Centre's first year inspiring

One year into its incarnation, the Inspire Whanganui Health & Fitness Centre is still growing and widening its influence.

It opened its doors to members on August 1, 2011, and has been using this August to celebrate its first year of existence, facility manager Mere Whanarere said.

It's hosted an Olympic Live site, farewelled a waka ama contingent, added new bicycles and has been holding free seminars on health-related topics.

Its membership sits at around 900; higher than the membership of the UCOL Fitness Centre when it closed on the site in December 2010.

Ms Whanarere said new members were still signing up: "We haven't plateaued yet."

The members' ages ranged from 14 to 88, with most between 20 and 60.

The place has increased its "family" by leasing rooms to Active Physio and Trigger Point Massage, and to a natural therapy clinic. Another room is leased to about 11 groups for weekly fitness classes from Zumba to Step to Muay Thai.

The centre also hosts free cardiac rehabilitation classes, and dietitian Pushpa Wati is starting a class focused on diabetes prevention.

Inspire has two full-time staff - Miss Whanarere and gym manager Paul Ngatai - plus five part-time workers.

In a first for Wanganui, the centre is governed by a bicultural charitable board consisting of two members of Sport Wanganui and two members of the Tupoho Whanau Trust.

"We have a wonderful relationship, and it's growing," Miss Whanarere said.

The centre is non-profit, using members' fees for maintenance, new equipment and to pay staff wages.

As well as its inhouse family the centre is growing relationships farther afield with Sport Wanganui, Awa Sport, the Splash Centre and the Wanganui Boys' and Girls' Gym Club, Miss Whanarere said.

"We partner with each other. We have a lot of common objectives."

She'd like it to become a local leader in group fitness classes.

And Miss Whanarere's pondering whether it could move out into the region, perhaps with an offshoot in Ohakune.

The gym's success is a happy story, and follows months of member frustration after UCOL closed the centre in December 2010. There was then lengthy negotiation before the combined Tupoho/Sport Wanganui tender was accepted and the centre could open again.