Meet the three time national boxing champion whose new Sunderland gym packs a real punch

Located in Ryhope, Joe Hodgkinson Fitness caters for people of all abilities, with one-to-one personal training sessions and boxing training.

The gym opened in October last year (2024) with the mission to empower people to ‘reach their personal best’ and is quickly becoming a popular hub for fitness enthusiasts, having welcomed dozens of people through its doors.

Joe has been in the boxing ring since the age of 11 and was inspired to turn his passion into a business with help from the North East Business Innovation Centre (BIC) and its expert business advisers.

He said: “Training has been a huge part of my life and I’m keen to pass on what I’ve learnt from training camps and coaches onto others who are working on themselves.

“I wanted to create a space that encourages people to take that first step in improving their physical and mental health and opening a gym is a great way of doing just that.”

Joe is also keen to support individuals requiring rehabilitation, such as those recovering from falls or strokes, as well as offering space to newly qualified personal trainers to develop their skills.

He approached the BIC for guidance on how to register as self-employed, before discovering its Inspire Lab and networking events to meet other entrepreneurs.

He said: “I actually found out about the BIC through my mam and reached out for some advice. I then met with Hina who just made the whole process seamless from start to finish.

“From getting registered as a business to developing my website, the BIC has been a huge help. I went to the Inspire Lab networking event and met with like-minded people. It has just been great to be able to bounce ideas off people and learn from other start-up founders.”

Hina Joshi, Business Adviser at the North East BIC, said: “It’s been a pleasure working with Joe and supporting him on his business journey.

“He’s really open to advice and ideas, and this is reflected in how the business has grown in such a short space of time.

“It’s great to see someone so young be so passionate about setting up a business, while also being so driven in his pursuit to help others. We’d like to wish him all the best for the future.”

Looking ahead, Joe has hopes to further expand the gym and his team, as well as opening more locations.

He added: “We’ll keep going and growing. I’d like to create more room for personal trainers to come in and do their own thing. We’re more than just a gym, and I genuinely think we can create something really unique for our clients which sets us apart from the rest.”

Cllr Kevin Johnston said: “It’s fantastic to see yet another city entrepreneur thriving with their own business thanks to the Enterprising Sunderland programme.

“Its impact on the city’s economy has been really positive as we make sure that entrepreneurs and businesses in the area have the necessary tools to grow.

“Joe Hodgkinson Fitness is another great start-up in the area, encouraging others to take better care of their mental and physical well-being and I look forward to seeing the business grow further.”

You find out more about Joe Hodgkinson Fitness on the gym’s website.

The start-up support from the BIC forms part of the Enterprising Sunderland project which has received £1,271,885 from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund Programme, managed in Sunderland by Sunderland City Council on behalf of the Sunderland Partnership.