- June 19, 2025
When Kirsty Henderson was looking for work, she struggled. As a single mum of three, she couldn’t just rely on her two degrees to find a new role. The jobs that could give her the flexibility she needed were hard to come by.
Her processing delay, which makes it harder to retain and digest information, was also a barrier to finding new roles. After discovering SBFM, Kirsty quickly gained not just a job, but flexibility, a new career path as a personal trainer through Evolve, and day-to-day support catered to her specific needs. At SBFM, Kirsty finally feels noticed and heard.
Kirsty’s story
As a single mum of three with limited childcare support, I struggled to find work that suited my varying availability. I have a good academic background with two degrees, but new roles were hard to come across. I’m neurodivergent and have a processing delay, which means I can struggle to retain information and need time to learn and digest it. That means I must build a routine into my day, and I can find some situations overwhelming, which can at times affect my working life if I don’t have the right support in place. Together, these factors made my job search difficult. But when I found out about SBFM and Evolve, that changed completely.
Discovering Evolve
I started looking into SBFM after I saw their job advertisements online. Once I made a profile on their online portal and uploaded a picture of my right to work, I quickly completed my e-learning and could immediately start applying for jobs in my area. I highlighted that I had a disability in my application, which led to the SBFM team reaching out to me and offering to provide extra support through Evolve. They shared a range of funded courses that could help me professionally. Just 10 days after my application, I got a call and started working straight away.
When I first started work, SBFM arranged meetings with me to ask what reasonable adjustments I may need or anything else to support me with my disabilities while working so they could best help me stay in work for the long term.
Starting at PureGym
On my first day, I had an induction on site with my lovely area manager. She explained PureGym’s expectations, what to use and the layout of the premises. I had a meeting with SBFM to check if I needed reasonable adjustments and was introduced to the Evolve programme.
While continuing my usual job, SBFM enrolled me on to the Evolve course to become a personal trainer. It’s great, I can complete my training in my own time and around my other commitments. I attended a webinar for one hour a week and submitted open-book assignments each week.
Kirsty’s development
A few months in, SBFM’s support remains constant. My home life can be chaotic, sometimes my children are sick, so SBFM have let me change shift times or make up hours on other days. Many of my shifts fit between school times, and I have easily applied for overtime shifts with other clients, giving me the opportunity to trial working in retail environments as well.
Communication with the site management helps all round. I can report cleaning or maintenance issues to them, and together we resolve things quickly for our customers.
SBFM has been amazing at being flexible and caring towards my disabilities. I’ve had regular check-ins from my area manager and account directors. They have been great at explaining things to me at every stage, and generally being reassuring.
For my entire time at SBFM, the whole team have remained helpful and responsive. I regularly have questions and call the helpdesk, who always help me with my queries.
Kirsty’s future
After six months at SBFM, I really love my job as a cleaner. I have a supportive team, flexible hours around my home life, a good routine and a supportive employer. I feel extremely grateful to have this opportunity at the stage of life I am in.
I also have great connections with my PureGym colleagues. They are always supportive, grateful for the work the cleaners do, and we have good communication. They have actively encouraged me to do the personal trainer course and offered to help me with any queries or show me how to use the gym equipment, should I need it.
I think SBFM’s ethos to help people and be inclusive really shines through in every step they have taken to support me. People face so many barriers to employment, and I know firsthand how that can make someone feel. When you have an employer who cares about helping people who really need it, it’s a great feeling and makes you want to stay with them.
Over the last few months, I’ve become more confident, and this has meant I can connect with people again after a long time of being a stay-at-home mum. The customers constantly thank me for my work and some regulars always say hello, which is a nice feeling.
Working with SBFM
Once qualified as a personal trainer, I may transfer over to the gym I work at to top up my hours. I’d like to continue my cleaning job on the side as I’m good at it, enjoy it and it really works for me. Because SBFM is such a supportive employer, I’d be reluctant to ever fully leave. SBFM is a company that really focuses on helping people – something I found rare in my previous job searches. It’s a great feeling to be seen and to be heard, and that makes me want to stay with them for a long time.
Discover more about how Evolve is making a difference – click here to learn more.