Where they started
When Spiral Freerun joined DiNN’s Level 5 Big Business programme, they were one of only 11 parkour gyms in the UK, respected, award‑winning, and deeply embedded in their community. But beneath the surface, the organisation was in crisis.
They had been forced into a 10‑year lease on a dilapidated town‑centre property after a flood destroyed their previous facility. With only 48 hours to find a new home, they signed a contract that gave them a year of free rent, but locked them into a building that was slowly crushing them. The rent, service charges, and business rates would eventually exceed £160,000 a year, while their membership was not yet growing at a pace that made that looming bill realistic.
The challenges: where the gaps were
A health check at the start of the programme painted a stark picture. The organisation had strong mission clarity and a passionate team, but the weight of the lease was exposing critical weaknesses.
Governance was informal and founder‑dependent. There was no succession plan, and the board’s role was not clearly defined. Administration relied on a patchwork of Google Drive, WhatsApp, and spreadsheets; there was no unified system. Human resources were project‑led and precarious; most coaches were self‑employed, and there were no formal recruitment or performance management processes.
Financial management was the most urgent concern. Bookkeeping was manual and time‑consuming, with no asset register and no internal controls. The previous accountant had made multiple errors, costing the organisation thousands a year and leaving them with an unexpected VAT bill. Worse, the lease had no early break clause, and the landlord had made it clear they would fight to keep Spiral in the building because, even at zero rent, the organisation saved the landlord thousands a year in service charges and rates.
The leadership team was exhausted. Luke, the founder, and his co‑director had been working for months on these key strategic issues..”
The support: turning gaps into action
The Big Business programme provided structured training and, most critically, a Critical Friend, a chartered accountant with extensive mentoring experience. Over five intensive one‑to‑one sessions, they worked through the health check findings and built a phased action plan.
The sessions focused on financial breakthrough. The Critical Friend helped Luke understand the true break‑even point, the cash flow , and the need to automate accounting.
The results: from crisis to clarity
A clear exit strategy: Spiral now has a documented, step‑by‑step plan to exit the lease without dissolving the company, using independent safety reports and formal defect notices.
A new organisation: their new project is ready to launch, with a waiting list already being built and a facility in Milton Keynes under active negotiation.
Better financial control: A new accountant has restated years of accounts, corrected tax errors, and is helping Spiral understand its true break‑even point.
Reduced admin burden: Automated accounting, AI tools, and a redesigned customer acquisition process have freed up leadership time.
A reframed marketing message: Instead of “parkour training”, Spiral now markets confidence, resilience, and neurodiverse support – the real value parents pay for.
In their final testimonial, Luke wrote:
“Jay has been instrumental during a very challenging and pivotal period. His guidance helped us think both strategically and practically, encouraging us to explore solutions we had not previously considered. He has not simply offered advice; he has actively helped us problem‑solve. When our previous accountant unexpectedly withdrew, Jay stepped in quickly, helping us source and connect with a new accountant, stabilising what could have been a significant operational setback. The Critical Friend meetings have provided accountability, constructive challenge, and reassurance when we needed it most. The support has been practical, responsive, and genuinely invested in our success.”