Aneurin Leisure Trust used lockdown to transform and digitise its gyms, ready for reopening

Welsh leisure trust, Aneurin Leisure, in partnership with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, forged ahead with full gym refurbishments in all three of its sites, despite the pandemic, with the centres each offering a hybrid in-person and digital gym solution for returning and new members.

Following the £600,000 refurbishment, Ebbw Vale Sports Centre, Abertillery Sports Centre and Tredegar Sports Centre each feature a full complement of Precor strength, cardio and functional equipment, with Precor’s networked fitness solution and Advagym by Sony together ensuring a strong focus on digital connectivity throughout.

Tom Kivell, Aneurin Leisure’s fitness development manager, says: “We decided to refurbish the three facilities as our previous kit was eight years old and very dated. We started the process in September 2019, but the pandemic put everything on hold. Considering the impact coronavirus has had on our sector, everyone’s mindset has been understandably cautious.

“We could easily have stalled our redevelopment plans, but thanks to the government furlough scheme, access to new grants and careful budgeting, we knew we could invest, grow and set ourselves up to thrive after reopening. We saw this time as an opportunity to strike and to come out of lockdown with a new offer and a competitive edge in our area.”

The cutting-edge facilities now each offer Precor’s top-of-the-range 800-line cardio in the all-new Black Pearl All Tungsten colourway, with P82 touch-screen consoles and the Preva networked fitness solution.

In addition to delivering content via the gym’s cardio machines, Aneurin Leisure opted to complement Precor’s new Resolute Strength line with Advagym by Sony – the unique solution that guides exercisers in using the machine safely, by loading each sensor with how-to videos, as well as logging every rep and exercise completed.

Steve Carter, managing director of Precor UK, says: “In bucking the trend and choosing to future-proof its facilities now, Aneurin Leisure is testimony to the fact that our industry can come out of the pandemic fighting fit. In choosing to partner with Precor, Aneurin Leisure is putting technology at the forefront of its offer to ensure it can engage with and attract members from all demographics and provide a best-in-class offer in the area.”

www.precor.com