New gym opens to boost soldier wellbeing at Kendrew Barracks
A state-of-the-art gym has officially opened at Kendrew Barracks, Cottesmore, providing improved fitness facilities for around 1,800 soldiers and their families.
The new £11.6 million Physical and Recreational Training Centre (P&RTC) marks a major milestone for the Kendrew Barracks. Completed as the final project under the Army Basing Programme and funded by the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Army Programme, the facility is now fully operational and supporting daily training across the barracks.
The project was delivered for the Army by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) working with industry partners Willmott Dixon and AECOM.
Designed in close collaboration with Station staff and specialists from the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, the P&RTC provides a modern and adaptable training environment built to meet current needs and future demand. Covering 2,443m², it features:
- A dedicated strength and conditioning suite
- Squash courts
- A sprung‑timber sports hall
- Offices for physical training Instructors
- Modern changing and shower facilities
Solar panels and secure cycle storage support the Station’s green travel plan and Defence’s wider environmental commitments, while a roof-mounted plant room with external access maximises usable space and improves safety and maintenance efficiency.
The centre will serve existing units at Kendrew Barracks, including 1st and 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, HQ 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team, and Joint Military Command Centre. It will also support 1 Military Working Dog Regiment and 20 Army Education Corps, which are due to relocate to the site by 2028, followed by 36 Engineer Regiment and other lodger units from 2029 onwards.
Belinda Lunn, Army Basing Programme Senior Responsible Owner and Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Army Programme Director, said:
This new facility is a significant investment in the health, wellbeing and readiness of our people. Providing modern, flexible training spaces like this is central to ensuring soldiers have the right environment to thrive, both physically and mentally. Its delivery reflects our ongoing commitment to modernising the Defence estate and supporting those who live, work and train on it every day.
Warren Webster, DIO MPP Army Programme Director, said:
We are immensely proud to deliver this fantastic new gym at Kendrew Barracks for the Army, designed by listening to the experts about what soldiers actually need and want in a gym. It forms part of a wider series of improvements at the site which will collectively maximise our war-fighters’ ability to operate, deter, fight and win.
Nick Heath, Director at Willmott Dixon, said:
The new Physical and Recreational Training Centre exemplifies the power of collaboration. Willmott Dixon is proud to have worked closely with the DIO and AECOM to deliver an ultra-modern facility that will support the wellbeing of our nation’s soldiers and their families for many years to come, and the end product is a testament to what can be achieved through strong teamwork and shared commitment.
The gym is one element of significant investment being delivered under the ABP Kendrew Barracks Project, with a brand-new Military Working Dogs compound – including exercise and training facilities, a vets’ facility, kennels and HQ, scheduled to complete in 2026.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-gym-opens-to-boost-soldier-wellbeing-at-kendrew-barracks
