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A private health and ftness club for people who commute to work by bicycle or on foot has opened in the heart of Soho, London. Located on Dufours, off Broadwick St., H2 features a 240-space bike park; bicycle repair and service centre; multi-gym; sports massages; SPIN studio; laundry and dry cleaning services; and extensive changing areas with 1,198 lockers and 39 showers.

H2 founder Piers Slater is encouraging businesses to take out corporate membership (available at a discount) so that staff have a

place to freshen up, change and store bikes and clothing before arriving at work.

“The Department of Transport ‘Cycle to Work Guarantee’ encourages the provision of proper bike storage, changing facilities and safe cycle routes and H2 provides exactly that. Cycling to work beats public transport, which may be over-crowded, there’s no congestion charge to pay and it’s more sustainable than other forms of transport. Our team has received huge demand from corporate clients’ employees. Membership of H2 is an easy way for a company to hit carbon reduction targets and please employees all round,” he said. H2 membership costs £27.99 a month for off-peak membership and £35.99 a month for peak, plus a joining fee of £29.99 (waived until June 30, 2011). After that, there are no contracts and no hidden costs: you simply pay for what you use.

A second H2 club is due to open in LondonWall in the City later this year. Plans for a further club in the Holborn area are at an advanced stage.

Following the success of B.Hive London, which opened in September, serviced offce provider Regus has opened two more female-friendly business clubs at its centres in King Street, Manchester and Temple Quay, Bristol.

Developed in conjunction with PR guru Lynne Franks, B.Hive Business Clubs provide attractive surroundings where members, primarily women entrepreneurs, can meet clients and catch up with work.

Unlike conventional Regus business centres, B.Hives have a shabby chic aesthetic with vintage chandeliers, artworks by Natasha Zupan and murals by Charlotte Adler.

Lynne Franks said: “Our members often work from home and really have welcomed a stylish space where they can hold meetings, hot desk and network with like-minded women in a feminine friendly environment.”

As well as providing a place to meet, B.Hive hosts weekly networking events and regular

coaching sessions with experts in business, well-being, style and personal development. It also holds women’s industry gatherings, charity events and PR and product launches. B.Hive membership costs £25 plus VAT per month, giving unlimited access to Regus and members-only B.Hive lounges (with free internet access) and preferential rates on meeting rooms, video-conferencing and more permanent offce solutions.

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