GYMNASIUM IMPROVEMENTS AT RAF MARHAM - NEW SPORTS HALL
January 2007

The Sports facilities at RAF Marham are about to undergo a massive change with a new Sports Hall being built over the next 3 months.

The main areas that are being developed are:
1. Sports Hall
2. CV Suite and Weights Bay
3. Squash Court 1
4. Astroturf
5. Tennis Courts
6. Changing Facilities
7. Climbing Wall
8. Floodlights

SPORTS HALL
Right, here's the plan… A "temporary" (read semi-permanent) building will be erected at the back end of the gym. This will be the main sports hall and will house all circuit trg, fitness testing, basketball, volleyball, badminton, indoor 5-a-side (yes indoor football!), netball, dodgeball… you name it. Anything that we can do in a sports hall will be done in here. Any suggestions for names for this building on a postcard to the PEdO please.

CV SUITE & WEIGHTS BAY
Now that all the sporty activities can go in a larger, more practical hall, the existing sports hall will be converted into a multi-purpose training area. This will include a massive Cardio-Vascular (CV) suite (with additional machines to overcome the queues at busy times), new music system, spinning bikes, aerobics/fitness studio, boxing area (with mirrors!) and a climbing wall.

As you can see, this will mean we'll have loads of space in the existing CV area, so the plan is to move all the resistance machines into this larger area and turn the existing weights bay into free-weights only - as you've been asking for.

SQUASH COURT 1
Seeing as the spinning bikes are going to move into the old hall, and the parachute trainer is on its way over the Survival Equipment section, this court will soon be available to play on. Obviously it needs some serious work to make it playable but it is intended to be up and running as a 3rd squash court in the very near future.

ASTROTURF & TENNIS COURTS
The Astroturf is coming to the end of its life and has suffered a number of problems recently. Therefore we have decided to recondition the entire surface in order to extend its life for a good few more years. While we're at it, we're going to get the tennis courts done and at least try to convert the concrete tennis court to Astroturf (no promises I'm afraid but at least we're thinking of you).

CLIMBING WALL
This bit's really exciting…for all those rock cats amongst you, or those that want ideas for a Force Development activity, or as a youth activity in those long dark winter evenings… A climbing wall much like the one in the picture will be in the gym, ready to use by 31 April 2007.
CHANGING FACILITIES
The lads' changing room was renovated last year but many of you will have experienced the delight of the pavilion and portacabin for changing and will know quite how horrible they are. HOWEVER… this is all about to change! Works Management Flight (WMF) have cleverly acquired a brand new portacabin that will replace the rotten old one within the next 2 months. There are feasibility investigations underway to get a really nice pavilion over on the Black Top pitches but for now I'm afraid there just isn't quite enough money. The old one requires too much work to even do it up, so get your sparklers ready 'cause we're going to have a massive bonfire soon!

FLOODLIGHTS
Through popular demand, there will be a small floodlit training area next to the Astroturf, suitable for rugby trg & 5-a-side.

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