‘Dream’ come true for founder of Northants wellbeing hub as first month proved a success

The founder of a newly opened Northants wellbeing hub says his “dream” has come true as the first month proved a success.

The Wellbeing Space, which prioritises and nurtures mental and physical health, opened in High Street, Long Buckby on March 2.

The venture is the brainchild of Tom Sheppard and he has brought lots of professionals offering different services under one roof for the community to make the most of.

Tom is a sports massage therapist and has run his business, TS Soft Tissue Therapies, in the area for the past eight years.

The opening of The Wellbeing Space was the fulfilment of a long-term dream of his, to set up a clinic that caters to the wellbeing needs of Long Buckby and the surrounding villages.

Tom has always been passionate about helping others and jumped at the chance to launch the clinic at the heart of the village – to expand and work with other passionate business owners.

The Wellbeing Space hosted an opening event and Tom said: “It was a great feeling welcoming people into the space to see what we are about. Having the time to chat to people face-to-face about why I wanted to open the clinic, the current offerings and who is based here, as well as show people around, was really valuable to me.”

A couple of other therapists have joined the team since the opening event, including a counsellor and a wellness specialist, bringing the total to 10.

Tom has always focused on “providing a welcoming space” for his treatments and has built a loyal base of returning clients since he first qualified in sport massage almost nine years ago.

He has tried to carry that over to the clinic and the “open and friendly” team has already received “excellent feedback” on classes and treatments.

When he previously spoke to the Chronicle & Echo, Tom shared his vision for The Wellbeing Space. He hoped to create an “accessible, comfortable and relaxing local hub” that people can visit for any kind of help – whether that is a massage, support with an injury, someone to talk to, or a pilates or yoga class.

“It has been a long held dream of mine to open a clinic like this,” said Tom. “It has been really gratifying to be supported by the community, and clients outside of the village.”

In a world that is so busy and full of technology, the founder reiterated the importance of dedicating time to switching off and being in the moment. “We are a part of that for anyone who walks through the doors,” Tom added.

Aside from taking the plunge to open the space, which Tom says was an “incredibly proud moment”, his proudest achievement is seeing the team come together as they all “bring their own speciality”.

Looking to the future, Tom hopes to see the clinic grow and become a hub for everything wellbeing-related.

Though it has got off to a positive start, the founder hopes people will continue to support The Wellbeing Space so it can “truly thrive” in the community.