An update from us
Good Afternoon,
We are saddened to share that yet another yoga studio is closing in Chesterfield — that’s two studios closing their doors in six weeks.
We first want to acknowledge that the closure of these studios, particularly the imminent closure of the second, has significantly impacted some of our teachers and has caused us to think about how we ensure Folc continues to thrive on Hasland’s high street, and beyond, for a very long time to come.
Let us start by saying: Folc isn’t going anywhere.
In fact, we’re in discussions with our landlord about extending our lease (which was due for renewal in August), and we’ve invested further personal funds into Folc to help us grow the studio.
Since our unexpected renaming in February last year, followed by an incredibly busy year for us personally, we've been feeling the financial strain like many of you. It's been a challenging time.
We have always strived to be open and transparent with our community. This email is an update in that spirit.
We encourage you to read till the end.
We are changing our pricing
When we opened Folc, our pricing was built on guesswork and assumptions. There certainly was no other studio offering the split-pricing tier we do to learn from!
At the start of this year, Bronwyn spent a lot of time using her skills from corporate life to analyse our income and costs in detail. Even with cost savings and behind-the-scenes efficiencies, our current pricing falls short of the income we need to ensure our financial sustainability, pay our teachers fairly, and invest in Folc’s future.
We’ve known for several months that our pricing structure was unsustainable and have been sat on these price increases, hoping the cost-of-living pressures would ease. They haven’t.
With the closure of a second studio in just six weeks, we know we need to act now to ensure Folc isn’t the third to go.
Folc is proudly not-for-profit and will remain so. Yet the business's bank balance tightens each month in ways we’re not comfortable with. And being entirely transparent and vulnerable, we’ve been unable to pay Bronwyn for her teaching hours over the past year. We’re sure you’ll agree, that isn’t right.
What this means for you
We’re implementing new pricing for new customers as of today.
We will honour the current pricing for all existing members until the end of June, and the price of monthly memberships will not be increased until 1st July.
Monthly members: You’ll receive a separate email later today detailing your updated pricing from 1st July.
Class pack users: You can purchase packs at current prices until 30th June using the links below.
Purchase Class Packs 👇🏼
These links will expire on 30th June.
10 Class Pack – Oak for £77
5 Class Pack – Oak for £45
10 Class Pack – Elm for £49
5 Class Pack – Elm for £28
Any packs purchased are valid for 6 months from the date of purchase.
Even with these increases, we remain incredibly good value.
Our updated unlimited membership remains more than 10% cheaper than comparable studios in town, we’re the only studio offering a supported pricing tier, and we have the largest timetable.
From the end of June, we’ll have 25+ regular Yoga, Pilates, and Mindfulness classes each week, with plans to grow further. You’ll continue to see pop-up monthly offerings like: Yoga for Women’s Health (led by Jo), Yin & Sound (led by Nic), Yoga for Mobility (led by Karen), and Yoga for Mental Wellbeing (led by Bronwyn) included in monthly memberships and purchasable with class packs.
Alongside these, we'll continue to offer special gatherings like Women’s Circles, Breathwork for Busy Minds, and Slow Down Sunday on the timetable, now all priced at £25 or £15 for monthly members.
Financial accessibility remains non-negotiable
Alongside our regular pricing, we’re continuing to offer a supported pricing tier. It remains self-service, no questions asked, for those experiencing real financial hardship.
While you won’t see the Oak or Elm tiers anymore, you can find our Supported pricing on our pricing page. We do have to limit the availability of our Supported pricing. We encourage using it where genuinely appropriate.
Looking ahead
There’s so much happening over the coming months:
New studio signage (arriving next week!)
Launch of Unlimited+ which includes unlimited regular classes, unlimited Specials, 20% off workshops, 10% off 1:1s with Bronwyn & Kevin and 10% off retreats all for £89/month for the first three months. Find out more here.
Picnic in the Park to celebrate 3 years since opening – more details to follow
Open Weekend in September – more details to follow
Additional workshops to develop your practice – more details to follow
And finally, we’re grateful beyond words that you choose Folc.
We remain committed to impact over profit, with many hopes and plans for the studio we can’t wait to share.
Any questions or concerns, please get in touch. You can reach us by replying to this email, through Momence, or by calling the studio.
With deep gratitude,
Bronwyn & Kevin
