The Treehouse & Optimise Health and Fitness

Situated in the idyllic countryside of Newburgh, PlayPlus Ltd, trading as The Treehouse and Optimise Health and Fitness, is a bustling hub which provides family friendly attractions such as an indoor soft play, a welcoming café, various exercise classes and childcare facilities to support parents looking to return to fitness and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

After having children herself, Director Angela Nicholls, set up The Treehouse and Optimise Health and Fitness with a passion for creating a rewarding career that would allow for a work-life balance and to help others in the local area.

Located at the Jamesfield Centre in Abernethy, Angela was keen to address a gap in the market for a facility of its kind in the area. With plans to install a purpose built gym and fitness studio which would cater for all ages and abilities, Angela sought different routes of funding to support her throughout this process.

After being turned down by her Business Bank, Angela turned to Business Loans Scotland and shortly after, her application was approved and she successfully received a loan for £100,000 which would help fund the building works required to renovate the facility.

With the support of the loan, Angela has been able to renovate the first floor of the premises, which was previously unused, and is now able to offer a range of fitness classes from high intensity high tempo, right through to chair-based exercise, mindfulness and meditation. In addition to regular adult classes, the fitness centre will offer bespoke classes for parent and babies, senior citizens, teenagers and for those who may be less able to exercise through chronic health conditions.

The centre also provides an indoor play area, a welcoming café and childcare services for parents or carers attending any of the fitness classes which have all been ways in which Angela has been able to fill a gap in the market and remove barriers for parents who want to get fit.

With a team of employees who boast years of childcare experience, the staff at The Treehouse and Optimise Health and Fitness pride themselves on offering a home from home environment with the on-site café offering a range of healthy snacks, study pods available for parents to use whilst their child uses the indoor play area and flexible seating which can be re-arranged for community social events or classes.

Possessing a qualification in GP exercise referral and cancer rehabilitation, Angela is also keen to welcome and support clients to engage in an active lifestyle where the benefits of this to overall physical and mental well-being have been extensively researched and documented. With no other facility offering this in the region, Angela will be able to support the local community within a positive and calm environment which she feels will be extremely beneficial and rewarding for all parties involved.

Speaking of the loan received, Director of The Treehouse and Optimise Health and Fitness, Angela Nicholls said:

“To receive the loan from BLS meant that this project could happen. We could secure asset funding easily as overdrafts and credit cards were not on the scale we needed to do the building works so the loans available are a fantastic resource for businesses. The application was intense but also a fantastic exercise in knowing your business plan inside out, including financial projections and market research giving you a very solid foundation to build from, along with the funds to do it with.”

Andrew Dickson, Fund Manager of Business Loans Scotland added:

“I am delighted that Business Loans Scotland has been able to support The Treehouse and Optimise Health and Fitness with a £100,000 loan to support renovation works to expand the business. This is a prime example of a Scottish business with fantastic growth aspirations where, with the support of a business loan, has been able to implement its growth strategy without delay. I look forward to watching the business continue to flourish over the coming months and to seeing many more people in the Perth and Kinross area utilise the fantastic services that Angela and her team offer.”