HUNTINGDON Olympic Gym have taken the first step towards their long-awaited new facilities with the opening of a new entrance hall and offices. The �500,000 development is the first phase of the �4.5m expansion project, which the club hope will eventually

HUNTINGDON Olympic Gym have taken the first step towards their long-awaited new facilities with the opening of a new entrance hall and offices.

The �500,000 development is the first phase of the �4.5m expansion project, which the club hope will eventually lead to the building of a new gym and the renovation of the existing facilities.

The extension comprises an elite gymnasts' room, coaches' room, three offices and a new entrance hall. Access to the club has also been revamped, with the main entrance now on Mayfield Road.

Gym manager Erica MacKenzie said: "The whole club will benefit from the new development, and the improvements will aid both our coaches and our gymnasts.

"Our seven coaches were sharing one office, and there was nowhere for private meetings, so this will drastically improve working conditions for all."

Elite gymnasts, including Louis Smith, Daniel Keatings and Marissa King, will have access to a communal room of their own, where they can relax between training sessions, while coaches will benefit from a meeting room for one-on-one meetings with gymnasts.

The gym has been planning the changes for two years, and work began in September 2009 after the club secured funding from Cambridgeshire Horizons.

MacKenzie said the new offices were just the first step in the redevelopment of the club as a whole.

She added: "We are still working hard to finding the money for the next phase, which will be the most important, but this is a big step in the right direction.