Lovingly Restored

Client: Kinesis Gym and Fitness Centre, London, UK
Supplier: Cybex International UK

A former 1930s Art Deco cinema in Eltham, south-east London, has been given a new lease of life and transformed into a 860sq m (9,000sq ft) fitness facility. Having stood derelict since closing in 2000, the building is now home to Kinesis Gym and Fitness Centre, a state-of-the-art facility comprising a split-level gym, fitness studio, treatment room and café.

First opened in 1936, the Coronet cinema has been a landmark in the surrounding area for almost 70 years. A target for vandalism since its closure, the building was voted upon by Greenwich councillors, who granted permission for the site to be turned into a vibrant mixed-use development.

Behind the renovation is the Suggars family, whose roots lie in Eltham and whose vision it was to restore many of the building’s original features, working in conjunction with English Heritage. These included a rounded projecting glass staircase tower, Art Deco moulds and windows, lighting and 1930s-style reception and café.
The gym houses over 60 pieces of cardio and resistance equipment from Cybex, including VR3 and Eagle selectorised strength equipment with customised upholstery, the Bravo Functional Training System, Big Iron series of racks and benches and plate-loaded and free weights equipment.

Cardio equipment includes Cybex 770T treadmills and 770C and 770R bikes incorporating E3 View entertainment consoles. Cybex’s Total Body and Lower Body Arc Trainers were also installed. A large free weights and functional training area was equipped by Jordan Fitness.

Dan Suggars, manager of Kinesis Gym and Fitness Centre and a personal trainer, says: “I was hugely impressed with Cybex right from the start, not only because of the quality of the equipment and the science and research behind each piece, but also by the high levels of service and support provided.

“Seminars run by Cybex’s master trainers have benefited my staff greatly, while the design and activation of a number of marketing campaigns have supported our sales strategy and helped us to not only reach but exceed our original membership targets.”

Tony Vaughan, Cybex regional sales manager, says: “The gym is a great addition to the community, and the work Dan and his family have undertaken to restore the building has been fantastic. It’s an inspirational and unique environment in which to train.”

Details: www.cybexintl.com

The gym is housed in a local 1930s landmark, formerly the Coronet cinema

The building’s Art Deco reception was restored with the help of English Heritage

Seamless Integration

Client: Inverclyde Leisure, Scotland
Supplier: Legend

Scottish leisure trust Inverclyde Leisure has implemented the Legend leisure management solution across its 13 Renfrewshire sites.

The new system went live on 4 March 2014, incorporating Legend’s front of house, back office and online solutions, including web bookings, smartphone apps and integrated social media marketing, as well as Legend’s new tablet-based ‘sports courses’ solution. The implementation was completed in less than three months.
The next phase, already underway, includes Legend’s Powerhouse energy management software and LegendFM facilities management software.

Inverclyde Leisure selected Legend to improve the customer experience and bring operational efficiencies to leisure services in its 13 sites. “Our previous system was no longer fit for purpose given the aims of our overall customer service strategy, which is based on making use of the web,” says Kieron Vango, CEO of Inverclyde Leisure. “We chose Legend because it offered the best price for the functionality available, was highly intuitive in terms of usability, and presented us with a clear roadmap for future innovation.”

Legend’s team scheduled weekly project management meetings and daily calls, providing additional support when required. Says Vango: “We’ve been impressed by Legend’s support and attention to detail. Early indications are very positive with customers, staff and management.”

The implementation included: the migration of 6,000 member records from the previous on-site system to Legend’s cloud-based solution; training for 105 staff across Inverclyde’s 13 sites; and a rationalisation of the trust’s membership options, cutting these down from more than 60 to just 15.

“The move to Legend presented us with a great opportunity for a complete review. It allowed us to take a helicopter view of how we’d been managing this aspect of the business and make it more effective. This exercise alone has been hugely valuable,” adds Vango.

“However, it was really in the areas of project management and on-site training that Legend excelled. They truly acted as an extension of the team here, ensuring there was a mutual understanding of what we wanted to achieve.”

Legend conducted three full days of staff training using three trainers, even providing 4.00pm to 9.00pm evening training for some staff, as well as additional sessions on an ad hoc basis for key staff members who needed additional mentoring.

“This has been really important,” Vango comments. “Our staff work seven days a week, from 6.00am to 9.00pm, so Legend’s flexibility in the training meant nobody missed out and all our staff have started using the system from a position of confidence. It’s been instrumental in the seamless go-live.

“We’re already seeing a strong impact in the first month. Customers are benefiting from the web booking and smartphone functions, while staff are positive about the usability and speed of the system. This has made the front of house process faster and has enabled us focus on customer service.

“We’re also expecting the depth of reporting to help us find further areas in which we might improve the business.”

Details: www.legendware.co.uk

Legend spent three full days training staff on the new system, so they could start using it from a position of confidence

Inverclyde Leisure chose Legend to bring operational efficiencies to its 13 sites