Royal opening for Hexham swimming pool and gym
Oct 21 2008 by Paul Loraine, The Journal
THE Princess Royal visited Northumberland yesterday to open a £10m swimming pool and gym.
Princess Anne was in Hexham to help celebrate the extension to Wentworth Leisure Centre.
The building now houses two swimming pools, fun and splash areas and a gym.
The Princess was welcomed by Tynedale Council chairman Coun Mrs Janet Somerville and shown around the building by Tynedale Council chief executive Richard Robson.
Coun Somerville described the visit as a great accolade for the area.
She said: “It is a great honour to welcome Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, to officially open the new pools and fitness suite development at Wentworth Leisure Centre.
“Much of the effort was very much behind the scenes, so it was a great accolade for all the staff and partners to welcome the Princess Royal, to demonstrate the state-of-the-art facilities and receive recognition for their work.”
The Princess was presented with flowers by local youngster Amy Bewick, six, and she also took the time to talk to staff and customers.
She also spoke to Wayne Denham from builder Sir Robert McAlpine, Jon Mawson from GLR Architects and Fred Hair of project manager Hall & Partners – each of whom has had a hand in the making of the new pool.
Princess Anne then met David Thompson, chairman of North Country Leisure (NCL) and other representatives of NCL Tynedale, which runs the centre.
Mr Thompson said: “This is a flagship development and an attractive high quality building with much improved existing facilities. It gives a strong basis for us to deliver excellent sport and leisure experiences to residents and visitors in Tynedale.”
As part of her visit, the Princess met a number of users who benefit from the new leisure attractions and was given a tour of the new fitness suite by centre manager Geoff Cant.
He outlined the range of classes on offer, including school swimming lessons, a disability user group and a healthy life class.
Both pools have moving floors, which allow the depths to be varied to suit different activities.
The complex replaces the town’s outdated swimming pool in Gilesgate, which was opened in 1974.
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Anne admires enterprise
PIONEERING efforts to develop the next generation of business entrepreneurs in the region were outlined to the Princess when she toured St Benet Biscop Roman Catholic High School in Bedlington.
The school has become a specialist business and enterprise centre – forging links between education and the commercial sector – and its students have twice emerged winners of the regional Young Enterprise Company of the Year.
St Benet Biscop has also launched its own social enterprise company, Benet Enterprises, which employs a number of former pupils. The Princess met regeneration initiative leaders from Wansbeck Council and the Go Wansbeck campaign, local businesspeople and representatives of community organisations which use the school’s business centre.
She also chatted to students about projects aimed at developing their enterprise skills and asked if they were considering self-employment as a career.
Earlier the Princess visited Longhirst Hall, near Morpeth, to find out more about Northumberland Sport’s Sportsability programme, which works with children with disabilities and special needs.
