In brief: ONE Motivation Gym on Halkett Street, St Helier, has closed with immediate effect after the Viscount’s Department changed the locks during debt enforcement action. Members have been locked out of the premises and asked to contact the Viscount’s Department to retrieve any personal belongings. The closure comes months after the gym publicly insisted it remained “fully operational”.
Locks Changed, Doors Shut
Members of ONE Motivation Gym received a blunt email on Tuesday morning informing them that their gym was gone. According to the Jersey Evening Post, which has seen the email, the Halkett Street facility told members it could no longer trade after the Viscount’s Department changed the locks on the premises.
The gym said it had proposed a payment plan to clear its outstanding debt, with payments due to begin the following week, but that the Viscount’s Department had instead required a payment of £15,000 by the end of the day. One Motivation said it could not meet that demand.
“We wrote to the department explaining our situation, setting out our payment plan and asking for more time, with you and our staff very much in mind,” the gym told members. “Sadly, they decided to proceed with enforcement, and this morning the locks to the premises were changed. Without access to the building or the equipment, we are unable to continue.”
Warning Signs Were There
This closure did not arrive entirely without warning, though the gym’s own reassurances may have lulled some members into a false sense of security. The JEP reports that back in June, it had covered the publication in the Jersey Gazette of a notice of distraint naming One Motivation Ltd, issued on 5 June. Such notices signal that a debtor’s assets may be seized, valued and sold to recover unpaid debt. At the time, concerns were raised among members, particularly those who had recently signed up for discounted six- or twelve-month deals.
The gym moved to calm those concerns. In a statement reported by the JEP on 29 June, One Motivation said the notice related to “historic matters” from 2022 and 2024, and that a payment plan had already been agreed with the Viscount. “The Notice of Distraint has no impact on the day-to-day running of the business, our services, or our ability to serve our members,” the gym said at that time.
Four months later, the doors are locked and the equipment is inaccessible.
What Happens Next for Members
Anyone with personal belongings inside the Halkett Street premises has been asked to contact the Viscount’s Department directly to arrange collection. One Motivation Limited told members it would be in touch again when it had more information about what would happen next, thanking them for “every session, every early morning and every bit of support.”
For those who paid upfront for discounted long-term memberships, the immediate question is whether they will see any of that money again. The gym has not yet addressed refunds, and the involvement of the Viscount’s Department in debt recovery suggests the financial picture is complicated. Members would be wise to seek advice promptly.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
