Brakes are put on Motorcise franchise

MANY women in Oldham were reeling today after hearing that the Motorcise franchise in Rochdale had closed permanently.

The business, which offers exercise programmes for older ladies, is in the hands of receivers after business difficulties. The Oldham branch, in Spindles, closed earlier this year and members were advised to join Rochdale.

Steve Franklin, speaking for insolvency practitioners Panos Eliades Franklin, based in London, confirmed the business was in receivership and that only eight branches had been sold. Rochdale is not of those saved, he added.

Audrey Derrig, of Williams Crescent, Chadderton, said: “The first I heard of Motorcise closing was when my friend told me and I was really surprised.

“Motorcise gave me a new lease of life after I sprained my ankle. It has made me a lot more mobile and was helping me lose weight after my injury but the nearest branch to me now is in Halifax and that’s too far.

“A lot of the people who go are in their 80s and they joined Motorcise more for the social life it brings than anything else.

“It meant a lot to them that they could get out of the house and meet people.

“For them, it was much more than just a place to exercise. The Motorcise staff used to get chiropodists in and would arrange sessions on alternative medicines.

“It was a really buzzing place. If you had been to their last big event you would never have suspected this was a place heading for closure.”

Audrey joined Motorcise in Oldham in February this year and paid £350 for a year’s membership.

When the Oldham branch closed down a few months later, she transferred to Rochdale, and still has six months left on her membership.

She said: “I paid with my credit card, so I’ll probably be able to get my money back, but a lot of people will have handed hundreds of pounds over to Motorcise that they might never recover and that’s a big financial blow for anyone, especially pensioners.”