Dewars Gym proving more popular than when facilities were at Bell's Sports Centre
More people are using the gym and fitness studios at Dewars Centre than when they were at Bell's Sports Centre. Almost 100,000 visits have been made to the 100+ station gym and two fitness studios at Dewars, since they were moved there last September following the closure of Bell's. A total of 4358 different customers from the age of 11 to 90 have used the facilities in their new venue. The latest Live Active Leisure figures show there have been 98,725 visits to the gym and fitness studios at Dewars since September 2024. And they are proving popular with youngsters with 24 per cent of customers aged just 11-17 and 10 per cent over the age of 64. Live Active Leisure chief executive Paul Cromwell provided an update to Perth and Kinross Council's Scrutiny and Performance Committee on Wednesday, April 23. He said: "On average, we're looking at 16,000 usages per month. These are really positive for us, given we were starting at a renewed baseline because we had a gap in that Perth City fitness provision over quite a number of months. And they're on target to exceed the figures we achieved when the new fitness facilities opened at Bell's." And a number of future and current Olympic and Commonwealth athletes have been making use of the gym and fitness facilities. Mr Cromwell said: "We have emerging athletes programmes and we have over 40 athletes receiving strength and conditioning training to help them in their sports. Their sports include: hockey, curling, basketball, swimming, judo, football and athletics, to name but a few." He later added: "The fact we have got better numbers of what was a really good facility at Bell's gives us a clear reflection that people are enjoying the facilities." And Live Active is ready to adapt to meet trends and demands. The Live Active boss said: "It doesn't stand still. It's a competitive area and what we are doing is continually looking at our programme and developing it. "It's not just a fitness gym, we also have group fitness; we have different types of class within that group programme - and make sure they stay current and innovative and interesting to keep people coming back. "We have wellbeing classes and spinning. I have to say our spinning was quieter at Bell's but since it's moved to Dewars, it's actually increased in its popularity to the point where we're having to make additional provisions in terms of how we balance the programme against other things. Overall, so far, it's been a positive experience for us." The gym and fitness studios were relocated to Dewars Centre in September 2024 after Bell's Sports Centre suffered around £2 million of flood damage on October 8, 2023 when floodgates on the North Inch were left open. The 100+ station gym and fitness studios at Bell's had only just opened in July 2022 following a £750,000 revamp.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Courier
3 hours ago
- The Courier
New Perth leisure pool - with flumes - in new £74m PH2O plan for Thimblerow
A leisure pool – with indoor flumes – has been added to the design for Perth's new PH2O centre. The £74 million plan for the controversial Thimblerow leisure development will be put to councillors next week. It is part of a package of measures intended to finally kickstart the long-delayed PH2O leisure centre. If approved, the existing Perth Leisure Pool would be demolished. This would allow the charity Capability Scotland to relocate its Upper Springland homes and services for people with complex and severe needs to the site off Glover Street. The new proposal also includes a £13.2m investment in the public swimming baths in Crieff and Kinross. And another £10m would be spent on turning Bell's Sports Centre into an unheated multi-use venue and removing RAAC and asbestos from the building. Councillors will be asked to vote on the package when the full council meets on Wednesday. A protest is planned for outside the council chambers in Perth ahead of the session. But council leader Grant Laing will urge colleagues to back the plan, saying every delay to PH2O is costing taxpayers more money. 'This isn't just about Perth city centre,' he said. 'It's about delivering for communities right across Perth and Kinross.' Councillors approved a new PH2O leisure centre at Thimblerow, off the old High Street, last year. But there was anger at the lack of provision for leisure swimming in the £61m plan. Officers were asked to go back to the drawing board and look at ways to include it in the mix. And two revised designs for the three-storey venue will be put to the vote on Wednesday. Councillors will be advised to opt for the more costly one, containing a larger 'fun leisure water' area with internal flumes up to 5.5 metres. The £74m package also includes: • a 25m, eight-lane swimming pool with movable floor; • a 12.5m x 8.5m teaching pool • holiday and weekend inflatables in the main pool; • an indoor play area (featuring clip n' climb/soft play or other family play activity); • a six-court games hall; • fitness gym; • flexible studio space; • a cafe. Officers predict this mix could attract 439,491 visits a year, compared to 380,143 without the leisure water and flumes. The budget originally set aside for PH2O amounts to £90m. Councillors will be told that will cover this plan, plus the bulk of the additional investment in Bell's and the pools at Kinross and the Strathearn campus in Crieff. Protesters have called for the new PH2O leisure centre to be built on the site of the existing Perth Leisure Pool at Glover Street instead. But the council says building at Thimblerow will encourage families into Perth city centre, boosting shops and businesses there. It would also allow the existing leisure pool to stay open until the new one is ready. And demolishing the old pool will free up the land at Glover Street for a mix of housing. Capability Scotland approached Perth and Kinross Council after the new plans emerged. Its supported accommodation at Upper Springland is at high risk of flooding and is showing its age. The charity had been considering a move to Bertha Park. But that plan has proved too costly. And it now wants to partner with the council and bring 60 new homes for adults with complex and severe needs, plus 230 staff, to Glover Street instead. Supporters say the site offers many benefits, including its convenience for public transport, medical appointments, shops and other attractions. The PH2O plans have been on the drawing board since 2014. They were mothballed in 2023 due to soaring costs, before the Thimblerow option emerged last year. Councillors will have to weigh whether there's enough in the new deal to satisfy campaigners, who have been demanding the council retain the existing leisure pool, reopen Bell's as it was, and keep Thimblerow as a car park. • The Courier has been campaigning for an ambitious new leisure complex in Perth that caters for all sports, including leisure swimming and curling. Talks are ongoing, which could lead to local curlers taking over the running of the Dewars Centre next door to the existing Perth Leisure Pool.
ITV News
5 hours ago
- ITV News
World Rowing criticised for failing to remove historical videos of topless women filmed during races
Words by ITV News Sports Producer Joe Wardropper, Sports Editor Steve Scott and Producer Esme Jones World Rowing has been criticised for failing to remove a video from its website in which women were filmed sunbathing topless by a river during a World Cup women's race, ITV News can reveal. The footage, which was still available on the governing body's official website on Wednesday afternoon, was filmed during a race in Munich in the 1990s. The coverage twice cuts away from the race action to focus in on topless women, who are seemingly unaware they were being filmed. World Rowing was alerted to the existence of the video almost a week ago by Alan Sinclair, a former Team GB Olympic rower, and European Champion, who was reviewing old race footage as part of his job as a coach. Sinclair told ITV News he was ''horrified'' by what he saw. When first reporting the video to World Rowing, Sinclair cited ITV News' investigation into serious allegations at the world's oldest club, urging the governing body to act quickly. ''With the rowing world being in the news in the UK… it is vital that World Rowing sets an example by recognising - promptly - this issue,'' he wrote. ''I would have thought that World Rowing, as the international governing body, would want to be setting a precedent in making the rowing world a safe, respectful and inclusive place for all, especially with something that should have been so easily and swiftly corrected. We can do so much better." Sinclair told ITV News he first contacted World Rowing about the video on June 5 and received a reply on the same day from its European President, Annamarie Phelps, who acknowledged the video was ''shocking''. She then alerted a safeguarding officer at World Rowing, who promised to ''coordinate with the communications team to determine the appropriate course of action.'' Sinclair sent multiple follow-up emails, with Phelps replying on Saturday to say she had requested it be removed ''immediately'', before adding: ''I suspect nothing will happen until Monday.'' But the video has remained live on the website since. In his email to World Rowing, Sinclair said their failure to act made him ''question how seriously you [World Rowing] are taking this situation.'' ''The women being filmed deserve at the very least the respect of the videos being removed and that should have happened yesterday'', he wrote, a day after contacting the organisation.
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Confirmed Soccer Aid 2025 line-ups as Tyson Fury and Man Utd legends return
Wayne Rooney and Peter Schmeichel will take charge of England and World XI as charity fundraiser returns to Old Trafford with Tyson Fury set for central role on Sunday night Soccer Aid makes its return to Old Trafford on Sunday night and there is no shortage of Manchester United legends involved with Wayne Rooney taking over the England side as player manager. And the United legend will need to overcome one of the club's greatest goalkeepers Peter Schmeichel, who will manage a world XI also featuring Nemanja Vidic and Carlos Tevez. The match will kick off at 7:30pm and be shown live on ITV with Tyson Fury also announced as one of Rooney's assistant coaches as England look to tie level in the head battle with the World XI holding a narrow 7-6 advantage. Here is the full list of confirmed stars set to appear for the annual UNICEF fundraiser. England Rooney will be joined by former team-mates Gary Neville and Paul Scholes for England. One Direction star Louis Tomlinson returns, as does Player of the Match 12 months ago, Steven Bartlett. And the former Manchester City goalkeeper turned pundit Joe Hart makes his Soccer Aid debut. The rest of the Three Lions squad includes Jermain Defoe, Steph Houghton, Toni Duggan, Aaron Lennon, Jill Scott, Sam Thompson, Sam Quek, Sir Mo Farah, Paddy McGuinness, Dame Denise Lewis, Bear Grylls, Tom Grennan, Alex Brooker and Angry Ginge. England's coaching staff is made up of Rooney, heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury, Harry Redknapp, actor Vicky McClure and David James. England: Steven Bartlett (Entrepreneur), Alex Brooker (TV personality), Jermain Defoe (Former footballer), Toni Duggan (Former footballer), Sir Mo Farah (Former Olympian), Angry Ginge (YouTuber), Tom Grennan (Musician), Bear Grylls (TV personality), Joe Hart (Former footballer), Steph Houghton (Former footballer), Aaron Lennon (Former footballer), Dame Denise Lewis (Olympic gold medallist), Paddy McGuinness (TV personality), Gary Neville (Former footballer), Sam Quek (Former Olympian), Wayne Rooney (Former footballer), Paul Scholes (Former footballer), Jill Scott (Former footballer), Sam Thompson (King of the Jungle), Louis Tomlinson (Musician). World XI The visitors will be managed by former United shotstopper Schmeichel and includes a host of prominent ex-players, including fellow Red Devils legends Edwin van der Sar and Vidic. Boxer and Evertonian Tony Bellew is set to play alongside Leonardo Bonucci, Harry Kewell, Carlos Tevez, Toby Brown, Martin Compston, Richard Gadd, Bryan Habana, Dermot Kennedy, Kaylyn Kyle, Gorka Marquez, Nadia Nadim and Livi Sheldon. World XI: Noah Beck (Actor), Tony Bellew (Boxer), Leonardo Bonucci (Former footballer), Tobi Brown (Sideman star), Martin Compston (Actor), Richard Gadd (Actor/comedian), Bryan Habana (Rugby), Dermot Kennedy (Musician and halftime performer), Harry Kewell (Former footballer), Kaylyn Kyle (Former footballer), Gorka Marquez (Strictly), Nadia Nadim (Footballer), Livi Sheldon (Diamond from Gladiators), Carlos Tevez (Former footballer), Edwin van der Sar (Former footballer), Nemanja Vidic (Former footballer), Billy Wingrove (Freestyle footballer), Big Zuu (Musician and TV personality) Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
