A NEW gym to "improve health and wellbeing" has been launched in St Helens town centre with the help of Saints coach Kristian Woolf.

Established in 2009, family-run HAMMA, on the corner of North Road and Duke Street, has opened a new two-floor gym, HAMMA Fitness, for community use.

This adds to its mixed martial arts, Brazilian jui-jitzu, and youth academies which have more than 700 members from as young as four-years of age, with fighters from all around the UK coming to train at the St Helens site.  

The business has started the new venture after securing £48,000 grant funding from St Helens Borough Council as part of the Metro Mayor’s £500,000 Town Centre Fund initiative.  

Launched in July 2021, the grant scheme aimed to develop investment and growth in town centres, enabling businesses to carry out extensive improvement works as part of their recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.  

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Located in the basement and mezzanine floor of the existing building - with weights, treadmills cross-trainers and a chillout area among the facilities - HAMMA Fitness has been designed to be a friendly and welcoming space, open for everyone to use - regardless of martial arts experience or ability - with the academies also running an additional needs session on a Friday.  

Speaking at the official opening event on Saturday (January 22) - which saw Saints head coach and HAMMA member, Kristian Woolf, cut the ribbon alongside St Helens Borough Council’s cabinet member for education, skills and business, Cllr Kate Groucutt - Caroline Martin, who runs HAMMA with husband Sean, said: “The support we have received from the council during the application process has been fantastic and we’re grateful for this funding opportunity which has helped us achieve our dream of expanding and improving our family business.  

“Being based in the town centre, we’re excited about the redevelopment plans and believe we can play our part.”  

Caroline, who grew up in the Marshalls Cross area of St Helens before moving to Rainhill, added: “Having represented St Helens all over the world, we are very proud of where we come from and have fighters from as far as Scotland coming down to train three times a week. To give people like that a reason to spend more time in St Helens while they’re here is key to the town’s growth, and we need to work together as a community to make it a better place.”  

St Helens Star:

Kristian Woolf and Cllr Groucutt inside the new facility

Cllr Kate Groucutt, added: “Having dealt with restrictions and uncertainty during the pandemic, it’s great to see town centre businesses in the health and fitness sector like HAMMA come out the other side and expand their offer.    

“These new facilities will help secure jobs, as well as attracting visitors to our town centre, so I’m delighted we could assist though the Metro Mayor’s Town Centre Fund.    

“One of our top priorities is supporting our town centres to be vibrant places that residents can be proud of, with investment from new and existing businesses alongside the council’s exciting regeneration plans.   

“Having passionate ambassadors for St Helens like Caroline and Sean, who have chosen to grow their business in St Helens town centre, is a sign of the exciting future for our borough, and I wish them the best of luck on what I’m sure will be a successful journey.   

“Over the coming weeks I look forward to meeting many of the other businesses in Earlestown and St Helens town centres that are benefitting from the Metro Mayor’s Town Centre Fund and are making the borough a great place to live, work, visit and invest.”     

Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “Getting town centres and high streets in all parts of our region back on the up has been a priority for me since I was first elected. During my first term, I launched a £6m Mayoral Town Centre Fund, which is benefitting communities like St Helens through projects like these. 

“I know that town centres across the country are facing an existential crisis and the pandemic has only made that worse. But I’m committed to helping reimagine and regenerate these spaces and put them back at the heart of our community. Everyone should have a vibrant local high street that is a hub for people to meet, eat, shop and socialise.”