"We have the benefit of having a lot of space at the facility and with that space were able to create environments for people to exercise safely and with confidence. "
Lisa Dodd-Mayne
Steps have been taken to ensure a leading sports and fitness facility in the region is safe for visitors to stay active after being given the green light to open by government.
The Sports and Wellness Hub at the University of Warwick temporarily closed its doors in March following government guidance.
It will re-open its doors on Saturday, July 25 and a range of measures are being put in place to ensure it is safe for members to return.
The world-class centre opened only last year and its large, spacious design will now help staff to implement effective social distancing measures.
Measures being introduced will include one-way systems around the building, protective screens and extra signage being put up.
Spacing will be increased between equipment and workout areas, with pre-booking required for gym sessions, fitness classes, climbing centre and the swimming pool.
Surfaces that are regularly touched will undergo continuous disinfection, while hand sanitising station and disinfectant spray for equipment will be easily available.
Additional fitness spaces will be created in the vast facility to allow socially distanced fitness classes, with extra time built in to schedules to allow cleaning of spaces between sessions.
The Sport & Wellness Hub will be taking a carefully planned, phased approach to re-opening its doors.
Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Director of Sport and Active Communities at the University of Warwick, says the Hub’s number one priority is the health and safety of its visitors and staff.
“We have been working tirelessly to make sure that when the Sports and Wellness Hub is able to open we can welcome people into the safest possible space,” said Lisa.
“Our staff will be fully trained on our new cleaning and safety measures to ensure that the Hub reaches the highest safety standards possible.
“We have the benefit of having a lot of space at the facility and with that space we’re able to create environments for people to exercise safely and with confidence.
“All of the measures being put in place are with one goal in mind, the safety of our visitors, and we are confident people will feel safe to join us at the Hub when open our doors on July 25.”
During lockdown the Hub has been running a daily schedule of free live exercise classes via Facebook to keep people moving at home.
Since March, the Hub has hosted over 150 virtual classes with combined viewing figures of over 150,000 and will continue to run until the Hub re-opens to the public.
For more information on the measures being implemented and the latest updates on the re-opening of the Sports and Wellness Hub visit www.warwick.ac.uk/sport
