HORSHAM Aquatic Centre’s gym services will soon be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It comes after Horsham Rural City Council voted to extend YMCA Victoria’s management contract for the centre by three years at a meeting on Tuesday night.
Council’s community services director Kevin O’Brien said in a report to council that the YMCA had experienced significant and unanticipated financial shortfalls in the past three years, due to a rise in competition.
Horsham’s Anytime Fitness and Snap Fitness both offer 24/7 gym services.
The council report noted the aquatic centre’s membership, on average, was 116 less members per month in the 2016-17 financial year when compared with the three years prior, which resulted in a loss of income.
Mr O’Brien said council’s partnership with the YMCA aimed to deliver affordable and accessible facilities.
“The centre is much more than a place to swim. It’s a meeting point where you can attend a class, stay for tea and coffee and connect with community,” he said.
YMCA Victoria development manager Scott Bryant said the centre needed to meet the needs of a changing community. Mr Bryant said members wanted greater flexibility, to mirror what other services offered.
He said a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week gym was the next step.
The YMCA will cover the cost of changing the centre to a 24-hour gym, estimated at about $65,000.
“Evidence suggests there is a demand for access to the gym outside standard operating hours,” he said.
“We are already supporting families during the day with our crèche. Last year there were over 5000 visits to the crèche, which has enabled parents to access programs at the facility; our investment in a 24 hours, seven days a week gym is the next step in delivering better health for the Horsham community.”
Councillor Alethea Gulvin said 24/7 services were appealing and had led people to seek other services in Horsham.
She said the combination of a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week gym and the centre’s pool and other programs would help attract people.