A woman from Leeds who was left to fare for herself from the age of fifteen has made a huge success of her fitness business, which now empowers women across West Yorkshire.
Tiffany Clark was left on her own by her family as a teenager, and was forced to move into the Halton Moor tower block after losing their support whilst she was still in school.
After putting herself through school and sixth form alone, she found herself a job on Leeds Market where she worked incredibly hard to establish herself - earning less than £30 a week.
From here, she went on to work at Harvey Nichols before making the decision to start a personal trainer course.
This, in turn, led to her setting up Tiffany SXEFit - a collection of fitness and dance classes specifically designed to "empower women" not just physically but mentally, too.
Her classes, which are held each week at her base in Heckmondwike, have become hugely popular - mostly growing through word-of-mouth recommendations from those who've been and loved it.
sxefit on Instagram
More than 40 women turn up each week for her classes - and there have been some amazing success stories to come out of the studio.
"Some of the women have lost so much weight and dropped dress sizes," she told the YEP.
"But we always make sure every woman feels powerful in their own body. It is all about building confidence and empowering women."
Tiffany now wants to spread the message to other women from her estate to let them know that if they set their minds to something they can achieve it too.
"I think the classes deserve to be seen by more people.
"I want to make sure the company grows bigger and bigger and helps as many women as possible.
"We don't just change bodies, we change lives. That is the motto I pride myself on."
News
Iconic Leeds venue The Reliance to be brought back to life under new name ‘The Smithfield’
The Reliance, a much missed North Street site, is being brought back to life as The Smithfield.
The Smithfield is set to be a new social eatery and pub focused on seasonal, produce-led dining.
Set to open its doors to the people of Leeds in early April, The Smithfield will pay homage to the local area through both its produce and people.
The venue will focus on proper plates of seasonal ingredients, pairing a relaxed dining style with a strong sense of community. Sounds pretty brilliant if you ask us.
Building on the legacy of North Street, The Smithfield is a collaborative project between Yorkshire brewery Crooked Brewing and chef James Donovan.
Images: Supplied
Steve Dawson, co-founder of Crooked Brewing, has long admired The Reliance and want to build on its established legacy.
“What The Reliance was doing was cutting edge for its time,” says Donovan. “We want to bring that same vision and energy into Leeds in 2026. Our aim is to pick up the culinary torch that The Reliance left behind and continue its legacy of great food in Leeds,” adds Dawson.
The Smithfield takes its name from Church Street’s historic connection to the Smithfield cattle market of the early 1800s, once located on what is now Lovell Park.
“We really want the people around us to feel that The Smithfield is their space,” says Dawson. “We want to give them a place at our table.”
We'll keep you updated with an opening date as and when we know, but we're very excited indeed.
Jungle are back and have announced a huge Leeds gig for later this year
Daisy Jackson
Modern funk and soul band Jungle are officially heading back to Leeds.
The Mercury Prize-nominated group will be performing at the First Direct Bank Arena this November, following their blistering summer on the festival circuit last year.
They'll be heading to Leeds on Saturday 21 November 2026.
Jungle was formed back in 2013 by producers and friends Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland.
While they technically worked as a duo for years (until 2023, when touring member Lydia Kitto became an official member of the band), Jungle are known for their huge live performances.
They always fill stages with musicians and vocalists, for incredible funk n soul live shows.
The bands huge hits include Back on 74, Casio, and Busy Earnin’, from four top-10 albums including 2023’s groundbreaking Volcano.
The upcoming Leeds date forms part of the band’s upcoming world tour, which arrives in the UK in November 2026 following a string of international performances across Europe, North America, and beyond.
Fans can expect a setlist jam packed with standout tracks, including fan favourites such as ‘Volcano’ and ‘Back On 74’ and newer material from their upcoming album ‘Sunshine’, released on 14 August that continues to push the band’s signature sound forward.
With over 3.4 billion streams to their name, Jungle’s Leeds show is set to be one of the hottest tickets of 2026 so we wouldn't mess about if we were you.
Tickets for Jungle in Manchester will go on general sale from 10am on Friday 27 March, with pre-sale from 10am on Thursday 26 March.
Georgina Pellant -
24th September 2021 
