A COMMUNITY group is close to achieving its aim of building a new gym for a Newport estate after raising £130,000 in just one year.

Active Underwood, a community group based in Underwood, launched an ambitious plan last year to raise funds to build a gym in the area.

Underwood lost its leisure centre in 2013. The plan to build a new gym was launched four years after the closure of the original leisure centre.

Secretary of Active Underwood, Ben Rice, said the group is “well on track” to achieving its goal.

“We have raised £130,000 in about one year,” said Mr Rice, who lives in Underwood.

“We decided on raising money for a new gym after the closure of our last one. A new gym would cost £160,000 and we’re well on track to meeting it.

“We’ve successfully applied for the rural development fund from Welsh Government for money.

The money was also raised through other grants and when we did fundraising in the area.”

He added: “We’re just waiting now for the last bit – we need £30,000. We’ve applied to the Big Lottery and been running events to get the remaining sum. I suppose when you think of it raising that sum of money in that time period is good going.”

The new gym – which will be called Underwood Barbell – will be built behind the shopping centre, attached to the Underwood Community Centre.

Mr Rice said: “It’s going to be a separate building but it’ll be attached to the community centre. We currently have a small gym operating in one of the rooms there and it’ll be near that room when it’s built.

“It won’t have a swimming pool but it’ll have new equipment to allow the people of Underwood to exercise.

“It’ll also be a 24-hour gym.”

Once the gym is up and running, Mr Rice said he hoped the community would have a big role in it.

“We had been thinking of what would we do with the profits,” said the 31-yearold.

“We couldn’t just keep the profits so we decided that raised money would be filtered back to the gym.”

Mr Rice’s brother, David, who is an elected member of Active Underwood, added the money raised from the gym could then be used for the community too.

He said: “The money from the gym could make Underwood a better place to live.

“Money not spent on the gym will be filtered back into the community.

“This is a big vision for us and we’re almost there.”

Cllr Martin Kellaway for Llanwern added: “I wish Active Underwood all the best.

“Newport City Homes has given permission for the idea of the gym on the land. And I know Active Underwood are now in talks with the planning department.”