Northern Ireland’s first military-style residential bootcamp, Mercury Fitness NI, is preparing to welcome exercise enthusiasts this summer in sunny Spain, thanks to support from the Go For It Programme, in association with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council.
The Go For It Programme is part-funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) Programme.
Fitness specialist and former army man, Jason Gillard, has been running outdoor boot camps across Belfast and North Down for several years. Specialising in enjoyable, military-style activity, he had already built up a steady customer base when he noticed a gap in the market for an all-inclusive, immersive residential bootcamp which took local clients overseas to train.
Jason explained: “I served in the army for 13 years, and have also been a qualified Personal Trainer for nine. I wanted to bring both of these experiences together to create a unique fitness programme in Northern Ireland, so I set up my local outdoor bootcamps to create an affordable, effective option for health-conscious folks.
“Then, I realised that no one was actually running a military-style residential bootcamp from Northern Ireland either, which would offer participants the opportunity to focus exclusively on their fitness during a week in the sunshine. The model has sky-rocketed in England, where I am from originally.”
Whilst researching his idea online, Jason came across the Go For It Programme. He uploaded his information to the website and within one day was connected with Louise Davidson at Inspire Business Park, through Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council.
Jason said: “I knew exactly what type of business I wanted, but needed help with the financial and marketing side of things. I came across the Go For It Programme, worked closely with Louise, and found her advice fantastic in establishing and promoting my business.”
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I knew exactly what type of business I wanted, but needed help with the financial and marketing side of things.
Louise Davidson, Go For It Business Advisor at Inspire Business Centre on behalf of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, said: “When Jason first got in touch it was clear that he was passionate about his business idea. I was impressed by his initial plans and point of difference, as well as his future projections. He is extremely enthusiastic about fitness and is genuinely interested in helping people lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Jason implemented all of our advice and I have no doubt he will work extremely hard to make this business a success.”
In addition to his Northern Ireland residential bootcamps, Jason has recently launched another business venture, ‘Mercury Meals’, designed to provide busy, working individuals with healthy meals to assist in their health and wellbeing goals.
He said: “The future is bright for Mercury Fitness NI – we have a number of exciting projects on the go and I can’t wait to kick off our residential boot camps soon!”
To see more about Mercury Fitness NI, visit www.mercuryfitnessni.com.
If you have a business idea you’d like to develop or if you are thinking about starting a business visit www.goforitni.com; call 0800 027 0639; or visit your local enterprise agency for a free, independent chat.
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