LaganView gym celebrates its first birthday

To date the gym has welcomed 2310 people through its doors with 251 inductions having taken place. Current membership now stands at 43 with an additional 18 pay-as-you-go members. Membership rates are very reasonable with a £2.50 pay-as-you-go rate and £15 for a single user monthly subscription.

LaganView Community Gym was jointly funded by the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Resurgam Community Development Trust. The gym forms part of an innovative programme to respond to a number of issues identified in the ‘The Best for Every Child’ research report published in 2012, studying deprived areas of Lisburn. These pointed to the need to tackle long-term poor health and quality of life across the population as a whole.

The development of the community gym, which is a part of this initiative,boasts a cardio and strength suite offering a range of Techno Gym equipment, with a Smith Machine being the newest addition.

Adrian Bird, Resurgam Trust Director said: “The Resurgam Trust is delighted with the development and progress being made by Laganview Community Gym. In the short period of only one year it has become the hub for our Community Health Development and provides excellent facilities for the Resurgam Trust staff and volunteers. The gym is a Social Enterprise which prides itself on providing a personalised professional service to our community at realistic affordable price.”

The gym has three Level two qualified gym instructors on site and currently works with a pool of volunteers for evening opening hours. In fact the gym, alongside the local college, is now working towards offering its volunteers an opportunity to study for their Active IQ Level 2 in Fitness Instructing on site. It is hoped that at the end of this course, LaganView Community Gym will have up to 14 fully qualified gym instructors.

Resurgam’s Healthy Living Manager Gillian Lewis added: “Being physically active produces lots of immediate benefits including more energy, better sleep and a general sense of wellbeing. In the longer term being active protects against several diseases including cancer and heart disease. he LaganView Community Gym provides a local, low cost opportunity to be active with guidance from trained staff - helping make the healthy choice that bit easier.

“LaganView Gym is currently running a 2-for-1 offer until the end of October 2014 which is not to be missed. To avail of this offer before it expires please contact the gym on 07599925372 to book your induction or message us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/laganviewcommunitygym.”