The BBM Program

What The BBM Program does

The BBM Program is a New Zealand-registered non-profit community health organization founded in 2014 by Dave Letele, focused on addressing health inequities in Māori and Pasifika communities. It operates three physical gym locations — Manukau, New Lynn, and Tokoroa — providing free or subsidized fitness access, and runs a foodshare program and community kitchen to address adjacent food-security needs. The organization has received the 2022 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Local Hero Award for its founder, reflecting its public profile and community standing.

The program's service stack combines in-person gym access (priced at $10-15/week) with a digital BBM App (priced at approximately $67/month) and class-booking infrastructure built on the GymMaster software platform. Research partnerships with Massey University and the University of Auckland provide third-party validation of health and social outcomes, which is leveraged for both credibility and funder reporting. The technology footprint is deliberately lean, prioritizing accessibility over feature depth.

Revenue mechanics blend small individual membership fees with charitable donations funneled through the Just Move Charitable Health Trust, which was established in 2018 as the dedicated funding vehicle. The go-to-market is community-led — local outreach, word-of-mouth, and healthcare-provider referrals — targeting underserved South Auckland and Waikato populations. There is no enterprise sales motion, and member relationships are individual rather than institutional, with university and potential government/health-board partnerships serving primarily as research and funding channels rather than revenue contracts.

Name

The BBM Program

Legal name

Just Move Charitable Health Trust (funding entity for BBM Motivation)

Website

https://thebbmprogram.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The BBM Program is a New Zealand non-profit founded in 2014 by Dave Letele, operating three subsidized gyms in Manukau, New Lynn, and Tokoroa alongside a foodshare and community kitchen, serving primarily Māori and Pasifika communities with low-cost fitness and nutrition support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Fitness and Wellness Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Diet and Weight Reducing Centers (812191)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Strength & Conditioning Bootcamps (HSADABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Group Fitness, Personal Training & Wellness Coaching (EDALAIAE)

Keywords

• Community fitness programs
• Charitable health services
• Obesity intervention programs
• Food insecurity support
• Wellness lifestyle coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Manukau

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Trust Funding: Funded primarily by the Just Move Charitable Health Trust, a registered charity (CC55414) established May 16, 2018. Receives donations from individuals and organizations to support free and subsidized programs.
2. Gym Membership Fees: Community bootcamp memberships at $10/week or casual $15 drop-in sessions. Revenue is secondary to mission; most programs are free or heavily subsidized.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Partnerships with foundations and corporations including Z Energy, Foodstuffs, Sky City, and various charitable trusts that provide funding and in-kind support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The BBM Program provides free and low-cost community fitness bootcamps, the specialized 12-week "From the Couch" lifestyle program for mobility-limited individuals, and food insecurity support through its Foodshare service. Operating from three physical gym locations in New Zealand and a subscription mobile app, it delivers culturally grounded health, fitness, and nutrition services to Māori and Pacific communities and people affected by obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Product overview

The BBM Program operates as a community health and fitness organization offering free and low-cost fitness services to underserved communities in New Zealand. The core offering consists of physical gym facilities in Manukau, New Lynn, and Tokoroa providing community bootcamps (Boxfit, Circuit, Mums and Bubs, Plyometrics, TechFocus, Open Gym, Weights, Resistance Harness), supplemented by the digital BBM App for remote members. The flagship programme 'From the Couch' provides specialized 12-week support for people with mobility limitations and long-term health conditions, while the Foodshare and Community Kitchen address food insecurity. The organization is funded by the Just Move Charitable Health Trust and focuses on Māori and Pacific communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BBM From the Couch: Free 12-week lifestyle support program for people with long-term health conditions who cannot stand for long periods.
• BBM Foodshare
• BBM Foodbank

Products and services

• BBM Community Classes (Bootcamps) Weekly community fitness bootcamps held at BBM gyms in Manukau, New Lynn, and Tokoroa, offering Boxing, HIIT, CrossFit, Yoga, Circuit Training, Mums and Bubs, Heavyweight Champs (beginners), Open Gym, Resistance Harness, Plyometrics, Tech, and male-only/female-only classes for all fitness levels including children and teens. Classes accommodate up to 40 people; weekly membership at $15/week or $30 per fortnight, plus casual $15 drop-in sessions.
• BBM From the Couch

Quantifiable outcome

• Severe depression decreased from 65% to 20% among From the Couch participants (effect size 0.36)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Total Healthcare PHOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider partnership delivering the From the Couch program. PHO (Primary Health Organisation) provides healthcare system connections and support for underserved populations.
• Local DoctorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider partnership delivering the From the Couch program. Provides medical support and health referrals to program participants.
• Massey UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted 3-year independent evaluation of the From the Couch program. Research team led by Professor James Liu and researchers Jenn Sarich and Gloria Finau. Evaluation published results showing significant health improvements including reduced depression rates.
• University of AucklandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with Dr Fa'asisila Savila's team evaluating the effectiveness of the BBM programme for sustained health and well-being. Three-year funding from Health Research Council to monitor changes in weight over time.
• Middlemore FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership to provide Christmas support to hundreds of families doing it tough in the community.
• GymMastercoreTechnology or IntegrationFitness management software used for class bookings, member check-ins, payment processing, and liability waivers. Members download the app and manage their membership digitally.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Noom: Noom is a digital subscription weight-loss and behavior-change platform with strong evidence-base claims and personalized coaching. Comparable as a recurring, app-driven weight-management service competing for the same end outcome as BBM's programs.

Broad incumbents

• Les Mills International: New Zealand-founded global group-fitness programming company that licenses classes (Bodypump, GRIT, etc.) to gyms worldwide. Comparable as a NZ-anchored group-fitness brand and a community-oriented operator at its Auckland studios.
• WW (Weight Watchers): WW operates a global subscription weight-management and wellness program with community and digital components. Comparable in outcome-focused weight loss but at vastly greater scale and with a commercial (not charity) model.
• CityFitness (New Zealand): CityFitness is one of New Zealand's largest budget gym chains offering group fitness and personal training across multiple sites. It is comparable as a domestic fitness operator serving price-sensitive members, though it lacks BBM's charity funding and community focus.

Direct peers

• TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly): TOPS is a non-profit, peer-support weight-loss organization with chapter-based meetings. Comparable as a community-led, low-cost, mission-driven weight-management model that BBM parallels in structure and member psychology.
• YMCA (New Zealand): YMCA NZ operates community fitness facilities with subsidized access and youth/family programming on a non-profit basis. It is the closest direct peer to BBM in mission, member-base profile, and community-led delivery model in New Zealand.
• Lite n' Easy (ANZ): Lite n' Easy delivers structured meal plans and weight-management programs across Australia and New Zealand. Directly comparable as a recurring-subscription weight-loss service targeting health outcomes in the ANZ market.

Regional players

• Green Prescription (NZ): Green Prescription is a New Zealand Ministry of Health-funded program that refers patients to community physical-activity services. Comparable as a public-sector channel for community fitness delivery, and a potential partner or competitor for BBM's healthcare referral flow.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Buttabean
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-bbm-program

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The BBM Program