18.02.04
First view of The Garden as Torpoint Leisure Club is reborn

Residents of Torpoint will get their first view of the town's luxurious new leisure club when it opens this weekend (Saturday February 21st and Sunday February 22nd).

Hundreds of potential applicants are already queuing to join The Garden Sports and Leisure Club in Antony Road following a major 10-month restoration project.

Once the home of the popular Racquets Leisure Club, the opening of The Garden will mark the culmination of more than two years of work to give Torpoint back its own leisure centre.

The project is the result of the efforts of two former members of Racquets, Tina Peters and Terry Deacon. The couple managed to buy the site and raise the necessary investment to refurbish and renovate the club and get it back on its feet with investment from Objective One project Finance Cornwall and Armada Finance.

Finance Cornwall is a £20 million investment fund backed by £9 million from the Objective One European Regional Development Fund.

Tina Peters explained that Racquets was converted from a cinema into a sports centre by local businessman Tony Hocking who successfully ran the sports centre for many years before selling to Robert and Jenny Paige of Downderry who went on to transform it into a popular leisure centre.

However, the club went into decline following subsequent changes in ownership and finally closed in 2001.

Tina said: "It was a massive project to undertake. It needed a new roof over the swimming pool, all the pool equipment had to be replaced and everything worth anything had been stripped out when it closed.”

But Tina and Terry were determined that Torpoint should have its own leisure club and – after proposals to provide community facilities at the local school were dropped – knew the only thing to do was to buy the premises and make it happen themselves.

In addition to investing a significant amount of their own funds, they also approached other potential sources of funding, including Finance Cornwall, who are providing a £20,000 loan investment for the project and an additional loan investment from Armada Finance.

Tina said: "It was fantastic to get their support - we've really worked hard to find the funds to make this happen and have ploughed everything into making The Garden a reality.”

Now, however, all that hard work – which saw the renovation work beginning in April 2003 – has finally come together and the transformation of the derelict building into a beautifully appointed sports and leisure club is now complete.

The Garden Sports and Leisure Club now boasts a swimming pool with sauna and steam room, squash courts, aerobics and dance studios, a fully fitted gymnasium and a games room for children. There's also a beautician and relaxation room with electronic massage bed for those weary limbs – plus a bar and bistro seating 54 diners, with a menu specialising in high quality, locally produced food.

Plants and careful design have been used to create a relaxing, natural ambience, while the club's bar has been built entirely of natural oak worked by a local wood-turner – a theme that extends right through The Garden.

Finance Cornwall investment manager Jeff Lenihan said: "This really has been an extremely ambitious undertaking for Tina and Terry but they've had the vision to pull off something remarkable.

"By not stinting on quality they've managed to not only breathe new life into a business that had been allowed to be run into the ground but to completely turn it around and take it to another level again.”

Nigel Back, regional Armada manager said: "Tina and Terry have refurbished the club to such a high standard that Armada were delighted to be asked to become the lead lender and assist in the complete fitting out of the building. We know that these people and their venture will be a major asset to Torpoint and this area of Cornwall.”

Finance Cornwall has also supported the business by identifying a mentor with relevant sector experience to help get the business off to the best possible start.

Graham Ashton, mentor for The Garden Sports and Leisure Club said: "When assessing a business I look for the owner's knowledge of the market, knowledge of customer needs and the level of commitment; in Tina and Terry's case, I have found exceptional knowledge, commitment and determination to succeed. Above all I have respect for the sheer graft that Tina and Terry have and continue to pour into the business venture.

"What they need is the customers to convert verbal support into hard cash; it is results that count at the end of the day. I wish them all the best with this business venture.”

To find out more visit www.financecornwall.co.uk

Editor's notes:

Finance Cornwall background

Finance Cornwall is a £20 million investment fund backed by £9 million from the Objective One European Regional Development Fund.

For more information contact:

Tina Peters or Terry Deacon
The Garden Sports and Leisure Club
01752 816800

Jeff Lenihan
Investment Manager
Finance Cornwall
01872 272288
www.financecornwall.co.uk

Jason Clark
Communications Adviser
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Tel: 01872 241379
Fax: 01872 241388
objectiveone@cornwall.gov.uk

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