A promise from us...
Hi everyone, Ash here!
Here is an extended version of a recent Instagram post, with a little about my past and why Sam and I are so passionate about helping those who have financial worries.
Sam and I are often asked (normally from people who haven't yet joined the SMASH London community) why we don't charge for online classes. When we created SMASH 3 years ago we said we wanted to have a fitness class that would help improve mental health, not just from the benefits of moving your body but also through promoting gratitude, positive affirmations, body positivity/acceptance, mindfulness and self care. We wanted to reach as many people as possible with our message that you can massively strengthen physical and mental health through regular attendance of SMASH London classes... and we don't want financial concerns to be a barrier to that.
When I was a child we didn't have a lot of money. I was excluded from after school clubs, summer holiday activities and many school trips - especially trips that involved nights away from home (when I was in Year 7 I remember having to spend a week in a class in Year 6 when most of my year went to France). I wasn't able to attend many birthday parties as we couldn't afford to buy gifts, and the only way I was able to do things with friends as a teenager was to work for money, which meant early morning newspaper deliveries and Saturday's spent washing-up in pubs. I tell you this not because I think my childhood was sad, I was loved and wouldn't change a thing (except that maybe those clubs and trips may have been able to include me a bit more!). I tell you because I want you to know that I understand what it's like to not have money and to be excluded because of that. Sam has similar stories from her childhood and it's these memories that have helped to remind us that we want to be as inclusive as possible, in every way that we can. Financial worries are a massive contributing factor to poor mental health so, as we are doing our best to help strengthen mental health within our community, why would we want to exclude those who perhaps need us the most?
"That's all well and good, but you're a business and don't you need to make money?" Well, yes, we need to make money to be able to continue doing the work we love but we never got into this business to be rich, we did it to make a difference. We strongly believe that when you love what you do, you will be rewarded in so many ways, including financially, and that's what both of us have always kept close to our hearts. We do this because we care. We do this because we believe mental health is important. We do this because we want to help make the world a kinder place. We do it because we love it and we are thankful everyday that this is our 'job'.
So, when we decided to keep our classes donation based, we did so because we want everyone to discover how much fun you can have moving your body and nourishing your mind, and we want everyone to feel part of a community. We can only do this because so many of you have donated. You have been kind and generous and have rewarded us for our hard work, but you have also committed to helping those who aren't able to donate at the moment. You are supporting people you have never met, and that is wonderful.
We believe that building strength in body and mind is something that should be accessible to everyone, and that will always be a huge priority for us. Our business may need to adapt and change as the months and years go by, but here is a PROMISE from us that there will ALWAYS be a class that those who are struggling financially will be able to attend for free, every week.
When we say that SMASH London is for everybody and every body, we mean it