An Elgin fitness centre is helping people manage complex conditions to reduce the burden on the NHS.
Mollie Powney opened fitness centre Project Neuro on Pinefield Parade in Elgin in 2023 after working as a personal trainer.
She made the move after she spotted a gap in services available to people diagnosed with conditions such as Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, strokes, and dementia.
She is supported at the studio by personal trainer Jonny Fyfe and laughter yoga instructor Natalie Gilray.
Mollie even has her French Bull dog Ethel helping out in the centre and is a therapy dog in training.
Who Project Neuro helps
The facility offers a variety of classes designed to meet people’s specific needs.
These include functional workouts that help improve hand-eye coordination, balance, flexibility, and movement.
While the NHS is always the first call for people, Mollie has seen physios signposting people to their tailored classes.
She says it is all about help make people’s lives easier and maintain their condition instead of letting it deteriorate.
The 25-year-old said: “People will always go to the NHS first, which is a good thing because that’s what it’s there for.
“Because we’re a private gym, we are not allowed to have referrals from the NHS.
“However, we have links. They are aware of us and physios have been signposting people to us.
“The physio helps fix the initial problem and we then help maintain it and ensure that it doesn’t become a problem again.”
How Project Neuro helps people do ‘the simple things’
She added: ” We have got over 10 classes each week.
“In life, we sometimes take the simple things for granted like hanging out washing.
“We recently got a washing line as after a stroke or with MS gripping things can be really difficult.
“So doing exercises to grip the pegs properly by elevating their shoulder to the height of the washing line can be important to make them feel they have that independence and something you can’t get in a normal gym.
“We have been working with the MS and Parkinson groups in Moray too.”
The personal trainer, who has a level 4 qualification specialising in long term neurological conditions, balances the centre with running sessions at Life & Sole gym at Forres Enterprise Park.
She was inspired by her dad’s work with people facing neurological conditions.
She said: “As a 17-year-old I qualified as a personal trainer.
“I started off at Life & Soul gym in Forres.
“I saw my dad run a neurological physiotherapy centre, Move4ward, in Elgin and it made me realised how he helps fix people.
“However, there was nowhere really that people can then maintain their condition.
“Also, helping out my dad first hand inspired me to look more into it.
“The sole purpose was to help improve the lives of people and these people are sometimes forgotten.
“I self funded the gym and I have enjoyed it so much.
“It challenges me in a good way everyday and it was definitely an industry I hadn’t thought of before.
“All the people I meet through the sessions are wonderful, funny and strong.”
What are the future plans for Project Neuro?
Mollie is currently getting an app developed to make the programs more accessible.
This comes after she won £10,000 in the Scottish Edge Competition to go towards the new development.
The contest funded by Hunter Foundation, the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and private donors is aimed at supporting innovate entrepreneurial talent.
She said: “The money has gone towards developing an app so we can offer our service online because we are fully aware that many people with these conditions find it very difficult to leave the house.
“As some might need to rely on carers, husbands and wives to get to the centre.
“The app is still in the development stage and it will be tailored to their needs with a specialised program once they enter details about their condition and what they want to work on. ”
It is hoped the app will be live for the public in July.
Meanwhile, she hopes to franchise the centre across Scotland.
She added: “I plan to enter the competition again to pitch to get funding to help franchise the business.
“The ambition is to have five in the next 10 years with one in Inverness and Aberdeen.”
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