A new leisure centre for Oswestry
The countdown has begun to the opening of the Oswestry Leisure Centre, a state-of-the-art leisure facility currently being built on Shrewsbury Road in Oswestry.
The new facility will open in autumn 2011 and will replace the existing 1970’s building, which is becoming increasingly expensive to maintain.
The new centre will boast two swimming pools (a 25m competitive pool and a learner pool), a sports hall, fitness suite, activities studio and multi-function room.
As part of the celebrations, the council is looking for sports clubs, local artists, arts clubs and groups to be part of the official opening of the centre on 1 October 2011.
A number of free activities will be taking place throughout the day, including taster sessions in cricket, badminton, paddle sports and dance. Also, there will be art play and soft play equipment for children, exhibition space and art performances.
There will also be a market place, where local clubs and groups will have the opportunity to have a display where they can advertise their organisation and recruit new members.
Local sport and art clubs, groups and artists can get involved in the day, in the following ways:
Have a stand at the Market Place – This will take place all day, at the entrance to the leisure centre. It will provide an opportunity for people to advertise and recruit new members. Stalls will need to be staff by members of the clubs / groups.
Perform – Groups such as choirs, dancers and musicians will be given the opportunity to perform to the public during the afternoon in the main sports hall.
Exhibit work – There will be a small room allocated for arts groups to exhibit their work, as well as exhibition space. We also encourage artists to demonstrate their skills where appropriate.
Deliver dance workshops – Run short, taster dance workshops in the activities studio. Again this is an opportunity for clubs to demonstrate what they do to a wider audience.
Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for Active and Healthy Lifestyles, said: “We are extremely passionate about providing excellent leisure facilities to our residents and this brand new, state-of-the-art centre will help us to do this.
“I’m looking forward to the opening and experiencing all the things that the facility has to offer.”
People interested in taking part on the day should contact Alexa Pugh, Community Arts Officer by Friday 2 September by emailing alexa.pugh@shropshire.gov.uk or calling her on 01743 255938.
To enable staff and equipment to be moved over to the new centre, the existing centre will close on Sunday 25 September– just a week before the new one opens.
The ne Oswestry Leisure Centre is one of the leisure facilities currently undergoing changes to their management as part of Shropshire Council’s commitment to ensuring that leisure and culture services are fit for the future.
