Gymshark, the fitness brand founded by Ben Francis, has donated £10,000 to the owner of a gym that was badly damaged by fire.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched by Harry Williams following the ‘devastating’ blaze at his gym, The Body Box Redditch.
His friend, Jay Sprigg, who came up with the idea for the fundraising appeal, said: “Anyone who knows Harry, or has trained at the gym, will know how much he puts into it. Seeing that hard work lost in a morning is heartbreaking.”
The original fundraising target was £18,000, but this has since been increased to £35,000 following Gymshark’s five-figure donation.
At the time of writing, the appeal had raised £24,774 from 364 donations.
Francis is the billionaire founder of Solihull-based fitness community and apparel brand Gymshark, which he launched in 2012.
In the early 2010s, he was juggling his studies at Aston University with delivering pizzas around Birmingham and late-night gym sessions.
However, it was his passion for fitness that ultimately inspired his entrepreneurial journey.
After experimenting with workout apps and a social network, he came up with the idea for Gymshark – and the rest is history.
Francis is reportedly in talks to buy back a stake in the business.
Gymshark has also expanded its presence in the US with the opening of its first public gym in Miami’s Wynwood district.
Earlier this year, Francis was included in BusinessCloud’s inaugural Founder 250 list.