Here’s the gym you voted the best in Portsmouth, Havant, Fareham and Gosport for 2019

The News is pleased to name the gym at the Horizon Leisure Centre in Waterlooville its Gym of the Year for 2019.

The venue, in Waterberry Drive, scooped the prize after out-muscling nine other competitors from across Portsmouth, Havant, Waterlooville and Gosport in a public vote.

Staff at the site have now been presented with a certificate and a trophy.

Sarah Moulds, 39, centre manager at Horizon Waterlooville, said: ‘We have such strong, close competition these days so this is a huge achievement for us.

‘We’re small fry in comparison to some of the larger gyms, but we have a great team and a wide range of equipment so members can come in and do whatever they want to do.'

Since 2015 the gym has been taking referrals for people with mental health issues, welcoming them in and encouraging good health of both body and mind.

Sarah, who joined Horizon 21 years ago, said this is one of the most fruitful aspects of the gym’s work – especially when people going through a rough patch get the help they need.

‘We have a very strong relationship now with GPs and services who refer to us,’ she said.

‘Many of those people have mental health issues and have never been to a gym before.

‘They spend 12 weeks with us – enabling them to complete any goals they set for themselves – and some also go on to become full-time members.

‘We can then continue helping them with their journey.'

The runner-up of The News' Gym of the Year 2019 is the The Village Gym in Lakeshore Drive, Portsmouth, with Horizon Health and Fitness in High Street, Cosham, third.

This victory marks a return to form for Horizon, whose Havant branch won two Gym of the Year titles in 2015 and 2017, with another Horizon Waterlooville win in 2016.

Horizon has more than 9,000 gym members across both its branches.