A brand new health and wellbeing facility is set to open this autumn in Croy, providing the community with a much-needed shared space
Claire Harper, 41, owner of Harper Healing & Wellbeing, is set to reopen the now-empty Antonine Community Sports Hub as a wellness destination
Claire described the new facility as a “passion project” and added: “I want it to be something that benefits everybody in the community.”
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She got involved in health and wellbeing after being diagnosed with Stage 4B cancer at the age of 27
She underwent gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy over the course of a year, whilst also caring for her two young children. She was also warned that her treatment could make her infertile
Discussing her cancer journey, she said: “There were no guarantees because it was so advanced. It was in my neck, my chest, my stomach and my lung.”
Claire said that she had always been interested in yoga, but really leant into holistic therapies during her treatment and time in hospital
She decided to train in Reiki therapy and, after returning to work, quit her well-paid, secure corporate job to pursue a career in health and wellbeing, opening up a yoga studio
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The business has expanded over time, and Claire is proud to have built a base of loyal clientele who “stay for years.”
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After recently returning to the mining village of Croy where she was born and raised, Claire decided to transform the disused Antonine Community Sports Hub
The facility was opened in 2013 using £1 million funding provided by North Lanarkshire Council and sportscotland and features a full-size synthetic pitch, a changing facility and a clubhouse
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The complex was closed last year, however, alongside several other North Lanarkshire community facilities, and has sat empty ever since
Claire said: “Croy has got nothing in it, nothing for the kids, nothing for the community
“It’s the same way as it was when I was growing up here
“So I thought, why am I not gonna use this building and bring to Croy what I’ve brought to Lenzie.”
Claire has worked tirelessly to raise the £100,000 needed to transform the site, putting her own funds into the project
She plans for the facility to feature reformer, yoga and pilates studios, a space for life coaching and massages, and a health suite with a sauna, cold plunge pools and treatment rooms
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Following the development of the site, Claire hopes to secure further funding to transform the unused football pitches to provide the surrounding communities with outdoor sports facilities
She also spoke about having a defibrillator on site alongside a planned community room, which she described as “really important to me.”
Claire added: “My plan is for the business to be able to give back to the community. “I want to run a dementia cafe and mother and toddler groups
“Not everyone is going to go to a pilates class. I want it to be somewhere a grandmother can go, somewhere a young teenage boy can go. I want it to be something that benefits everybody.”
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A qualified holistic therapist and pilates trainer, Claire plans to train all her staff in-house, with the majority being former clients
She said: “All of my staff just now are people who have been clients for long periods of time and they’re integrated in the Harper Healing and Wellbeing Community already.”
Whilst many studios favour influencer marketing and prioritise aesthetics, Claire is keen to emphasise that “that’s not really what my foundation has been”
She explained: “It’s about the integrity of every person who represents the business.”
Work is due to begin on the property on August 31, with the yoga and pilates studios scheduled to open on October 1 and the health suite and community space scheduled for the end of the year
To learn more about Harper Healing and Wellbeing, visit @harperhealingandwellbeing on Instagram and Facebook
