King Gym, a brand new fitness facility that will not only benefit King James students, but members of our local community too has officially opened. The newly refurbished fitness suite was opened by Steven Colwell, England Student Rugby Manager and Newcastle Falcons player, Ally Hogg at a launch event this month.

The facility offers an exciting addition to our rapidly developing PE department and a new way to get fit for our students, something that will particularly appeal to students in Year 10 who are studying GCSE PE and Sport. As part of their coursework, students must design a 12 week Personal Exercise Plan (PEP) and monitor their own progress; King Gym provides an excellent opportunity for them to develop a more varied programme.

The GCSE itself, which was launched in September, is proving extremely popular among students. This is partly due to the personalised nature of the course, which allows students to choose their preferred sports from an already diverse range available at King James.

The facility will also be open to other students too, although due to Health and Safety regulations all users must be over 14 years old. For those in Years 10-14 however, this is a fantastic opportunity to get fit in an environment that is often inaccessible to under 18's.

As one of the few "Pay-as-you-go' gym facilities in the area, we are sure that King Gym will prove to be a huge asset to our community. With no joining fees or monthly subscription fees, getting fit can be affordable for everyone. For more information, please call King James I Community Association on 01388 603 543.