Following a £500,000 investment, Everybody Health and Leisure has unveiled a new 100-station Technogym fitness suite at Crewe Lifestyle Centre. Areas include cardio, resistance, free weights, functional training and stretching. Omia and Outrace rigs are included, as is plate-loaded strength gear and IFI accredited equipment that can support elderly or mobility impaired users.

It is hoped the new facility will help to reduce health inequalities in the area by improving access to quality, inclusive fitness equipment for the entire community.

The new centre supports the wellbeing goals of Cheshire East Council, which include increasing the number of residents who are physically active, improving physical and emotional wellbeing and reducing health inequalities. These are outlined in Cheshire East’s Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

“For life expectancy there is a noticeable difference of around 13 years between the lowest rates in Crewe Central and the highest in Gawsworth for females,” states the report. “For males, there is an 11 year gap between the lowest rate, again in Crewe Central, and the highest in Wilmslow East.”

Female life expectancy is highest in Gawsworth (89.5) and lowest in Crewe Central (76.3), and for men the highest is in Wilmslow East (84.1) and lowest in Crewe Central (72.7).

The Crewe Lifestyle Centre is located in Crewe Central and accessible to all, with opening hours from 6am to 10pm at night throughout the week.

“As highlighted in the recent census data, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), we are aware of the scale of deprivation and health inequalities in the Crewe area,” said Dominic Crisp, head of operations at Everybody Health and Leisure. “This makes this investment timely and will provide opportunities for the community to access state-of-the-art equipment in an inclusive environment.”

Everybody Health and Leisure is a charity with a ‘leisure for life’ ethos and a mission to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities. It operates 16 leisure centres, including nine swimming pools, across the Cheshire East region.

The gym also supports the health and wellbeing of the wider community. Peter Hoare, 73, lives a ten-minute car journey away in Shavington, but is the centre’s most regular user having visited 312 times this year. After recovering from cancer, he relies on the centre to improve his health and fitness, as well as for socialising.

“Since I had throat cancer 25 years ago I have tried to stay as healthy and active as possible,” he said. “I'm 73 now and I had to stop playing cricket and badminton six years ago, but I didn't want to become a couch potato, so I joined Everybody and began using the gym at Crewe Lifestyle Centre to keep fit. It's also a great way to socialise and I find the atmosphere here is very friendly.”

Walk in prices for the gym start at £4.55 per session and standard classes at £3.80. Monthly membership starts at £33.99, with a joining fee of £19.99. As well as the gym, the centre provides group fitness classes, swimming lessons, an Everybody Exercise Referral programme and a range of rehabilitation and mobility classes.