AS construction on a new 50-station gym extension at The Verwood Hub nears completion, staff and clients are celebrating news of a donation that will help pay for new equipment.

Synergy Housing has provided funding of £3,500 towards activity dance mats for children and adults. These will be used in the studio at the Hub, which has been refurbished and connects with the new extension.

The news comes after Verwood Arts & Leisure Amenities’ success in a funding bid from Awards for All, the Lottery grant scheme.

£10,000 has been awarded for The Rehab Project, which will benefit GP referral clients at Verwood Hub.

The funding will allow Lifestyle Verwood to purchase specialised equipment, such as a Run Med, a specially-designed treadmill that will help Lifestyle instructors to carry out tests relevant to an individual client’s condition and needs.

Clients will be referred to Active4Health Verwood via their GP and will undertake a six-month health exercise referral.

The Rehab project will start in early June at the same time as the new gym extension is planned to open.

The Awards for All funding also covers the purchase of a defibrillator machine for The Hub.

Jacqui Sainsbury, general manager of Verwood Arts & Leisure Amenities, said: “We are very grateful to Synergy Housing for their funding of the dance mats. “The donation, along with the Awards for All funding, means that we can expand our activities to help with the fitness of a wider range of clients from the Verwood area.”

For more information, visit the Hub or call 01202 828740.