Refurbished Gym Boosts Fitness of Learners and Staff at North Notts College
The fitness of future police officers, firefighters and military personnel has been given a boost following a refurbishment of the gym at North Notts College.
The dedicated fitness facility, which is primarily used by Sport and Public Services learners, has had brand new Hammer Strength resistance machines installed as well as new flooring including an astro-turf track.
North Notts College Level 3 Public Services learner Kia Pawson is a regular in the gym and is aiming for a career in the Army.
Kia said: “I want to join the Army as an Ammunition Technician; the new equipment will help me improve my fitness standards to get me there. The new resistance machines are a lot easier to use and will help me build up my strength – I’m already seeing the benefits of the new equipment.”
Another regular in the gym is North Notts College Level 3 Public Services learner Corey Chambers who hopes to join either the Navy or Police force.
Corey added: “I like to mix-up my workouts, my favourite new machine is the leg press as it works out almost all the muscles in your legs and there is a bit of core involved too.
“There’s a push-pull machine in the gym which is ideal for me as it’s part of the Police fitness test. It’s good to be able to train specifically for potential future tests.”
North Notts College Curriculum Team Leader for Sport and Public Services David Merris was instrumental in securing the funding that paid for the gym refurbishment.
David said: “The improved equipment and flooring will help the learners achieve their aspirations. Some of them want to go into careers that will need them to be physically fit to meet the minimum fitness entry requirements; the new equipment will help them train more effectively to exceed these minimum levels.
“The gym is used a lot and since the refurbishment the volume has increased further. It’s now a much more appealing environment than it used to be.
“We get a real mix of people using the gym. It’s used a lot by our Sport and Public Services learners – they need to use the gym and the environment that we’ve created to be able to complete their course. We also open it up for staff and learners from other areas. The gym is open during the day for the learners and we have some staff that use it on an evening.
“The long-term idea is that our learners will run and manage the gym as part of their course which will give them valuable work experience.”
Find out more about Sport and Public Services courses at North Notts College.