AN INDUSTRIAL unit in an Oxfordshire town is being transformed into a massive indoor sports centre.
The facility, called 5CORE, will be based in a converted unit in Telford Road, Bicester, offering recreational and sports space that can be used for netball, football, martial arts, tennis and gymnastics.
The 2.42-acre site will feature a ‘street pitch’, two sports pitches, one medium mixed-use sports pitch, gym space, changing rooms, a locker room, a 'viewing deck' and a store room.
It will also have a cafe, studio space for classes, a children's play area and free parking.
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The property was originally used as a light industrial and storage unit for Huber and Suhner UK Limited, but the space will now be used to encourage activity, health and wellbeing.
A variety of fitness classes, coaching clinics and skills workshops will also be available for people to sign up to and the venue can host children’s birthday parties, summer camps and corporate events and private functions.
The facility, set to open in mid-September, also places an emphasis on connecting people digitally via social media and its app.
5CORE is looking for personal trainers and sports enthusiasts to join the team and not only be based at the site, but become the ‘face of the brand’.
Staff member Safi Najib said: “We are in full flow.
"Getting things ready is a bit slower than it should be because of the coronavirus pandemic but we are getting there.
“We need personal trainers, coaches, yoga instructors etc for the centre, but we don’t just want them to train, we want them to be in front of the camera letting people know what they specialise in.”
Mr Najib plans to create an app to go alongside the facility that people can download and use to interact with sports people.
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He said it would be an effective way to provide 'the ultimate sports and fitness platform for training and sporting activities in the community' as it could help people keep on track of how active they have been.
The 5CORE website has not yet gone live but more information will be announced at a later date.
An open day event when the transformation is complete will give people the chance to see the facilities for themselves.
5CORE also said it hopes to work with mental health charities such as Oxfordshire Mind, as a way to ‘give something back’ to the community.
Cherwell District Council’s recreation and leisure team support the new sports centre saying it will ‘will provide additional accessible facilities for physical activity in the district’ and Bicester Town Council also welcomed it.
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The town is now home to a number of leisure and recreational facilities that are housed in converted industrial units.
Climbing wall centre, Clip n’ Climb opened last October in Bessemer Close, trampoline park Rebound Revolution opened in 2017 off London Road and a new Teamsport go-karting track in Murdock Road was due to open in Spring but has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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