bootcamp runs group exercise session in our beautiful Ravenscourt Park at 07:00 and 09:15 on Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays.

What motivated you to do what you do?

I have been teaching for Ben Plenge’s Trilogy Bootcamp in Ravenscourt Park for a couple of years now – very convenient as an Askew resident! When Ben decided living in Bristol meant he was too far from the bootcamp to keep running it, I jumped at the chance to take on running it myself.

Ravenscourt Park is a stunning setting all the year through and with our lives increasingly led indoors, outdoor exercise offers us mental benefits absent in indoor exercise. The rest of the time I teach indoor group ex classes but find so much pleasure from experiencing the seasons in bootcamp.  Mostly though I enjoy the community aspect of teaching bootcamp – I love spending time with our members.

What is your Unique Selling Point?

That we offer fun friendly outdoor fitness – we are a civilian bootcamp without any of the intimidating military aspects! Our members and trainers are very supportive and we have a community that extends beyond the mornings in the park.

Who is your ideal customer/client?

People looking for an enjoyable and social way to incorporate regular exercise into their lives.  For the majority of our members, bootcamp becomes an integral part of their lifestyle and they stay for years.

Group exercise is very much about the group dynamic so it’s the people who come regularly who become the backbone of the group, the heart of our community.

People pass through with particular goals too – usually weight loss or a fitness kick for an event or holiday – which is great and changes the group dynamic for a short term. It’s always lovely when people come ‘for a month or two’ but end up staying longer.

Many of our members come anxiously to us with low fitness levels then they all find the regular exercise and the time outside in the fresh air significantly improves their energy and ability to cope with the stress of daily life.

What gives your business the edge over your competitors?

We share the park with British Military Fitness and a lot of personal trainers, and rather than being in competition, I think we all have different offerings.

I would absolutely direct someone who wants to be beasted in hard, fast, competitive workouts to BMF.

Bootcamp is more economic than personal training for those looking for regular exercise to improve and maintain their physical health – but I have personal trainer friends I would refer people to if they came to RBC needing to hit particular goals or performance targets on a timeframe or needing full, individual supervision.

For varied workouts incorporating individual, partner and team work, with an emphasis on correct technique and plenty of options for new people or those with injuries, and all in a supportive environment and with a range of economic membership options - we’re your ticket!

We’re also dog friendly (to obedient and supervised dogs).

Do you have a particular service or product you’d like to flag up here?

We have introduced more flexible membership options, so you can join for 3 sessions/week, 2 sessions/week or drop in with a range of multi-month discounts.

Exercise is best done regularly several times a week so I’m really happy for people who are participating in other form of exercise to drop in, but encourage anyone only doing bootcamp to attend 3 times a week to reap the most gains and benefits.

How do people get in touch with you? (Include as many ways as you like)

www.ravenscourtbootcamp.com

adele@ravenscourtbootcamp.com

07962 522 721

We welcome people to a free trial session to see what we’re about!

What is your biggest challenge in the current climate?

Summer!! Outdoor fitness isn’t for everyone for all the year so many of our regular year-round members go away June-Sept so we could do with more fair-weather exercisers who are home for the summer to top up numbers before the days start cooling and shortening again!

Where do you think your business will be in 5 year’s time?

I’d like to expand to offering evening sessions as well so that bootcamp runs 5 days a week instead of just 3 mornings and would love RBC to be a well-known and enjoyed local institution.

In five years I imagine I’ll be teaching bootcamp with a baby or two in tow though or finding more awesome instructors to help me with the teaching!

Has being a member of ABN helped your business?

I have just joined! I’m sure it will though.

What do you like about the Askew Road?

I moved here to be close to the park and therefore work, but have become really fond of the area.

I can do almost all of my shopping on Askew Road now, my partner and I love the specialty stores like Ginger Pig, the bakery and now Cake Me Baby which is DANGEROUSLY amazing!

 

We also enjoy the range of restaurants, pubs (we’re often in the Eagle and the Oak) and ‘coffices’ (café offices) on the road.

What do you think Askew Road will be like in 5 years time?

Right now I just can’t say because it’s in such a state of flux: I suspect all the new ‘luxury’ developments are going to put prices up more which may eventually drive long term renters like me out of the area. I hope I’m wrong.

I do hope the injection of people into these developments will mean Seven Stars Corner can succeed in keeping all its (often) closed shops open – it’s so sad seeing the empty windows.

I also hope the small businesses will survive rather than being swallowed up by high street chains – certainly the community support for local stores and institutions like the ABN suggest small business is safe here.

How easy is it to shop locally in Askew Road?

SUPER easy! And the true pleasure of Askew Road is the range of speciality shops. There’s even a cycle store around the corner on the Vale – Askew Road has everything my flat needs for general household/kitchen and for social occasions.

What are your favourite shops and businesses in Askew Road?

I only buy meat and eggs from Ginger Pig because I am very concerned about animal welfare in modern farming – so I’m really glad they’re so local.

I am a little obsessed with Cake Me Baby – I managed not to go into it for several months but I’m generally in there about once a week now. The cakes aren’t just good, they’re amazing (I am of the ‘eat well 90% of the time and then eat the cake!’ philosophy of healthy eating…).

I love the Eagle - mostly for their incredible ice cream menu, crazy home distilled spirits, garden and because they have my favourite white wine – and the Oak for pizza date night and a bottle of Vino Verde.

My partner is in October 26 Bakery every week for his bread and we love the occasional dive into Askew Wines.

I have just seen the new Detour Café brunch menu and may have to work my way gradually through their cake offerings as well.

I meet friends in Lavellis, Detour Café  or Fait Maison and use Costa as my primary coffice as they have power points and don’t need the tables in the way the smaller, local cafes do. I get grief from friends about using chain cafes but I always feel guilty if I’m taking up a table to type at when a smaller café is busy, and believe the larger cafes constitute vital infrastructure for local self-employed and entrepreneurial communities.

Dels is such a blessing for household items and you can’t beat having your doctor’s surgery and post office on your own road.

What shops and businesses do you think Askew Road lacks? 

Not that I cloth shop often but that’s what I’d end up in Westfield for. Otherwise I think we’re damn lucky!

Adele Kirby

Ravencourt Bootcamp