STATE of the art gym equipment, a new swimming pool and sprung floor fitness studio were proudly on display in Pewsey as the new £8m Vale Community Campus opened its doors.

12 new staff have joined the team under one roof at the campus, which is powered using a biomass boiler and solar panels on the roof.

The refurbished sports hall will also be used by pupils from Pewsey School three times a week to boost sports in young people.

Julia McMurtrie and Janine Gosling were among the first to take a dip at the pool at 7am. Mrs Gosling said: “It has a great vibe already. We met and became friends at the old site and now we will meet up again to use this all together. The great thing was that while it was being built there was a gym kept open in Pewsey.”

David Line is part of the Community Operation Board who worked with Wiltshire Council to design and create the new building. He said: “I remember 10 years ago when there were fears the facility might be closed down. We knew that that just couldn’t happen.We have gone from despair back then to jubilation now at seeing it all open. The council have done their bit building this and now it is important that we think inventively about using this space as much as possible.”

Curly Haskell, chairman of Pewsey Parish Council, said seeing the campus open was a dream come true. He said: “This facility is called the Vale campus for a reason. It is for all the people in Pewsey and everyone in the surrounding 26 parishes to enjoy. This is a legacy for the future.”

As well as a new 36-station gym that includes a fleet of spin bikes, the four lane swimming pool has a pool pod that helps people with disabilities get into the pool without using hoists that was developed for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The campus is located next to Pewsey School on Wilcot Road.