DAVID Thompson is a man who is part of the mission to help transform the health and wellbeing of Ardrossan residents.

He is the new manager of the Ardrossan Community Sports Hub fitness centre, set to open its doors next month, and with almost 20 years experience in the fitness industry, David can’t wait to get started.

The Ardrossan Community Sports Hub has taken the former Maximum Potential gym site within the grounds of the Seafield School to transform it into a community owned gym.

In January, the project was given £43,000 of Community Investment Funding.

The aim of this new community gym will be to make sport and fitness available to all those who are ordinarily excluded for reasons including age, health or physical ability.

As a charity, every penny earned from memberships will be reinvested into expanding this service, and into the wider community.

And David was the person they chose to run the

fitness centre. An expert in his field, he has huge plans for the gym and the community.

“We want to offer fitness to everyone in this community,” explained David.

“At the moment I am busy working on the gym, we have equipment from the previous owners and now I have to set it out the way I feel is best.

“We want this to be a welcoming place for people to come and get fit, it’s open plan and we want to offer classes too.

“It’s important to make sure that everyone feels they can get healthier.

“That means everyone in this community, we are here for them.”

David will be joined by a fitness coach and a team of gym volunteers, or hub ambassadors who will

help support the people who join.

“We have ambassadors who are people who have an interest in fitness or people who were members at the previous gym to help us take the gym forward,”

“I started my career at the Studio in Saltcoats and then the Gailes in Irvine before moving to London to work in gyms and Glasgow.

“Now, I am back in Ayrshire, it is great to come home and start a new project and use the experience I have to take it forward.”

Set to open on June 7 at 7am, the hub also has a room and a kitchen where groups will be able to use the room for free.