Health club in line for awards

The club at Ribby Hall Village, Wrea Green, is in line for a trio of honours in the National Fitness Awards.

And the facility hopes to clinch the top prize of club of the year for the second time.

The club - previously known as Sport & Leisure - has been shortlisted in the following categories:

Health Club of The Year

Regional Gym of The Year (North)

Group Exercise Gym of The Year

The National Fitness Awards is an annual event, which recognises excellence and achievement in gyms throughout the country. In each category up to seven finalists have been selected.

The club will be visited by the judging panel in the coming weeks who will take a look around its facilities and talk to customers and members of staff. Trophies will be handed out to the winners at a ceremony on November 28 at The Athena in Leicester, which will be hosted by boxing world champion Ricky Hatton and TV presenter and fitness expert Caroline Pearce.

Mark Leech, Ribby Hall Village’s Health Club Senior Manager said “To win Health Club of the Year in 2013 was amazing and so to be shortlisted again in 2014 and in three different categories is simply superb.

“Since winning Health Club of The Year last year, we’ve made significant improvements to our offering by reinvesting a substantial amount of profits back into The Health Club here at Ribby Hall Village.

“For example, we’ve opened our own sports store this summer called Activate selling everything from swim suits, sports bags, running gear, trainers and racquets to working with some of the industry’s best international brands such as Adidas, Pure Lime, Nike and new to the UK MadPax.

“Following the opening of the gym we have also totally refurbished both of our members’ changing rooms too.

“We’d also really like to thank all of our members for their continued support especially whilst these enhancements took place”.

National Fitness Awards’ director Judith Halkerston said: “Considering the high number and calibre of entries, it is a huge achievement to be one of just a handful of shortlisted gyms in your categories.

“And each and every one of our finalists should be congratulated for making it this far.”