Welcome
Hi everyone, welcome to the inaugural edition of the EQUIPD newsletter!
I am incredibly grateful for your patience and support over the past five months. It has been challenging, but we are finally on the brink of a new beginning.
Gratitude for your Support
First and foremost, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all those who have reached out with their support during this time. Your emails and messages have been invaluable, and if you haven’t heard back from me yet, you can expect to hear from me soon.
Navigating the Journey
This update aims to provide additional context and transparency about the processes that have been unfolding over the past few weeks. Despite the seemingly long timeframes, stakeholders have been moving at record-breaking speeds to bring this vision to life. From receiving the green light to our anticipated launch on August 1st, we’ve had just a 50-day turnaround to achieve what we are about to discuss.
Overcoming Hurdles
ACT Property Group, various Ministers Offices, EQUIPD Allied Health and several additional stakeholders have collaborated to overcome many significant hurdles that needed to be addressed before we even got to ground zero:
1. Special-Use Facility
The suite has been designated a special-use gym space, ensuring certainty around its long-term availability to the community.
2. Entity Exploration
We explored various potential entity structures, alongside other stakeholders, to determine the best fit for this venture. Ultimately, it was decided that EQUIPD Allied Health Pty Ltd would be the entity to take this forward.
3. Equipment Funding
Initially, EQUIPD considered privately funding the equipment and engaged several suppliers for an accessible fit-out. However, with government support, this turned into a strict procurement process to eliminate conflicts and ensure value for the territory.
4. Renovation challenges
The gym was left in a less-than-ideal condition, requiring significant work on doors, walls, and floors before we could begin any new installations.
Current Status of the Space
The recent quietness was due to awaiting confirmation on the state of the space for our August 1st launch. All walls and doors have been patched and painted, and EQUIPD’s office space has been completed and handed over. The old carpet tiles were removed in the gym and group fitness areas, and the floors have been repaired, levelled, and waterproofed.
The final surface started being laid this week after slight delays due to extended waterproofing works being required. The gym space will be handed over in an empty state for our gathering on Thursday, while also ready to accept equipment deliveries. The group fitness room is expected to be finished by Friday, allowing us to commence community activities next week.
Equipment
Thanks to significant funding from the ACT Government, major pieces of strength and cardiovascular equipment, functional weights, conditioning gear, and clinical equipment have been procured. This equipment is either being held in storage awaiting space to accept delivery or in the case of bigger pieces, currently being manufactured with estimated delivery through August into earlier September.
Funding from the ACT government is currently limited to this equipment. EQUIPD is responsible for supplying additional equipment and fit-out, ensuring commercial viability with a market-rate commercial license.
Our major equipment providers include LifeFitness and associated brands, AlphaFit, HART Sports, and TheraBAND. See below some of the machines coming soon!
Brand Identity
EQUIPD have engaged Threesides Marketing, a leading Canberra-based team, to assist with our brand identity, digital presence, and media production. The first component of this new identity is our new company logo and associated business unit logos:
Website and Bookings
The website will undergo minor updates over the next few days/weeks before our new site goes live in September, providing all the necessary information and direct links for group fitness and Exercise Physiology bookings.
The gym’s official opening hours in September will be 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday. No booking will be required; just walk in and check in at the desk. Group fitness classes will require booking through the front desk, the website, or the members’ app, which will be detailed soon.
Contact Information
From August 1st to September 1st, our main phone line will be available for general inquiries on reduced hours from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at:
(02) 5135 6600
Outside these hours, please leave a voicemail. These hours will extend to full operating hours with the official launch of the gym and group fitness programs.
Referrals
EQUIPD has been successfully recommended for verification under the NDIS practice standards and is awaiting final approval of registration. While this process may take a few more weeks, we can begin onboarding self-managed and plan-managed NDIS clients immediately. For NDIA-managed participants, interim solutions are available. Please reach out for registration forms and further details. Exercise therapy options may remain limited until final equipment deliveries have arrived; please reach out to discuss tailored options.
For Medicare and DVA referrals, please use the following referral information before reaching out to book an Exercise Physiology consultation over the next few weeks as equipment arrives.
- Name: EQUIPD Allied Health
- Address: 9/70 Maclaurin Crescent, Chifley ACT 2606
- Email: referrals@equipdalliedhealth.com.au
- Provider Number: 5875792X (Dylan Grubb)
Clients wishing to utilise our allied health services privately can contact us at admin@equipdalliedhealth.com.au or via the phone number provided above.
The first induction session for the EQUIPD Community Transition Program (ECTP) will be on September 9th @ 12:00pm. To those Canberra Health Service staff members working within programs looking to refer into the pathway, please reach out directly.
Recruitment Drive
We are seeking various health professionals and administrative roles to support our business. Please check the Seek link below if you know anyone suitable for these roles. We are looking for innovative individuals who aren’t afraid to pursue ambitious goals.
August 1st Community Gathering
The community gathering on August 1st will proceed as planned at noon. Although the gym space will most likely be empty following its handover, I still invite everyone to come and socialise, share feedback, and hear more from me. If you were expecting to evaluate the equipment for your needs, I hope to manage your expectations, however, still encourage you to attend to discuss potential options.
Flexible Clinical Services & August Public Offering
Initially, we planned to start delivering clinical services from August 1st. However, as we await the arrival of equipment, we will need to be flexible with our offerings. Starting August 5th, I will be in the gym during the following hours, working diligently to finalize the preparations for our hard launch in September. These times are open publically and you are welcome to come past and talk in person.
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Additionally, we will conduct bi-weekly community activation sessions during the following hours which everyone is welcome to attend. This will include self-assessment of exercise capacity, basic exercises with available equipment and social opportunities.
Monday : 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
I will also be available outside these hours for inquiries and can be contacted easily via email and phone. While these are the public opening times for August, clinical consultations and additional engagements will continue full-time around the facility.
By our hard launch in September, the gym will operate at full capacity, with group fitness offerings and Exercise Physiology services readily available. Your patience and support during this initial phase are greatly appreciated, and I look forward to seeing you all and receiving your valuable feedback.
Thank You
Thanks again for all the support, I couldn’t do it without you all. I hope to see you at the community gathering and over the next few weeks!
