Where Change Happens

About Us

Our Story

The Chapel Gym is a church but not church as you know it. After closing as a place of regular worship in 2011, the church of the Epiphany has now been transformed into a first class fitness facility which is affordable for all. Crucially, it remains a place of worship and prayer and we believe that the Chapel Gym can change lives for the better - improving not only physical health but also mental and spiritual health. We also have a team of sports ministers who are available to listen and chat about anything that life throws up.

Staff

Chris McGlone

Gym Manager

Chris has extensive experience in fitness within the British Army, boxing, and martial arts. Chris prides himself on running a tight ship at the Chapel Gym, is a committed Christian, and a fan of the mighty Celtic.

We have a friendly and dedicated team of Gym Assistants who are here to help. When on shift, you’ll find them at reception and working around the gym, helping to keep everything running smoothly and making sure our members feel welcome.


Behind the scenes, we also have a growing team of Support Staff who help keep the Chapel Gym running day to day. They look after everything from your emails and enquiries to membership administration, social media and gym operations. So while you might not always see them around the gym, there’s a good chance you’ll have spoken to one of them!

Trustees

As a registered charity the Chapel Gym is governed by a team of trustees who make sure everything is run properly.

Trustees:

Paul Frost

Paul is the minister of St John’s Church in Corby. He has previously been a secondary school teacher, youth worker, and college chaplain. Locally, he is chaplain to 422 (Corby) ATC Squadron and the Corby branch of the British Legion. He is a registered Sports Chaplain (and has an extensive number of excuses for why he doesn’t use the gym).

Paul Buckingham

Paul was a GP in Corby for over 40 years. He has always been active in his local church and additionally has been involved in charitable work in Ghana and Belarus. He has extensive experience in running charities and is currently the chair of the finance board of the Diocese of Peterborough. In the gym, he can often be seen on the treadmill.

James Watkins

James has a been a healthcare leader for over 30 years with experience in the NHS, charity and social enterprise sectors. Currently working for a GP Federation, James has previously been CEO for a drug, alcohol and homelessness charity and a director for St Andrew’s Healthcare, a provider of specialist mental health services. James has been a Street Pastor in Corby for over 10 years, is a volunteer with the Prison Fellowship, has completed over 10 marathons, and is a Leicester Tigers season ticket holder.

Joe Griffiths

Joe is Associate Minister for Growth at St Botolph’s Church, Barton Seagrave. Before moving there, he served as Curate at St John’s Church in Corby and became a big part of the Chapel Gym community. During his time in Corby, Joe was involved in many areas of the gym’s life and established our team of Gym Chaplains. He remains a committed supporter of the Chapel Gym and is also an exceptionally talented golfer, even if his clubs don’t see quite as much action these days!

Lynn Hay

Lynn is a committed member of St John’s Church in Corby, where she faithfully served as Churchwarden for many years. She also has a strong background in athletics and has been a registered coach with British Athletics.

Susan Norman

Susan is a committed member of St John’s Church in Corby, where she serves as Treasurer. Before retiring, she worked at RS Components, with responsibility for health and safety as part of her role.

Jeremy Sharman

Jeremy is a local businessman with extensive experience in business, leadership and community life. He served as High Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 25/26, using his year in office to champion local charities and organisations, with a particular interest in supporting prison leavers and rehabilitation.

Board of Reference

We are grateful for a great team of people with a wide range of skills and experience who support our charity.

 

Ben Matthews - Chartered Accountant

The Ven. Richard Ormston - Archdeacon of Northampton

St John's

The Chapel Gym has a close relationship with St John’s Church, Corby, and together we share a heart for serving our local community and seeing people flourish in every area of life.


The gym started as a mission of St John’s and while we might look a little different from a traditional church, our Christian faith is at the heart of who we are.


Whether church is already part of your life, you’re curious about faith, or it’s completely new to you, you’ll always be welcome.


To discover more about St John’s, including Sunday services and events visit the website stjohnscorby.org.uk.

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Chapel HOMES

Chapel Homes provides safe, supportive, short-term homes for people in Corby who need an opportunity to rebuild their lives.

Alongside accommodation, tenants receive practical support, encouragement and community as they work towards greater independence and a secure future.


Find out more about Chapel Homes →


Chapel Recovery


Offering confidential drug and alcohol recovery support in a welcoming, non-judgemental environment.


Through one-to-one support, recovery groups and a supportive community, we help people explore their relationship with drugs or alcohol, understand the challenges they’re facing and take practical steps towards lasting change.


Find out more about Chapel Recovery →


Good news for Corby

The Chapel Gym strives to be good news in our community. We recognise that sport and physical fitness can be part of the solution for some struggles that people face in Corby and its surrounding areas. We value our strategic partnerships with local organisations and charities, including:


Business Partners

As a charity we are hugely grateful for the support of local businesses. Their generosity helps us to keep our membership costs affordable and offer free fitness opportunities for children and some more vulnerable people in our community.