28 Nov GymGates hit cost and security sweet spot at Melbourne community hub

New entrance control gates installed at St Kilda Police and Citizens’ Youth Club have improved security and had the unexpected benefit of helping the club boost its membership by 9% in the four months after they were installed.

That’s according to Gym Manager Donny Pelsoczy, who said the GymGate 710s installed in April were proving to be a worthwhile investment in more ways than one.

“Not only do staff feel safer, especially at night when they can control and monitor who comes into the gym, but the new gates have added to the club’s financial bottom line.”

Pelsoczy said maintenance and upkeep was a constant financial challenge, so the affordable price point of the GymGates meant the club ended up with more money to meet its ongoing operational costs than it expected.

Other entrance gate providers had quoted substantially more for similar security solutions but Entrance Control came to the party with the GymGates, which had comparable features at a lower cost, he said.

“There was no way we could have afforded them otherwise … we’re forever searching for grants and funding – it’s pretty tough for a charity.”

Pelsoczy said the combination of the GymGates and a user-friendly direct debit management system that was recently introduced at the club had made a significant difference to membership – boosting it to over 500 people.

“Our membership has increased by 9% since the start of the financial year in July, so that’s been a big difference for us.”

Before the GymGates were installed the only barrier to entry was a receptionist. With only one person working at night, making sure only paying members entered was a challenge, as staff couldn’t be at the front desk all the time if a member needed help with something, Pelsoczy said.

He said there were various ways non-members used to sneak in for free to use the gym’s facilities, ranging from blatantly walking in to signing up for a month and then cancelling their direct debit and pretending it was still valid.

The new gates and direct debit management system meant that trend had now been reversed. Integration of the gates with the gym’s Xplor membership system via bar code readers allows members to easily verify themselves and enter the gym by scanning their access card.

On top of alleviating freeloading and people playing the system, the GymGates have sped up the entrance process, especially as members previously had to wait for the receptionist to sign them in, which wasn’t always immediate if they were already helping someone.

“Members don’t have to wait for reception to sign them in, it makes getting in the gym quicker – there’s no bottleneck.”

Pelsoczy said the GymGate installation team was helpful and, because the installation was originally a trial, the use of GymGate Floor Protector allowed the gates to be installed without any effect on the floor below.

“They’ve got a couple of really good on-the-ground workers – the team was super attentive, knowledgeable and on to it.”

The GymGate 710 is a mid-level model in the GymGate range, offering a quality, cost-effective security solution with a suite of optical sensors for safety, a high-performance motor and slimline design.

The St Kilda Police and Citizens’ Youth Club, founded in 1947, is a non-profit charity set up to support young people through sports, recreation and cultural activities. It offers free outreach programmes to 10- to 17-year-olds and boasts a well-equipped gym, a boxing ring with equipment, a basketball court, and a wide selection of group-fitness sessions and personal training options.

Pelsoczy said the club was a valuable place for people in the St. Kilda community to connect and support each other through sport and he was grateful that its staff and members were now more secure and protected than ever before.

“There’s a lot of people out there who don’t have a lot of social opportunities. When they come here they get to socialise in a safe and positive environment.”