Gym offers student party night - minus the hangover
BBC"We did a lot of going out last year and wanted to try something different."
Student socialising has traditionally revolved around alcohol - but what are the options for the growing numbers of young people at university who want to enjoy a night out without getting drunk?
In Nottingham, a new offering appears to have got off to a strong start.
Friends Phoebe Constanta and Ella Birkwood are second-year students at Nottingham Trent University.
They told the BBC they were looking for "a new gym to try out" and decided to go along to Castle After Dark, a new alcohol-free student event at a city centre gym.
Phoebe, 20, said: "We found it really interesting that it's a night event, but it's not based around alcohol and the club. It's about wellbeing and interacting with people your age."
Ella added: "I'm loving it."
At its launch event, which kicked off at 22:00 BST on a Thursday night, popular club bangers could be heard blasting from outdoor speakers as students from across the area, dressed for a workout, queued to get into Castle Gym in Maid Marian Way.
As the doors opened, they were met with a live DJ, pre-workout nutritional shots and free reign of the equipment - with not a drop of alcohol in sight.
Most recent data suggests young people drink less than other generations.
About 39% of men and 31% of women aged 16 to 24, who responded to the NHS Health Survey for England for 2024, said they had not drunk alcohol in the past year, compared to about 24% of adults overall.
Gym owner Luke Willmott said he believed the event was the first of its kind.
"This is the night out where you feel better in the morning," he said.
"You don't even have to be a student to know you feel absolutely terrible the next day after indulging in alcohol and partying.
"This is definitely something that's going to catch on because you get all of the partying and all of the happiness and energy, but none of the hangover.
"Health and wellbeing is at the forefront. Even if you've consumed alcohol before, you will not be coming into the premises. We've got a really strict policy on that."
Among those in attendance was 21-year-old Fortune Madu, an economics student at the University of Derby.
"They're bringing the vibes. They've got the competition. I like competition in gyms, so that's really good," he said.
"They've obviously got the music, as you can hear in the background. The aesthetic's really nice, so yeah, I'm having fun so far."
Roommates Talia Miller, 24 and Chah Madina are both students at Nottingham Trent University.
"I think it's definitely a cool concept," said Talia.
"We were talking about how this is showing people what their gym has to offer while making it something fun, getting to know people and just seeing the area."
Chah said: "It's been really good. I've been trying like every single equipment. I'm role-playing being a member."
Luke acknowledges his gym "wasn't built for students" and "not cheap", with typical membership options starting from £65 a month.
He said the nights were a way to "include them... and not alienate our current members".
"An event like this is really cool to be able to ringfence a time for them [students] to be able to come in and enjoy the facility," he said.
Nottingham-based DJ Esco-bar typically plays club events and festivals.
He told the BBC in his 15-year DJ career, he had never played at a student night in a gym.
"It's lit," he said. "Vibes on vibes. It's crazy inside there.
"I feel like it's good to get to know everyone, all the students as well as a DJ.
"All the students are happy with the music, so it's a win-win for me."
Luke said with 250 students in attendance, the response to the launch event had exceeded his "wildest expectations".
"This is definitely going to be a staple," he added.
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