DURHAM University is inviting residents to visit its new Fitness Centre during a special opening weekend.

The new facility is part of a £32 million upgrade of the university’s facilities at Maiden Castle, off the A177, south of Durham City, which will create a Sports and Wellbeing Park with world-class facilities for university students, staff, and the local community.

The project includes the creation of a new indoor cricket hall; a 12-court multi-use sports hall suitable for national and international competitions; a martial arts dojo; a fitness centre; recovery facilities; and high-performance weights rooms.

This new-build facility will be completed this summer, after which the original sports centre will undergo a major refurbishment, to increase the facilities available for fitness classes and create a specialist sports laboratory. This second phase will be completed this winter.

The facilities at Maiden Castle were already popular with local residents and sports groups – hosting 15 community clubs and engaging more than 2,500 local residents each week.

Once the whole upgrade is finished, there will be more space, more classes, and better facilities for all users.

The new Fitness Centre will include the latest cardiovascular and resistance equipment, and fitness trackers.

A free opening weekend will be held from Friday to Sunday when visitors can take a tour of the new facilities, try out the equipment, and chat with staff. There will be competitions, challenges, and prize giveaways.

Quentin Sloper, director of the university’s Experience Durham, said: “We believe sport and exercise can bring people of all backgrounds together.

"The Durham University Sports and Wellbeing Park will be a first-class facility where students, staff, and members of the local community can enjoy themselves and challenge themselves, at whatever level of sport and exercise they are wanting to pursue.

“We’re very pleased that our new Fitness Centre is ready to open, and we’re looking forward to welcoming many friends and neighbours for our opening weekend.”

Membership of the new Fitness Centre is available, priced £250 for the first year, or £25 per month. Classes are included at no extra charge, and members can also a hire a personal trainer. For more information, call 0191-334 2178.