Projekt 42

Fantastic experience: Excellent range of resources.

Fantastic experience: Happy Bodies, Strong Minds. This is an amazing place. It really is a community. It's full of friends, fitness, support, talking and welcoming.

Negative experience: Many different classes you can choose from but found this place to be very overcrowded at times and dirty especially when I went for classes early in the morning or late in a day, also very poor customer service, during my membership I emailed them 4 times on different occasions using email they provide on their website but didn't get a reply once.

Fantastic experience: A great gym! Lots of classes and lovely non-intimidating atmosphere inside. Would highly recommend this gym!

Positive experience: Positives first! All the classes I've been to are fantastic, and the staff are all extremely lovely. Whenever I go someone always greets me and its never awkward or difficult to speak to reception. I did the 12 week physical active counselling course which was really beneficial. My personal trainer, Matt, was amazing and made sure I was doing the right workout for my body but still pushing myself. I never felt better than when he told me at the end of the 12 weeks that I had improved massively. My counsellor has been spectacular, really supportive during a time where I really needed it. I have had bad counsellors in the past but my one is definitely not one of them and I've hear great things about the others as well. I have now sadly noticed that instead of getting 12 counselling sessions for the physical active counselling like I did, its now just 6 **(EDIT: I have read this wrong and it is 12 sessions! Not sure how I got confused)**. This leads us onto the negatives I guess! I was told once I finished my physical active counselling in November that I could have fortnightly appointments. I did this for December-January until I was told this was no longer being allowed to happen: I had to have it weekly or nothing, and since I couldnt afford what I was being told were £25 appointments every week (though for my salary bracket they should've been £22.50, but I also can't afford that every week as well) I was told my counselling would be terminated. I have up and down mental health for a while and this really set me down a dark path for a couple of months until I was able to see my counsellor and hear them apologise for the way I was treated. When working with people on low incomes, flexibility is paramount! People have to work all hours of the day and not just 9-5 Monday-Friday. And when working with people who have mental health, a service that respects them and their circumstances is also paramount, that is how you build trust. I can understand their reasoning behind this decision: organisationally its much easier if you have returning clients every week that you can count on for a regular income with the service. However, I was under the impression that the charity started to allow people on lower incomes to look after their mental and physical health on a budget. I don't want to assume the organisers have never stuggled financially, but the lack of flexibility leads me to believe that the original aim of the charity is being put the the wayside in favour of profit for the charity's future endeavours. This was massively disheartening, as I had massively supported this charities community aims and talked it up to everyone I know. Now I can't in good conscience recommend the counselling services to people in my financial bracket or lower as they can't afford to respect the financial needs of the clients. **(EDIT: The founder has been in touch with me on this point and explained that profitability was not the aim, which I'm very glad for. It is still such a shame that the flexibility isn't there for people like myself who work on a schedule.)** This one negative has unfortunately overshadowed the very good experiences with the charity I've had in the past. I recognise that charities need to evolve to spread the message and provide positive services for more people going forward, but I don't see how this is the way to do it without going against the message of the charity. I may have been able to pay the £300 for the physical active counselling, but that was all my savings and then some. It didn't mean I could continue to pay for counselling every week. Still, 3 stars! *And asides from that one negative experience, its 5!* If you are going for the amazingly priced fitness classes, or you can afford counselling every week, then the staff on the floor there are really amazing and you should definitely check it out.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic place to discover your workout needs. Spin, yoga, martial arts, weights, classes and personal training. Oh, and they also offer mental health clinics. Great way to build a happy body and strong mind.

Fantastic experience: This place is so good.

Fantastic experience: Classes are great, staff are all really friendly and helpful and the new gym is amazing! The set up is great and the membership is very worthwhile. I really like how they value putting the community first. Would recommend to anyone!

Fantastic experience: I am really impressed with Projekt 42. I started attending two months ago and since then have tried out a number of their yoga classes and one workshop. The main advantage of this fitness centre is that classes are affordable, accessible and frequent - each day there are around ten different yoga and fitness sessions to choose from. This is great if you’re on a tight schedule, or have lots of commitments and need to be able to take the opportunity to go to a class without too much planning. The teachers are friendly and seem well qualified. All equipment is supplied. The space is a former warehouse of some kind and can get pretty cold, so dress warmly especially for relaxation based classes. Facilities are good for people with kids although it would be even better if the soft play structure could be properly installed. All in all a fab model of well-being/fitness provision and certainly worth supporting over the usual corporate owned gyms that people are more familiar with. Also some unusual dance/movement workshops for those who fancy a bit of winter solstice ‘trance dance’ or similar!

Fantastic experience: The best gym by far in Leith! Amazing instructors and a huge variety if classes to suit everyone. Always a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Fantastic experience: I love this place. From their yoga classes to boxing, it always feels welcoming, never intimidating; and the fact that it is a mental health charity is a big plus. All pure good vibrations and loads of classes in the new place. And affordable!

Fantastic experience: Increible! Grandes professionales:)

Fantastic experience: Excellent courses and a wide variety. Friendly, helpful, professional and supportive staff. The best gym I have ever been to. Highly recommended!

Fantastic experience: Absolutely love this place, super friendly instructors who are all really amazing, so welcoming and super friendly too. Absolutely recommend, def five star plus

Fantastic experience: I love it, I started of doing yoga there as the tenner most places charge was just a little to much for me! The fact that it is a mental health charity that gives people the opportunity for free Counselling (a form of help that is very important to me) was kind of just a sweet bonus. Two years later & I go every week, I do all sorts like boxing & piyo & I've met some very welcoming people & made a bunch of new friends, even that old hag Sara Kate (jokes, we're not friends), most importantly though I have a good time. I kinda love that through me enjoying myself I get to help out & give others the opportunity to help themselves (counselling 101 right there) & maybe for some people make their world a little bit better! Awesome place. Also the teachers are extremely good crack & I have lots of fun, did I mention that??

Fantastic experience: Friendly, accessible fitness for all.