It started with yoga brunches in Sunderland - meet the woman bringing wellness to Wearside and beyond

A woman who discovered yoga while travelling and brought her passion back to Sunderland is celebrating opening a new, larger studio in the city.

Claire Lormor started out offering ‘yoga brunches’ at Holmeside Coffee in the Winter Gardens in 2018 before going on to offer all manner of experiences to help boost wellness in Wearside.

Six years later, her ‘Wellness Space’ now has nine tutors hosting sessions on everything from energetic to relaxing yoga, beginners yoga to more advanced yoga, as well pregnancy yoga, beach yoga, and ‘Yoga & Brunch’ and ‘Yoga & Surf’ events. 

Her studio has now moved to larger premises at the North East BIC on Sunderland’s riverside after outgrowing its previous home.

“I discovered yoga when I lived in Vietnam and Canada in my 20s,” said Claire.

“When I moved back home to Sunderland in 2018, I wanted to create a space where I could share everything I learned and create a community of like-minded people who have a passion for movement.

“At first it was just me delivering classes in the local coffee shop but as word quickly began to spread and I started to develop a bit of a client base, I soon realised I was going to need my own space and opened my first dedicated studio. 

“It was a great starting point for me and served a purpose at the time, however as time went on and I started introducing new classes and bringing in new instructors, I soon realised I would have to move again and that is when I found our forever home at the BIC.”

One of the highlights of Claire’s early years in the city was Sunderland’s first ever wellness festival in 2019, an event which continues and has sold out for the past three years.

The full day of talks, movement, meditation and breathwork sessions accommodates more than 100 people at Sunderland's City Hall.

Claire said Wellness Space's move to the BIC has provided the much-needed studio space for them to deliver their variety of classes, events and workshops.

But it is also a base for her wider activities which extend beyond Sunderland.

Since launching in 2018, Claire’s company has hosted numerous wellness retreats across the North East and Yorkshire, from day trips to three-day breaks.

Wellness travel – which includes excursions such as yoga retreats – has risen in popularity over recent years courtesy of high-profile endorsements from celebrities such as Davina McCall. 

So much so, that travel giant Expedia reported a 30% increase in demand for wellness breaks between 2021 and 2022, and with more retreats in the pipeline for Wellness Space in 2024, Claire has high hopes for the business going forward.

Claire said: “The introduction of our new classes and the growing popularity of our retreats has really seen the business grow over the last few years and the new studio will be key to ensuring we are able to continue building our community and launching new services as we look to the future.

“The increased space will allow us to host bigger and better classes, the 24/7 access will accommodate early, evening and weekend sessions and the free parking and easy access to the A19, which may sound trivial, are things our customers are saying really make their lives easier.

“We also have plans to launch our own running and walking clubs over the coming months, so location wise, it is just ideal being placed so close to the riverbank and the coast-to-coast route. It really ticks all the boxes.”

Paul McEldon OBE, chief executive of the North East BIC, said: “We have made a real conscious effort over recent years to provide the best possible work-life balance for our customers and staff, so we are delighted to have Wellness Space joining us here at the BIC.

“As a company, it is really helping break down the barriers for people seeking to improve their mental health and wellbeing, while creating opportunities for local people who are passionate about supporting others and getting into the wellness industry, so I’m sure they’ll prove a very welcome addition to the BIC community.”