The official opening of a new fitness gym at Appleby Leisure Centre took place on Tuesday 10th July, following a £92,000 investment to improve existing facilities.

The funding was made up of £62,000 for new equipment provided by Eden District Council and £30,000 to cover decoration and building works from North Country Leisure (NCL) Eden, the charity which took over the leisure management contract from 1st April 2012. The development work was completed in two weeks and forms just one of several joint ventures taking place between Eden District Council and NCL.

The project included refurbishment and redecoration, plus new equipment provided by Life Fitness; all with integrated entertainment systems and compliant with the national Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) accreditation, to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities. A range of resistance and cardiovascular equipment has been installed, including a first for Appleby with two Trixter bikes, offering a virtual cycling experience which can be enjoyed indoors, whatever the weather.

The official opening was carried out by Eden District Council's Chair Cllr Keith Morgan and Deputy Leader and Communities Portfolio Holder, Councillor Mary Robinson. Mary said "The key objective with this project was to create a new fitness area, to complement the centre as a whole and provide a community space which could be widely used by local people. I'm thrilled that through the close partnership working between Eden District Council and NCL, this objective is already coming to fruition and I am looking forward to what exciting opportunities the future will hold for leisure provision in Eden."

Ian White, Chair of North Country Leisure Eden Board said, "We are delighted to be working with Eden District Council to improve the equipment, quality and accessibility of the gym at Appleby. As an organisation whose main objective is to encourage more people to exercise and stay healthy, it is imperative that we can provide the best equipment and a comfortable atmosphere to make everyone's workout more enjoyable. – we're confident that local people will really enjoy being active in the new-look gym."

As an additional benefit of the fitness and swim membership packages at the centre, the 'More Active Health' scheme is also now available, offering additional advice and guidance to help people adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Developed by MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition … Do It!), More Active Health follows a six week plan incorporating regular appointments with a qualified member of staff, who will help with hints and tips about physical exercise and nutritional information to keep you on track and achieve your goals.

Following the recent project at Appleby, work will shortly start on redecoration and extension of the fitness gym at Penrith Leisure Centre this summer. More information on either Penrith or Appleby Leisure Centres can be found at www.northcountryleisure.org.uk/eden or by calling the centres directly.