Paralympic medallist Ben Rushgrove will officially open Wellsway School’s new £3.1 million sports centre, built in partnership with Bath & North East Somerset Council, this Friday 12th April.
Sprinter Ben Rushgrove, who won Silver in the Beijing 2008 Paralympics and Bronze at London 2012, will join members of the Council and the school to celebrate the opening with performances from the school choir and rhythmic gymnastics demonstrations.
The centre, commissioned by Bath & North East Somerset Council and Wellsway School, features a new six-court sports hall, fitness suite, activity studio and an additional classroom for the school. The facilities are also available for members of the community to use out of school hours.
Andrea Arlidge, head teacher at Wellsway School, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Ben Rushgrove to open this new facility which is a fantastic addition to the school and also benefits local people. We’re really grateful for the Council’s support in realising our long held ambition of a state-of-the art sports centre for our school and the local community.”
Since the sports centre first opened its doors to the public in January, more than 300 people have benefitted from the wide variety of activities on offer including gym, group exercise, cricket, football, badminton and netball.
Councillor Dine Romero (Lib-Dem, Southdown), Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children and Youth, said: “This is a great example of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s commitment towards helping schools to develop and extend their role in the local community. We’re extremely pleased to see that the new sports centre is already making a big difference to Wellsway School and its students as well as the wider Keynsham community.”
Cowlin Construction, a Balfour Beatty company, worked closely with staff and students during the project, including introducing construction into the school curriculum.
Members of the community who would like to use the new sports centre facilities outside of school hours should call 0117 916 1034 for more information and to make a booking.
