Gym equipment donated to school

Staff and pupils at Sandwick junior high school will be able to get fit thanks to a donation of gym equipment from BP.

The company is updating its fitness suite at the Sullom Voe Terminal and had surplus equipment that was still in excellent condition.

BP contacted Shetland Islands Council to see if any schools

could make use of it. Sandwick headteacher Stuart Clubb had been considering creating a gym at the school and was delighted to take up the offer.

He said: “It’s a fantastic facility for the school and for the wider community and it will further enhance the opportunities to encourage pupil health and wellbeing which is very important in a school setting.”

The new gym, in a former classroom, includes two rowing machines, two treadmills, a cross trainer, two exercise bikes, a multi-gym, a bench and a set of dumbbells.

Mr Clubb said: “We have a lot of staff who are into fitness and exercise so they will familiarise themselves with the equipment and will get training so that they can supervise pupil use. Once we have that in place we will look at how we can offer access to the wider community.

“We are 100 per cent committed at looking at ways of allowing members of the community to come into school to use the facility. We were particularly keen to secure this for south mainland Shetland because this is one of the few areas in Shetland that doesn’t have this kind of gym facility so it will be a great asset.”

Will Arthur, who works at BP Sullom Voe, arranged for the equipment to be transported to the school.

“We at BP are delighted that we have found a good home for the equipment.

“We are particularly pleased it is going to a school and that it will bring benefits to the wider community.”