College gym fit for start of new academic year after major refurbishment

The £20,000 refurbishment of The Athletic Suite, part of our wider investment in facilities across campus, was one of many projects to take place over the summer break and is now complete and open for the new academic year.

Sarah Barbacane, Head of Curriculum for Beauty, Hair, Sport and Uniformed Protective Services, said: “We’ve invested in new resistance equipment and cardio-vascular equipment such as cycles, rowing machines and cross-trainers.

“We’ve also had a new specialist floor put in, which means we don’t need to worry about people dropping weights and causing damage. We’ve also got a new set of mirrors installed so people can see their technique as they train,” she said.

“This is great for the College because we now have some fantastic facilities for our sports students and for York College, such as our Centre for Sport teams in football, ruby league, basketball and netball, or any other relevant extra-curricular activities. We continue to offer Fitness Instructing (Gym-Based) and personal trainer qualifications, meaning students can leave as qualified, CIMSPA accredited Fitness Instructors or Personal Trainers.

“But it’s not just students who benefit – we’re also opening up The Athletic Suite for hire to any personal trainers who’d like to use the facilities for classes or clients.”

Jay Bendon, Level Three Personal Training student, said: “The looks of the gym have definitely improved massively. The new gym provides a much more professional environment and feels like a real gym now.

“The new equipment, like the leg-press, has increased the range of exercises available and makes it a better place to train and teach.

“It has helped the class a lot with performing their end-of-year practical and makes it a lot easier to learn from the tutors, due to the more professional surroundings.”

Paul Lawrence, Director of Marketing and Communications, described the relaunch of The Athletic Suite as a ‘key moment’ in our ongoing strategic investment in students and facilities.

“With the lifting of the pandemic restrictions and the arrival of students and businesses on campus again, we embarked on a summer program of refurbishment that will culminate in October 2021 with the opening of the new Your Experience facilities,” he said.

“With regards to The Athletic Suite we look forward to both students and businesses taking advantage of top facilities in a professional environment here at York College.”

If you would like to make enquiries on the use of The Athletic Suite, contact sportsfacilities@yorkcollege.ac.uk.