Making Fitness Possible: Reece Family Trust Backs Gym Possible’s Next Chapter

Gym Possible is preparing for a major new chapter, with support from the Reece Family Trust the charity is expanding its facilities and continuing to make accessible fitness available to many more people with physical disabilities in the North East.

Founded in 2016, Gym Possible has spent the past decade working towards one clear goal: making exercise physically, financially and culturally accessible. Its specialist gym currently supports around 110 members and delivers more than 5,000 sessions every year, but demand has grown significantly. The charity’s planned expansion will create a much larger space, with capacity to support up to 300 members as well as develop new services and accessible online content.

The Reece Family Trust has awarded Gym Possible a £20,000 grant towards the fit-out of the new gym and the purchase of specialist equipment. Some equipment is specifically designed or adapted for people with physical disabilities, while other standard gym equipment can become accessible simply by being placed within the right environment and supported by experienced staff.

Drew Graham, founder of Gym Possible said:

“This funding has been a complete game changer for us. Fundraising helps us keep the doors open and our team in place, but support like this gives us the opportunity to actually grow. With a bigger gym we can bring in more specialist equipment, offer more sessions and ultimately give many more people the opportunity to exercise in an environment where they feel completely welcome.”

The expansion is also being supported by Blue Star Rowing, a team from the North East preparing to undertake an Atlantic row in December after choosing Gym Possible as its charity partner, all because of their shared commitment to sport and disability.

The Blue Star Rowing team – Oli Smith, Mark Watson and Archie Dickinson – will take on the World’s Toughest Row in December 2026, rowing 3,000 miles unsupported across the Atlantic. The challenge is expected to mean around 50 days at sea, with the team rowing for up to 16 hours a day as they raise funds and awareness for Gym Possible’s expansion. The money raised will help towards creating a state-of-the-art accessible facility bringing together specialist exercise, physiotherapy and counselling, alongside other services.

Greg continued,

“I know Oli, Mark and Archie, the team taking on the Atlantic Row, and I know just how much they are putting into taking on this challenge. I genuinely couldn’t think of a better cause for them to be supporting. What Gym Possible is building has the potential to make a huge difference to people across the North East, and I’m really pleased to be able to get behind them.”

You can support the team and follow their journey by donating to the Blue Star Rowing fundraise at https://www.gofundme.com/f/BlueStarRowing or by following @bluestar_rowing on Instagram as they prepare for the crossing.

Find out more about Gym Possible here and email enquiries@reecefamilytrust.org to speak to the team about your project.