New £250,000 fitness suites due to be unveiled during free fitness fun day

A summer of sport continues for people in Warwickshire, as a local sports and leisure provider gears up for a day of free fitness fun.

Everyone Active has invested more than £250,000 to refurbish its fitness suites across the Stratford district. The new, state-of-the-art facilities at both the Stratford and Shipston leisure centres will be unveiled on Saturday 27August as part of an 'I Am Team GB' open day. 

The centres will be getting more people active in the wake of a sports-packed summer by opening their doors to customers of all ages and abilities, and giving them the chance to try out the new facilities free of charge.

As well as renovating the look and feel of the gym at Stratford Leisure Centre, Everyone Active is introducing more than 40 top-of-the-range cardio vascular machines. Provided by fitness equipment designer, Technogym, the new apparatus will offer customers full internet access and web browsing as well as integration with social media apps and Everyone Active Online. There are also a number of new machines being installed which have been designed to ensure accessibility for disabled users.

Customers will also benefit from a new eight-station Omnia Rig which provides a full body work out, and an ARKE 19-piece free standing rack designed to improve flexibility, balance, co-ordination and agility.

A number of new apparatus are also being introduced to the gym at Shipston. Customers will benefit from new strength equipment, including a squat rack, free weights, and chest and shoulder press, as well as a host of updated cardio vascular machines.

During the open day, the gyms at both sites will be free to use from 9am-5pm, and Everyone Active will be running a number of complimentary gym-floor workshops and fitness challenges. Virtual group exercise classes will be running free-of-charge throughout the day at Stratford, where Everyone Active has also partnered up with local sports clubs to host bookable taster sessions, including karate, dance classes, pickleball, badminton and much more. The swimming pool will also be open for free 'Wet and Wild' inflatable sessions.

I Am Team GBis a nationwide initiative lead by The National Lottery and ITV, which aims to welcome home Britain's Olympic Hero's by encouraging people across the UK to join in with a day free sporting activities. For every free activity visitors to Stratford and Shipston participate with, Everyone Active will enter them into a draw to win prizes including an Apple Watch and free 12-month membership.

Gareth Wagg, Everyone Active's General Manager at Stratford Leisure Centre, said: “It's really important that we help everyone in our community to become more active. We hope this summer has inspired people to get involved in sport, and by offering the opportunity to use our facilities free of charge, we want to help people find an activity they really enjoy.

“We are really excited to showcase our new fitness suites. It's important to us that customers have the best experience when visiting our centres, and this investment will make a huge difference to those using the facilities."

This is the first time that the fitness suite at Stratford has received an extensive refurbishment since 2010, and the works will complement the major renovation that was completed last year.

Cllr Mike Brain, Community and Technical Services Portfolio, says: “Supporting the health and wellbeing of our residents is a key priority for us and these new and improved facilities will be much more in-line with what modern leisure users expect. 

“The District Council invested £5m in the refurbishment of Stratford Leisure Centre last year and now our contractors are continuing this investment in our leisure centres by carrying out these improvements at Stratford and Shipston. We will continue to work alongside our partners to maintain and improve these facilities for all."

The gym at Stratford Leisure Centre will be closed from 20th-26th August to allow for the refurbishment to take place. During this time, members will be able to use any Everyone Active Centre in the surrounding area, with the exception of Shipston Leisure Centre on 22nd and 23rd August.

For more information about the open day, call Stratford Leisure Centre on 01789 268 826, Shipston Leisure Centre on 01608 662 354 or visit www.everyoneactive.com.