A former TV Gladiator is helping to create nearly 30 new jobs at a private health centre in North Wales.
Diane Youdale, who fought under the name of Jet in the cult 1990s series, qualified as a psychotherapist and pilates instructor after leaving the hit show.
The 44-year-old is now playing a major role at the Spire Healthcare Consulting Rooms which has now doubled in size at its base on the North Wales Business Park in Abergele.
Spire, who also run the Spire Yale Hospital in Wrexham, have taken over the first floor of the building where they have been occupying the ground level since 2009.
They have invested in new equipment for the expansion, including an Intense Pulsed Light laser, used for procedures such as hair removal and skin rejuvenation.
The expansion has enabled Spire to introduce a number of new services, including non-surgical cosmetic and beauty treatments.
Other services available at the North Wales Cosmetic Suite include acupuncture, sports massage, pilates, yoga and chiropody.
Diane and a team of specialist teachers will run the exercise side of the operation, providing classes in pilates, zumba and yoga.
She will also be working alongside one of the private hospital’s consultants to help patients tackle obesity and other health issues through her “Core Philosphy” workshops.
During a visit by Clwyd West AM Darren Millar she outlined her plans for services which include holistic health, wellbeing and nutrition.
Mr Millar was delighted to hear about the expansion and said: “Extra jobs mean more families have more income. That’s very good news. It’s also great for the business park and for the town of Abergele.
“I’m absolutely delighted that Diane has a vision to help make this place into a centre that will help people with their health in every sense of the word. Not just their physical health, but their mental health, and their spiritual health as well.
“I’m delighted that she is basing herself in Aberegele. This is the perfect location on the North Wales Business Park.
“We focus far too much on treating people who are already ill, and I think it’s very important to make sure that we also take some time in society as a whole to focus on preventing ill health and maintaining good health. One way of doing that is incorporating some of the practices that have been outlined to me today by Diane at Spire.”
Andrea Carri, manager of Spire Healthcare Consulting Rooms, added: “We are now able to offer nurse-led non-surgical beauty and cosmetic treatments using Elemis, Dermalogica and Mesoastetics as part of our service. We’ve already created seven new jobs, and will be creating six more on top of the 10 to 15 jobs that Diane will be creating.
“We are thrilled to have Diane on board. She is keen on nutrition and exercise and will work with our paediatricians on child obesity. There is also scope for her to work with other consultants on a number of health issues, such as stroke rehabilitation.
“Diane is so enthusiastic and without doubt she is going to make a real difference.”
Diane was keen to stress the importance of maintenance and prevention when it comes to health and wellbeing.
She said: “We are a nation who wait until it’s a case of patching up our health once gone wrong or neglected as opposed to our European cousins who put more emphasis on maintenance and prevention. As a duty of self-care we need the tools for better education in and beyond school.
“I want a real breadth of pathways open to people here.
“I’m putting together a really good team with the right experience and the right attitude to put together the foundation of the studio which will be more holistic as opposed to pure fitness.
“The nature of this space loans itself beautifully to holistic activities such as t’ai chi, yoga, and pilates.
“As a health and fitness practitioner I’ve always wanted to work as part of a multidisciplinary team and with Spire, here it is.
“Things are looking promising. I’ve just spent a few days here in North Wales interviewing a handful of people, and every single one of them, I’d be thrilled if they want to teach here for a few hours each week.
“If people are interested in working here they can get in touch with Spire and leave a name and number, and an email address and I’ll get back to them.”
For more information go to: www.spirehealthcare.com/yale/abergele-consulting-rooms/
