West Marsh Community Gym Opening

Thanks to funding from the Big Lottery, Humber Youth Association and Sportivate, the former changing room at West Marsh Community Centre has been transformed into an exciting new fitness suite.

Centre Manager Neil Barber and the team at West Marsh Community Centre came up with the idea to install the gym to try and encourage young people in the area to become more physically active. For the next five weeks, the gym will be delivering the first of two six-week Sportivate-funded sessions on a Thursday evening between 5 pm and 7 pm, specifically for young people. The gym is equipped with treadmills, spinning bikes, a weights bench, vibrating spinning plate, and a television. No more than two people can use the gym at a time for health and safety reasons, and a qualified gym instructor will be on hand to supervise. The aim of the gym is to get 3500 young people engaged in physical activity over a three-year period.

Pictured Above: Centre Manager Neil Barber with PCSOs Kay Newman and Holly Birch at West Marsh Community Centre’s Gym opening.

Neil said: “It is aimed at those people that don’t have access to or don’t want to use, the multi-gym venues in town. We want to attract young people who are keen to get involved in fitness and help them to burn off some of their excess energy in a positive way”.

Steve Lynn, on behalf of VANEL and North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “We are so pleased to support this project. It meets the aims of the health and well-being agenda and helps kids who would not otherwise have access to a gym. The costs have been kept low thanks to donations and there is all this for just £1. It has been a great success making this really valuable resource accessible to all. I hope there is a good take up.”

In closing, Neil expressed his thanks to the local probation service who contributed to the gym’s transformation and said that the community centre is hoping to install a shower for gym-goers to use.

WMCC gym is available from 7.30am to 9 pm and young people can book gym time from 5 pm to 7 pm on Thursdays by calling the centre on 01472 269230.