We are GCU's on-campus sport and exercise facility which is open to anyone who wants to achieve their fitness and lifestyle goals - GCU staff, students and graduates and the general public.
Gym memberships for students
Eligibility
Our student memberships are available to anyone, aged 16 and above, studying at any school, college or university.
If you are under 16 years old, you can use our facilities:
upon paying the pay as you go fee of £4.50 and
you are accompanied, and continuously supervised, by a person who is at least 16 years old.
Join the ARC
Use our online membership registration form to sign up today – check membership descriptions below before purchasing.
Following a pilot earlier in the year, from 1 August 2025 registered GCU students are eligible for a free gym membership.
The free membership is for gym equipment use and timetabled classes only - hall activities, such as basketball and badminton, are not included in the free membership. These activities must be booked and paid at the ARC reception desk.
How to register
A membership form must be completed at the ARC reception desk (even if you have completed a form previously).
Student ID card
A non-expired GCU student ID card must be produced when registering. This is required for identification purposes and to ensure entitlement to a free gym membership - ARC staff won't accept any other method.
If your GCU student ID card has an expiry date of September 2026 you will only be given membership until 30 September 2026.
If you are a new student for 2025/26 session, you will need to wait until you receive your student ID card before registering.
Additional information
We are expecting high demand from GCU students, particularly in September and October, so please be patient when queuing at peak times. We suggest to only register on the first day you intend on using the gym.
Gold memberships
Early bird membership
After signing up online
Immediate access
When you complete the online membership registration process you will receive a membership confirmation email.
If you receive your membership confirmation email Monday to Thursday, your membership will be set up the following day. For Friday to Sunday, your membership will be set up the following Monday.
If you intend on using our facilities on the same day (or from Friday to Sunday as described above), you must show your membership confirmation email on your mobile at the ARC reception desk, whether or not this is your first membership, as your membership won't be fully set up yet.
Non-GCU students
If this is your first membership, you must attend the ARC reception desk to have your photo taken and be issued with a RFID keyring to allow entry through the turnstiles.
If this is not your first membership, you will not need to attend the ARC reception desk if you still have the exact same keyring (or an ARC card) that was previously issued, otherwise you must attend the ARC reception desk for a new keyring. A charge of £2 for a replacement keyring may be payable.
