Long-awaited Ravelin Sports Centre in Portsmouth city centre is open to university students and staff

Students from the University of Portsmouth have been testing out the kit at the long-awaited £57m Ravelin Sports Centre.

The facilities have been on offer since Tuesday, giving students and staff – who have a membership - the opportunity to test out the new equipment.

The multi-million pound build has a number of state-of-the-art areas, including a climbing wall, a boulder area, a ski simulator, squash courts, a 175-station gym, and more.

So far more than 3,000 people have enquired about signing up with the sporting hub.

Paul Tilley, head of sport and recreation, said: ‘We want this to feel like a safe place where people who are not typically gym users can go.

‘At every point we want there to be a wow moment.’

The News was given an exclusive tour of the new sporting centre, in Cambridge Road.

The facility, which has faced delays in its construction, has already won the BREEM award for its innovation in building and working sustainably.

Hannah Lloyd, staff member at the university, said: ‘I know it has been a long time coming but it is beautiful.

‘It is fantastic, it is my first day and I have done the gym and a yoga class which was fantastic. It is a really lovely space.’

The centre has utilised forward-thinking concepts to ensure the diversity and inclusivity throughout, including gender-neutral changing rooms and a rising floor on half of the swimming pool to guarantee that people with disabilities or mobility issues have access to the facility.

The centre will also be offering six local schools, including Cottage Grove Primary School, free swimming sessions weekly.

Henry Nottidge, university student, said: 'It's nice and clean, and there's a big range of stuff. I certainly won't get bored.’

The studios are fitted with special lighting which has multiple settings to change from normal to strobe when classes are in progress and on many of the pieces of gym equipment there is a wireless charging port.

The membership fees start at £15 per month for students and other packages on offer to staff, alumni and the public can vary in price depending on the level of facility access people require.

The complex’s central location is close to the university accommodation, as well as having a bus stop next to its main building.

For those that will be driving to the centre, there is an underground car park which will be able to hold 70 cars.

DJ nights are planned on Friday evenings, and there is a bid for the National University Boxing Championships to be held in the centre, which can hold hundreds of spectators.

Paul added: ‘It is absolutely amazing and we have already had so much interest.

‘We are all about the students and making their experience the best it can be and we hope that this will help achieve that.’