Lottery winning gym opens in Tamworth

Residents keep fit as lottery funded gym opens

Twelve months of hard work has come to fruition as a new community gym opens in Tamworth.

The new gym will open in a former housing estate office on the Bancroft Estate in Glascote after residents secured £50,000 of lottery money

National affordable housing provider Affinity Sutton, which has around 328 homes in Tamworth, has agreed to lease the former workshop to the Bancroft Community Association for 23 years at a reduced rate – after the Group was awarded the money from the People’s Millions Big Lottery fund in 2010.

Affinity Sutton has also contributed £20,000 in funding to the fully equipped gym which will offer a range of healthy living and fitness classes for all age groups and both monthly and session membership packages to suit.  A qualified gym instructor has also been recruited by residents to provide fitness advice and support.  

The idea for the gym was inspired after a consultation exercise was carried out which showed a large demand for a gym and that residents also felt priced out of other gyms in the area.

Andrew Cooper, Neighbourhood Investment Manager for Affinity Sutton, said:  “As a business for social purpose we are totally supportive of the Bancroft Community Association and the fact that more and more of our housing officers are now mobile workers means we have been able to transform the estate office into a community facility.  We have been working closely with the Group for more than 12 months to help them to pull together a business plan to make the gym work and we really hope the local community gets behind it.  We think the new gym would be a fantastic asset for Affinity Sutton residents and the wider community but they need members to make it work – so we hope all of our residents will make it their New Year’s resolution to sign up.”

Kate Warlow-Hughes, Chair of Bancroft Community Association, said:  “After a long period of planning and anticipation the Bancroft Community Gym has become a reality.  This is a gym for the whole community which will be of great benefit to everyone.  There has been a great community interest with residents asking all the while about when it will open, which is now happening, so hopefully it will get off to a flying start.  Thanks to the committee at Bancroft Community Centre and Sam Dodds (the manager who has now sadly left us to go into full time teaching), Affinity Sutton Homes for there support and backing and also the National Lottery Peoples Millions for their funding, without this the project would not have become a reality.”