"Great working with Gym Gear. Really supportive through the development and design process, with a strong understanding of what we wanted to achieve, and a smooth installation of equipment and flooring while working around a load of other contractors!"
— Paul Hesketh, Head of Leisure & Wellbeing at Your Trust Rochdale
Heywood Sports Village, operated by Your Trust Rochdale, partnered with Gym Gear to rework its existing fitness suite with a clear focus on member experience. The project centred on creating a more energising environment that supported progression, variety, and long-term retention, shaped directly by member feedback.
"Always a pleasure to work with you. The finished product is superb and exactly what we wanted to achieve. Thanks for your support in this project."
— Chris Coleman, Deputy CEO and Director for Operations, Commercial and Wellness at Your Trust Rochdale
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The Challenge
Member feedback highlighted a need for change. Existing users wanted a larger strength and conditioning area, improved functional training space for small group sessions, and a gym that felt more engaging to train in day to day.
The challenge was to significantly enhance these areas without reducing cardio capacity or disrupting the balance of the overall fitness offer.
The Solution
Gym Gear reworked the layout to better reflect how members actually use the space, guided by our design pillars of training environment, member progression, community connection, and training diversity.
The strength and conditioning area was expanded to include additional racks, benches, dumbbells, and plate-loaded equipment, creating a more confident progression pathway for users of all abilities. A larger, more practical functional zone was introduced, featuring the Triple FSS Unit alongside Tornado Bikes, Curve 2.0, Row 2.0, Ski 2.0, track tiles, and rubber flooring to support varied training styles and small group sessions.
Crucially, cardio quantity and variety were maintained through the installation of the Endurance Touch range, ensuring the cardiovascular offer remained strong while improving overall spatial flow and usability.
The Result
The refreshed fitness suite feels more spacious, welcoming, and motivating, with clearer zones that support strength training, functional work, and cardio equally well. Members now have the space and equipment to progress confidently, train together, and use the gym in ways that reflect real demand.
The project shows how thoughtful layout planning and member-led decisions can improve engagement and retention without compromising core provision - a clear example of how Gym Gear supports facilities looking to get more from their existing space.
