It’s easy to take your gym for granted.

But what if it was even more important? And what if you were trying to find one that could accommodate you for six years before you found one? Would you make more use of it then?

Ryan’s story proves what can happen when you never give up and keep believing that everybody is welcome.

For Ryan, a young man with cerebral palsy, exercise is vital, yet he has been trying to find a gym that could accommodate him – for six years!

He didn’t give up, though…

Ryan and his community outreach team kept searching until they finally found Pure Gym.

It wasn’t an easy road: Ryan and his Community Outreach team had to visit gym after gym, and every time he went to sign up, it turned out they couldn’t give him what he needed.

He kept going, though; there had to be a gym out there somewhere that would have what he needs, surely?
and finally… Pure Gym opened up around the corner from the Yeovil hub!

Pure Gym is known as the UK’s favourite gym, and it’s easy to see why their motto is:

“Everybody Welcome,”

-Pure Gym

Ryan is ecstatic to finally find a gym that can help him

See the surprise moment he shares this with the manager below:

*Harvey doesn’t have his uniform on because he was on his day off.

Update: Ryan and Pure Gym’s inclusive message is being broadcast across Somerset !

Click the BBC Radio banner below to hear Ryan, Pure Gym, and his Community Outreach team raise the issue of accessible gyms in Somerset and the council’s response – audio will open up in a new tab.

Are you an organisation in Somerset that would like to become more autism and learning disability-friendly?

The Discovery Community Fund could help you pay for adaptations, training and other things your business might need to become truly accessible to the whole community. The fund is open to all types of organisations, right across the county. Find out more here.

We are proud of Ryan, his Community Outreach team and Pure Gym for never giving up. Find out more about how Community Outreach can help you or someone you know here.

Finally, if you would like to spend your days helping autistic people and people with learning disabilities across Somerset #GetMoreFromLife in a professional capacity, then get started here.

The Dimensions group (which Discovery is a part of) has been officially accredited as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces by the Great Place to Work Institute for two years running. Additionally, this year, we received a “Wellbeing” award and a “Great Workplace for Women” award.