IMPRESSIVE £3M improvement plans for Sheffield’s Ponds Forge International Sports Centre will start this summer.

The extensive multi-million pound scheme to transform the Fitness Unlimited gym and changing areas at Ponds Forge highlights a massive investment for facility managers Sheffield International Venues (SIV).

The high-profile investment plan confirms the company’s pledge to continue providing quality facilities at a budget price whilst remaining highly competitive with privately operated rivals.

It will provide the people of Sheffield with a bigger, brand new state of the art gym, spacious exercise studios and an improved health suite all serviced by brand new changing rooms for both wet and dry users.

The new Fitness Unlimited gym will be considerably bigger covering an area of 1250 sq m to include over 100 stations, air conditioning and high spec fitness equipment to ultimately provide a much better service to the thousands of fitness fans and anticipated future users.

Steve Brailey, SIV chief executive said: “This is excellent news and a great boost for Fitness Unlimited members in the centre. The reinvestment means we can meet the ever-rising expectations of customers for quality and value for money and competition from other swim and fitness providers in the city.

“The overwhelming benefits will be to Fitness Unlimited members. Improving the gym will also help us address our plans to help generate greater business at off-peak times and seek further usage from those groups which are currently the least active in sport and physical activity.

“Our improvements at Hillsborough Leisure Centre and Concord Sports Centre have already paid dividends and helped us reach new standards of gym membership and we hope the same will be delivered at Ponds Forge.

“These are exciting plans and we have been given exceptional backing by Sheffield City Council. The council is a great supporter of our Fitness Unlimited scheme.”

The year-long transformation plan will be delivered by SIV which currently operates 14 sports, leisure and entertainment venues across the city, and Sheffield City Trust working closely with Sheffield City Council.

Plans would see the current ‘temporary’ gym, housed in the foyer of Ponds Forge, being relocated to The Roundhouse. The project coincides with the planned move of the Last Laugh Comedy Club to Sheffield City Hall which provides the increased capacity needed to fulfil the extremely high demand for tickets following a run of sell out shows.

Steve added: “We are keen to emphasise that we have been careful to consider the needs of our Fitness Unlimited customers in these plans and the changes have been designed to cause the least possible disruption to our Fitness Unlimited members, non members and other customers. The plans offer a continued service for current gym users during the construction phase.”

SIV’s Fitness Unlimited scheme is the most popular health and fitness scheme in the city with 12,000 members using Ponds Forge, Hillsborough leisure Centre, Concord Sports Centre and Don Valley Stadium. Since it opened in 2000 Fitness Unlimited has seen more than 70,000 members take up the health and fitness membership across the city.

Councillor Robert MacDonald, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, Culture and Planning said the improvements at Ponds Forge were key to increasing levels of physical activity and supporting the development of sporting excellence in the city.

He said: “SIV, as part of the city’s activity strategy, is aiming to open up an active lifestyle to even more people and the key to that is providing quality, state of the art facilities that people will use.

“Ponds Forge is a key player in helping to provide a vast range of health benefits through sport and we look forward to see the plans take shape.”

ahh but are they going to be doing anything about improvments to the diabolical access for those with mobility problems and other, sensory disabilities?

other than that, I welcome the improvements.

ahh but are they going to be doing anything about improvments to the diabolical access for those with mobility problems and other, sensory disabilities?

other than that, I welcome the improvements.

?????????????? like what!!! why cant you get access?? can you not use lifts?

Heard about this a while ago. It seem that the bizzy bodies gym is closing in a few weeks as is the health suite. All well and good but the current members gym is not big enough to accomodate non members as well, even if it is only temporary.

Heard about this a while ago. It seem that the bizzy bodies gym is closing in a few weeks as is the health suite. All well and good but the current members gym is not big enough to accomodate non members as well, even if it is only temporary.

bizzy bodies is closing for a few weeks. the main gym at reception is actually going to be relocated into the round house!! there gutting the entire area, will be very big and impressive when they've finished

?????????????? like what!!! why cant you get access?? can you not use lifts?

blades, the lifts cannot be used, until you get inside the building.

If you have a mobility difficulty, or simply happen to be a parent struggling with a pushchair, those doors on the front are virtually impossible to access.

but access does not just mean "can I get a wheelchiar inside?" there are o ther considerations.

If I were visually impaired, is the vast space I have to traverse across the foyer to the reception desk too daunting? Does the floor reflect too much if the sun is on it, and dazzle me, taking away what bit of sight I have? (A hazard for other sensory impairments, like deafness. if you are dazzled, how do you lipread, or see what your companion is signing to you?) does the sound echo too much, because of the immense size? will that confuse a blind poerson using sound to locate? if someone is hearing impaired, will the echo take away their chance to hear what little they can hear with their hearing aids?

If someone has MS or some other weakening condition, is the trek too much for them, around the building, and tires them out before they even reach the gym or pool? (this may not be the gym/pool user, it could be a partner or relative accompanying someone toan event)

blades, the lifts cannot be used, until you get inside the building.

If you have a mobility difficulty, or simply happen to be a parent struggling with a pushchair, those doors on the front are virtually impossible to access.

yes i see your point!! they are BIG HEAVY doors!!

It's about time too. I was a Fitness Unlimited member in 2001-2002 and I thought that the gym was grotty then. After rejoining last year, I'd automatically assumed that they'd have changed it in some way, but was shocked to find that it was still the same. Ponds Forge has got a great pool, but they need to bring the gym up to standard. The free weights and machines sections at S10 Health and Virgin Active are far better.

They should also open the 50m pool more often. I much prefer to swim 50m lengths than 25m ones, but it's only the full length on Tuesday nights, Thursday nights and sometimes on Sundays.

someone needs to spend some money on a park in wisewood this is already a big center and has all what it needs. give our kids some playarea to go to.if there was a park and a youth center this would stop alot of gangs and crap going off

bizzy bodies is closing for a few weeks. the main gym at reception is actually going to be relocated into the round house!! there gutting the entire area, will be very big and impressive when they've finished


I thought the new gym wasn't going to be ready until the middle of 2008. That's the impression I got from the recent mailing anyway.

someone needs to spend some money on a park in wisewood this is already a big center and has all what it needs. give our kids some playarea to go to.if there was a park and a youth center this would stop alot of gangs and crap going off

Thing is, this is privately funded.

yes i see your point!! they are BIG HEAVY doors!!

It'd probably be cheaper to employ someone to open the doors than get them changed. Preferably have a chap wearing a hat like at posh hotels. And he could guide people across the vast interior :)

and what about going back to the good old days when there set times for men & women to use the health suite; put me right off using it at all when I discovered there were only a few times for single sex use.

Thing is, this is privately funded.

Ponds Forge and other venues are ultimately owned by, and managed on behalf of, you and I (the people of Sheffield).

This improvement is being financed, primarily, through a bank loan which is guaranteed by Sheffield City Council.

If the business model works (no reason to say that it won't?) all well and good, with a handsome return after 10 years.

The risk is that if it doesn't work ... we pay for it.

I thought the new gym wasn't going to be ready until the middle of 2008. That's the impression I got from the recent mailing anyway.

its all starting from JULY onwards

and what about going back to the good old days when there set times for men & women to use the health suite; put me right off using it at all when I discovered there were only a few times for single sex use.

there still is men only and women only sessions. but you cant have that during peak time, only off peak

Ponds Forge and other venues are ultimately owned by, and managed on behalf of, you and I (the people of Sheffield).

This improvement is being financed, primarily, through a bank loan which is guaranteed by Sheffield City Council.

If the business model works (no reason to say that it won't?) all well and good, with a handsome return after 10 years.

The risk is that if it doesn't work ... we pay for it.

Hmm. Yeah, the facilities themselves are owned by the council, but run by Sheffield International Venues Ltd. You might be right, I assumed that as SIV run the facilities they would be paying.

Thing is, this is privately funded.

i thought that was the case..... but were has the money come from.....if you have seen the park at wisewood you would understand what im on about:rant: no play area just a burnt down old shelter a small football pitch and a lump of concret full of glass:rant: ....... what fun for the kids :mad: :( im not sure why they need to do more work to a fantastic sports complex when its ok as it is ........ i think i might do a petition and send it to the council lets see ....:huh:

The refurbishment of the gym facilities at Ponds Forge is going to be amazing for the city regardless of who is paying for it! The centre attracts loads of big events and having been to the gym I'd say this is the only thing that lets it down.

Plain Talker - I was actually invited to attend a customer forum at the centre to discuss accessibility requirements and I know that the doors are something they are taking into consideration. They will not be done as part of the Fitness Unlimited facility refurb, but it is a project they are looking at separately. If you'd like to join one of these face to face forums I'd try sending them an email from their website.

It's always a hard one when a big project is announced - the way I understand it from the first post, this refurb is not all of the areas at Ponds Forge, just the Fitness Unlimited bits.

As for Bizzy Bodies closing, I thought they were moving the equipment from there into the spinning studio??

If I were visually impaired, is the vast space I have to traverse across the foyer to the reception desk too daunting? Does the floor reflect too much if the sun is on itso does going outside in the world. Let's make nature a more friendly place by painting tree trunks in yellow and erect safety barriers along rivers! It gets tyring after while...