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Community Access Fund

Movement should feel more accessible, not more exclusive.

At Body Image Fitness, we know that cost, discrimination, transphobia, inaccessible fitness spaces, safety concerns, disability, burnout, neurodivergence, caring responsibilities, and life in general can create real barriers to accessing movement spaces.

Our Community Access Fund exists to help make inclusive movement more accessible for people who may otherwise struggle to attend.

Apply for support Support the fund

What is the Community Access Fund?

The Community Access Fund helps subsidise selected off-peak classes and class packs for people facing barriers to accessing movement spaces.

Rather than relying on one person carrying the cost alone, this is a community-supported scheme funded through:

Donations
Fundraising events
Community-made creations
Community support

The aim is simple: More people accessing movement in a space where they feel respected, safer, welcomed, and not pressured to shrink themselves.

Who is it for?

This fund is intended for people who may face barriers to accessing traditional fitness spaces, including but not limited to:

  • Trans and LGBTQIA+ people
  • Disabled people
  • Neurodivergent people
  • People on lower incomes
  • People recovering from diet culture or difficult relationships with movement
  • People who have historically felt excluded from gyms and fitness spaces
You do not need to “prove” hardship or justify your identity to us. We trust people to know when they need support.

How does it work?

Supported spaces are currently available in selected quieter/off-peak classes to help keep the scheme financially sustainable.

This works as a shared-cost model:

You contribute

You contribute 50% towards your sessions.

This currently works out as:

  • Pay-as-you-go class — £6.99 (usual price £13.99)
  • 6-class pack — £36 (usual price £72)

The community contributes

The Community Access Fund covers the remaining 50%.

This allows the cost of sessions to be shared across the community whilst helping keep movement spaces more accessible and sustainable long-term.

This allows us to support more people whilst continuing to pay instructors fairly and keep the studio sustainable long-term.

Supported spaces are limited and depend on available funding each month.

Why off-peak sessions?

We want to be transparent about how this fund works and why supported spaces are currently focused on selected quieter/off-peak classes.

Our evening and weekend sessions are often much busier, and as a small studio with limited capacity, we’re not currently in a position to offer those spaces at a reduced rate.

By focusing the Community Access Fund on quieter sessions, we can:

  • Create more financially accessible ways for people to attend
  • Make better use of space that is already available
  • Help keep quieter sessions on the timetable
  • Make those sessions more viable long-term
  • Continue paying instructors fairly
  • Protect the sustainability of the studio

This means the fund is not only about access — it is also about helping build a stronger, more sustainable timetable that supports both our community and the people who coach here.

Want to support the fund?

If you’re in a position to contribute, every donation helps make movement more accessible for someone in the community.

Donate directly
Buy community-made creations from the studio
Attend fundraising events
Share the scheme far and wide
Support the fund

Community-made creations 💖

Some of our lovely community members are creating handmade items to help raise money for the fund.

100% of donations from these creations go directly into helping subsidise movement sessions for people who need support accessing the studio.

Please do get in touch if you’d like to get involved or offer your creativity to help support the fund — this really is a genuine community effort 💖

Community care can look like movement… and also handmade creations made with love.

Why this matters

Movement should not only belong to people with disposable income
Gyms should not only feel safe for the loudest or most confident people in the room
Fitness spaces can exist without shame, punishment, or body policing
Accessibility includes emotional safety too

This fund is not about “fixing” people or charity.

It’s about community care, dignity, access, and helping more people move in ways that feel supportive, sustainable, and safe.

Apply for support

If accessing lower-cost movement support would help you, you’re welcome to apply.

We keep the process intentionally simple and low-pressure.

Supported spaces are reviewed regularly and depend on available funding.
Apply for support

Transparency

The Community Access Fund is designed to help subsidise access to selected quieter/off-peak sessions whilst also supporting the long-term sustainability of those sessions and the studio itself.

As a small independent studio, it’s important that instructors continue to be paid fairly and that classes remain financially viable.

This is not a charity model — it is a community-supported accessibility initiative built around shared care, reduced barriers, and sustainable access.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are supported spaces free?

No. The scheme works as a shared-cost model, where the member pays 50% and the fund covers the remaining 50%.

Are all classes included?

At the moment, supported spaces are limited to selected off-peak sessions whilst the scheme grows.

Do I need to prove financial hardship?

No. We trust people to know when they need support.

Is support guaranteed long-term?

Supported spaces are reviewed periodically and depend on available funding.

Does the normal cancellation policy still apply?

Yes — our standard 24-hour cancellation policy still applies to all supported bookings.