The transformation of The Landmark in Pleasley into a new social hub and sports centre has been completed by a charity that works with issues surrounding learning and wellbeing.

After many months of restoration, R.E.A.L. Foundation Trust’s work on the first phase of the centre has finished, meaning it is now open for education, community use and for hire by businesses and individuals.

The Landmark offers a sports hall, boutique gym, meeting rooms and physiotherapy.

However, the development won’t stop there with the launch of a new café and outdoor all-weather pitch coming in 2022.

Services from the centre include education, coaching and fitness training provided by Performance 360, as well as Hotpod yoga.

Although the R.E.A.L Foundation Trust was founded in 2008 by R.E.A.L. Education to help those who found difficulties in traditional learning settings, it is now a stand-alone charity.

This allows it to pursue projects and create support for the broader issues surrounding learning and well-being, which also include addressing food poverty, rewarding leisure pursuits, access to technology, and community awareness.

Central to the purpose of The Landmark is the variety of options for which the individual spaces can be used to promote health, education and team building. There will be an emphasis on encouraging businesses to hire space for meetings, corporate team building and staff training, whilst private hire will be available for birthday parties and other functions. Outside there are large LED advertising screens on which local businesses can promote themselves, which also help to generate revenue.

The plan is for all profits to be reinvested to enable the charity to create more opportunities.
Sean Ryan, chair of trustees for the trust, said: “Our foundation seeks to build resilience and self-esteem in young people and their communities.

“We believe that education is at the heart of positive change and we hope that The Landmark will have a lasting impact on the local community by providing essential wellbeing and educational services.”

R.E.A.L. Education is also launching another teaching facility within The Landmark called The Academy, which will provide bespoke sports and public services education.

R.E.A.L. — Re-thinking Engagement and Approaches to Learning — was established in 2008 to provide creative educational solutions for children and young people, aged 5 to 19, who may be ‘lost to learning’ or ‘hard to place’.

The fit-out of the new facility was completed by Blueprint Interiors, which has previously carried out projects for R.E.A.L. Education. Other local businesses involved in the building refurbishment included Switch Electrical Supplies, ACR Cooling Services and Pennant Electrical.