DW Fitness First Preston closed its doors for good at 8pm tonight (Tuesday 4 August).

The Port Way gym near the Docks had informed staff and members of the closure on Monday, after parent company Dave Whelan Sports Limited was placed into Administration blaming enforced closure due to Covid-19.

A statement on DW Fitness First Preston’s Instagram page said: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce as of 8pm this evening DW Fitness First Preston will be ceasing trade. We would like to thank all of our loyal members for all of their support over the years. Today is a very sad day for us. We will miss you all. Love Team Preston.”

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It is with a heavy heart that we announce as of 8pm this evening DW Fitness First Preston will be ceasing trade. We would like to thank all of our loyal members for all of their support over the years. Today is a very sad day for us. We will miss you all. Love Team Preston ❤️

A post shared by DW Fitness First Preston (@dwfitnessfirstpreston) on Aug 3, 2020 at 10:23pm PDT

Gym member Donna Clifford said: “It’s so sad, I absolutely loved the place and formed so many friendships along the way.

“I’ve been there almost five years on my own fitness journey and it has been made easier by being a member of such a lovely friendly gym.

“I feel so much for the staff, they only found out Monday morning, and they’re just lovely.”

A letter sent to members on Monday said: “Following the onset of Covid-19, the future viability of the DW Sports business has become materially uncertain due to the enforced closure of both the gym Portfolio and the Stores on 20th March 2020 and 23rd March 2020 respectively.

“This extremely challenging business environment has unfortunately resulted in Dave Whelan Sports Limited (‘DWS’) being placed into Administration and Graham Newton and Ryan Grant, partners in BDO LLP, have been appointed as the Joint Administrators (‘the Administrators’) today the 3rd August 2020.

“This administration impacts all of our DW Sports retail stores and some gyms. Fitness First remains a separate company and its 43 clubs are unaffected by the administration of DW Sports.”

Instructor Roz Edwards, who taught classes at the gym for over five ears, said: “Teaching the last class there was hard but also one of the proudest moments of my life – I went in determined to give it a good send off and we did.

“So many people have memories there, so many friendships and relationships were formed, it really felt like a community and certainly supported me through some tough times.

“Keeping the gyms closed for so long was inevitably going to damage the fitness industry, and I can only assume that nobody in our government truly understands what these places mean to people.”

Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines

What do you think of DW closing? Were you a member there? Let us know in the comments.