According to the most recent Health Survey for England, 64% of adults in the country are overweight or obese, costing the NHS £16 billion per year. Worcester resident Kerrie Mimnagh, who conquered her own weight battle after the birth of her two children, wanted to help others – and launched the Worcester Weight Loss Centre with a little help from the City Council.
A former West Mercia police officer, Kerrie Mimnagh is an experienced silver level Weight Loss Consultant who works in association with The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan.
After successfully losing four stones within five months on the diet, she is now passionately dedicated to helping others achieve their weight loss goals.
"I'd tried the majority of diets on the market and this is the only one which gave me the rapid results I wanted whilst also allowing me to maintain my weight loss long term," said Kerrie.
"I was looking for a new career direction after having a family and felt that I could use my experience to make a difference to other people's lives."
So Kerrie started running her weight loss business in September 2018, at first operating from home and providing a mobile service for her clients.
However, by the start of 2019 the business had grown so successfully that she realised it was time to take the plunge and locate to a prominent and dedicated business premises within the city.
She applied to Worcester City Council for a business start-up grant, and was awarded £1,000 which she match-funded from her own reserves.
The grant was put towards the costs of opening the Worcester Weight Loss Centre at 31b Barbourne Road. It helped pay for office equipment, signage and the latest technology, including Class III NHS-approved body composition weighing scales.
On 15 April former Mayor of Worcester Cllr Jabba Riaz cut the ribbon at the business's opening ceremony – and the Worcester Weight Loss Centre was officially launched.
In the first ten weeks Kerrie says her clients lost a collective total of over 70 stone in weight - the equivalent mass of two grizzly bears!
"It is still very early days, but the statistics speak for themselves. There is a clear market for private, 1:1 weight loss services and, in the longer term, I am actively looking to increase my team by training and sponsoring new and dedicated consultants, thereby extending the reach of the services provided at the centre," says Kerrie.
"Getting the right advice in the start-up phase is essential for new businesses. The support I received from Enterprising Worcestershire to help put my business plan together was very useful and the grant from Worcester City Council really helped my cash flow at the outset."
Cllr Adrian Gregson, Vice Chair of the City Council's Place & Economic Development sub-committee, said: "The City Council has an important role to play in supporting Worcester's economy and the grant schemes we operate can be a great help to new and growing businesses. If you need help with your business check out the support available at www.worcester.gov.uk/business."
Are you looking to expand your horizons? Worcester City Council offers start-up grants of up to £1,000 and growth grants of up to £3,000 for local businesses.
For more information, go to www.worcester.gov.uk/business or call 01905 722106.
For more information about the Worcester Weight Loss Centre go to
www.cambridgeweightplan.com/Kerrie or call 07584 010456.
