Royal visit to school and leisure centres
HRH The Duke of Gloucester and William Brookes School Headteacher Geoff Renwick
His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester officially opened a Shropshire secondary school which has benefitted from a rebuilding programme.
As part of his visit to the county on Thursday 1 December 2011, the Duke toured William Brookes School in Much Wenlock before unveiling a plaque to commemorate the opening.
The school has been entirely rebuilt on the same site, mostly funded from the government’s Building Schools for the Future scheme before this ended, with contributions from other Government grants, Shropshire Council and community funding. The new school building opened to students in September 2010, with the external site being completed in May 2011.
Headteacher Geoff Renwick said everyone appreciated how lucky they were to have such a fantastic building with great ICT facilities, to build a high quality, 21st century education for the young people in this area of Shropshire.
He added:
“Our school is here to serve students with high-quality learning and give the best possible life chances. We believe learning is best when teachers, leaders and students work together to achieve challenging, stimulating and creative lessons, in a safe and happy environment. We value the support of parents and carers in attaining the best academic and social standards, which demonstrate pride in our school.”
His Royal Highness was also shown around the new Much Wenlock Leisure Centre at the site, which is used by the school for part of its sporting activities.
The improved education and leisure facilities include a 25m swimming pool heated by solar panels, a bigger sports hall and new arts centre.
Councillor Ann Hartley, Shropshire Council deputy leader, said:
“It was an honour to showcase these wonderful facilities, which not only benefit the students going to school, but the wider community of Much Wenlock.
“Everyone involved in the project has worked extremely hard to provide cutting edge education, leisure and community services and the visit provided an opportunity to highlight what has been achieved.”
His Royal Highness also visited the new Oswestry Leisure Centre as part of his full day in the county.
The centre was opened in October 2011 and has since proved extremely popular, attracting nearly 17,000 visits during the first month in operation, an increase of 17 per cent compared with the same month last year at the old centre. His Royal Highness was shown the state-of-the-art facilities on offer during his hour-long visit.
Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for active and healthy lifestyles, said:
“I am delighted that we have been given the chance to show the Duke the centre, which is a huge step forward for leisure provision in the Oswestry area.
“He was extremely impressed by the fantastic facilities on offer, which include two swimming pools – a 25m competition pool and a learner pool – a sports hall, fitness suite, activities studio and multi-function room.”
The centre has replaced the previous 1970s building, which was becoming increasingly expensive to maintain.
The Duke of Gloucester, Prince Richard, is the second son of the late Duke of Gloucester and the late Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. He is a grandson of George V and a first cousin to The Queen.
