Gym-goers in Weymouth will soon be benefitting from an upgrade thanks to the investment of a local leisure provider.

Work has begun on a £400,000 project to extend the fitness suite at Everyone Active’s Weymouth Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre.

Contractors Vincent Stokes are carrying out the building works, which are expected to be completed by Wednesday, December 20.

The extension will increase space in the gym by up to a third, and introduce a range of new training kit from equipment designer, Technogym.

The gym will also receive an aesthetic upgrade with new flooring and television screens throughout.

In addition to the gym upgrade, the car park is being extended to include 36 additional spaces, making the centre more accessible for customers.

The improvements come after Everyone Active and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council signed a contract to continue their partnership for an additional 20 years.

The two organisations have worked closely for the past decade to ensure the community benefits from a wide range of sports and activity opportunities, and an average of 26,000 visits are now made to the centre every month.

Rob Slocombe, Everyone Active’s south coast contracts manager, said: “The centre is a hub of activity for the local community, and as such demand for our services and facilities is high.

“We are meeting this demand and encouraging even more people to get active. From being able to park more easily to having better access to state-of-the-art gym equipment, these improvements will really enhance people’s experience when they visit the centre.”

To allow for the new equipment to be installed, the fitness suite will be temporarily closed from Sunday, December 10 until Tuesday, December 19.

During this time, functional training equipment will be moved into one of the studios, allowing customers to continue training at times that suit them.

The Group Exercise Programme has also been expanded to host a number of additional classes, and the group cycling studio will be made available during normal opening hours.

Details of the expanded timetable can be found by visiting www.everyoneactive.com/weymouthnewgym