Long Stratton Leisure Centre, run by South Norfolk Council, underwent a major £2m renovation in 2019, which saw the existing building redeveloped into a state-of-the-art facility

A new 80-station gym, featuring the latest equipment from Matrix Fitness was installed, along with the creation of two multi-use fitness studios, offering over 40 exercise classes a week.

Daniel Infanti, general manager at Long Stratton Leisure Centre comments: “As a council-run gym, we recognised that we needed a facility that offered something to everyone, of all abilities and fitness levels. It wasn’t just about modernising, but about really considering the needs of our members and creating something that gave them the best experience.

“I can’t speak highly enough of the support that Matrix Fitness gave us throughout this entire project. Not only did they advise us on the design, layout and equipment for the gym, but they also set us up with a temporary gym facility while our refurbishment was being done.

Due to the high standard of this, we even managed to grow our membership by 100 during that time,” he says.

The new look included an open plan layout, a balance between the cardio area, free weights and functional training. This included the latest Matrix Fitness connected strength and cardio equipment, a Connexus rig, S-Drive Performance Trainer and a Double Mega Rack.

More members
“We’ve seen a massive uplift in membership since the renovation, we haven’t just retained our current members, but have enticed old members back and welcomed members from new markets.” Infanti adds. “We’ve had to double our class exercise timetable due to increased demand and the footfall has gone through the roof.

We now see 15,000 people through our doors each month, compared to 5,000 before the refurbishment.”

After the renovation, targets were to have 800 members by the end of March 2020, more than doubling the original membership. The team had already exceeded that target by November 2019, with membership now at over 920 and anticipated to grow.

Tim Grainger-Smith, head of public sector sales at Matrix Fitness, says: “This project wasn’t just about providing gym equipment, it was about support for an incredible renovation from start to finish. We ensured temporary facilities were in place while the refurbishment was taking place, and due to the high standard, new members even joined during this time.”

To find out more visit
www.south-norfolk.gov.uk

uk.matrixfitness.com/en

Tel: +44 (0) 1782 644900