LONDON, UK. October 8th, 2026 – From its base in Deptford, MGM Gym is laying the groundwork for a wider expansion that could take its blend of fitness, martial arts, dance and youth mentoring to communities across the UK. The organisation, founded by siblings Jonathan Moore and Hannah Ruth-Moore, is looking to build on its progress since launching in 2023 through membership growth, renewed online activity and continued investment in school programmes.
The gym honours the memory of the founders’ father, Milton George Moore. It has grown to approximately 80 members, and Jonathan and Hannah now want to more than double membership over the coming 12 months while strengthening their wider operations.
A key part of the gym’s offer is Muay Thai, led by Jonathan. The programme combines martial arts techniques with physical conditioning and places importance on mental wellbeing, helping participants develop fitness, discipline, confidence and resilience.
Alongside this, MGM provides functional fitness sessions aimed at improving everyday movement and physical capability. The organisation also houses Sayaw Studios, where Hannah Ruth-Moore leads a dedicated dance programme backed by her more than 30 years of professional experience.
Sayaw caters to children, young people and adults, offering opportunities to improve movement, strength and fitness through dance. Its activities broaden MGM’s reach and complement the gym’s other training programmes.
The siblings have more than 50 years of experience between them, supported by a long record of working with young people. Their education and mentoring programmes were established in 2012, well before they launched their own gym.
Today, their school work spans around 20 London schools and reaches approximately 3,000 pupils each week through tailored dance and Muay Thai sessions.
The programmes are aimed at 11 to 18-year-olds and seek to develop life skills alongside physical ability. Students can take part in either discipline or combine the two, with the activities structured to encourage growth both in and beyond the training environment.
“We have been supporting schools and providing dance and Muay Thai programmes since 2012, operating within 20 schools in London and working with around 3,000 pupils a week,” Jonathan said. “For us, it is about life-skill development. Hard work, discipline, honesty and fun are the messages we like to put across.”
This work remains central to MGM’s identity, linking the gym’s day-to-day activities with a broader commitment to young people, education and community development.
The founders are also looking to revisit online delivery, building on their experience of running programmes digitally during the Covid-19 pandemic. A refreshed MGM Gym website is expected to launch later this year as part of those plans.
The new website will support the organisation’s efforts to develop its online presence, making it easier to promote its services and explore opportunities to engage people beyond its current South London base.
At a local level, MGM Gym has continued to introduce new community activities since opening, including its own running club. These initiatives form part of the founders’ wider aim to create an organisation that connects people through physical activity and shared development.
Future expansion will be approached with a focus on building on existing strengths. The siblings intend to grow membership, extend digital provision and sustain the school and mentoring programmes that have shaped the organisation over the past decade.
Jonathan believes the model has potential well beyond its current location. “I see MGM Gyms in every city and town in the country, I really do think that could happen,” he said. “We have come so far since opening in Deptford.”
The near-term priorities are to increase gym membership, relaunch and develop the website, and continue supporting the schools and young people who already engage with MGM’s programmes.
With its gym, dance studio, school partnerships and digital ambitions developing alongside one another, MGM Gym aims to use its Deptford foundations as a springboard for a broader UK presence while retaining its commitment to community-led fitness and personal development.
