A new-look fitness suite has been unveiled at Hawthorn Leisure Centre in Pontypridd, South Wales, following a £70,000 scheme to upgrade the facility.

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (RCTCBC), which operates the venue, has leased 40 pieces of new equipment as part of a lease agreement with Life Fitness. The facility, which boasts a free weights area and a stretch area, also includes a layout that incorporates Life Fitness' Life Fitness Journey to guide users in their training.

Robert Bevan, cabinet member for culture and recreation at RCTCBC, said: "The newly refurbished fitness suite at Hawthorn Leisure Centre is exemplary and will undoubtedly impress the regular users while also rapidly increase the current customer base. "A range of groundbreaking leisure initiatives are also being run, such as health referral schemes offering tailor-made exercise programmes to help patients on the road to recovery."

Image: Olympic medal-winning sprinter Darren Campbell tests out the new equipment