See inside new St Leonards' gym

Established in the UK in 2009, the gym has 1.6 million UK members and more than 430 clubs across the country, most of which are open 24/7. The company also operates gyms in Denmark, Switzerland, and the United States, and has a franchise partner that manages clubs in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The ribbon was cut at 12:00 by Hastings Foodbank co-manager Cheryl Carey. She said: "I'm delighted to be cutting the ribbon. PureGym has represented us at supermarkets to collect food, as our current food donations are significantly lower than the amount of food we're giving out. So we're really grateful for their support.

"We have 70 plus volunteers, and without them, Foodbank just wouldn't happen. So I represent the team."

Talking about the opening, the gym's general manager, Andrew Lavy, said: "It's fantastic. We've been doing a lot of work for the last three months to get here. I'm super excited that it's opening day. It feels like Christmas Day, to be honest. It was a bit of a sleepless night.

"There have been so many people who have had such a massive part in this, from the builders to the team that installed all of our equipment, to the local workers we've worked with, to my team, to my higher-ups, and it's made my job a lot easier. In my eyes, a massive hats off to everyone involved, it wasn't just one person, it was a team effort.

"We're gonna do a lot of work over the next few months with charities, not just those that are close to my heart, but the members' hearts as well, just building more and more awareness and being part of the community."

The gym offers over 160 pieces of state-of-the-art equipment, a functional zone, a free weights area, and cardio equipment. There are also fitness and cycle studios, which offer a range of classes included in the membership price. They claim that their gyms are friendly, supportive, and judgment-free spaces where everyone can come in, work out, and leave feeling good.

Andrew said: "I started using gyms when I was 15 years old, I had no gym confidence. So I know exactly how it feels to be intimidated by a gym. And we've got an amazing team here who understand what it's like to feel nervous and scared. Everyone is absolutely welcome here, all fitness types, from beginners to veterans. We welcome everybody, and the team is here to support our members."

The company is known for its zero-contract memberships and its commitment to providing a safe place for everybody. As part of their TrainSafe initiative, they have installed automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in all of their gyms.

Opening times are Monday – Friday 06:00–22:00, and weekends 08:00–20:00.