The Timor Learning Centre and Community Plus Fitness Gym located in Dili, East Timor has just opened thanks to the vision and hard work of two Plus Fitness members.

After a four year deployment with the Australian Federal Police in East Timor, Libby Bleakly and Theresa Beck set out to give back to the community. Their aim was to create a centre that would have a positive impact on crime and build a stronger culture of respect and friendships.

The newly opened centre includes a learning centre for adults and children, a women’s centre and a community gym.

Plus Fitness first got involved by supporting a fund-raising initiative which saw Libby and Theresa walk from Sydney to Canberra.

Then the franchised gym chain decided to extend its contribution and donated a large amount of gym equipment to help get the community gym up and running.

Branded as Plus Fitness the gym alone attracted over 200 members on it’s first day with many walking hours to get there.

Having just returned from East Timor to attend the opening ceremony Nigel Miller, franchisor of Plus Fitness said “It was fantastic to be able to attend the official opening ceremony and see the end result of Libby and Theresa’s hard work as well as that of the whole Plus Fitness Head Office team that were involved in putting everything together to make this community gym a reality.

“The impact that the centre is already having on the local community is so apparent from children attending the learning centre, and the gym providing a place for everyone to come together as a community and get involved in a range of health and fitness based activities and education.”