Leisure centre workers retire after 40-year careers

Jo-Anne Keeley and Graham Haswell are retiring after 40-year careers at Billingham Forum

Two long-serving leisure centre workers are retiring after working for 40 years.

Jo-Anne Keeley and Graham Haswell are retiring after spending their entire working lives at Billingham Forum, in County Durham.

Mr Haswell is stepping down from his role as assistant manager while Mrs Keeley is retiring as duty manager.

The pair said they knew it was time to retire when they saw people they remembered as children bringing their own children to the leisure centre.

Mrs Keeley began her career at the forum in 1985 when she was 20 years old, but now plans to spend more time in her caravan.

She said: "I’ve spent my career here just because I’m passionate about Billingham Forum.

"We don’t do it for the money, we do it because we love seeing people enjoy themselves.

"Now we’re at the stage when we’re seeing people we remember welcoming as children bringing their children in and even grandkids, and that’s what made me think ‘it’s time to retire’."

Mr Haswell and Mrs Keeley with pupils from Outwood Academy in Ormesby

Mr Haswell joined the leisure centre in 1983 after applying for two jobs as porter and lifeguard.

"The interviews went really well, and I was actually offered both jobs," he said.

"Jo’s right, we don’t do this job for the money, but back then, yeah, I took the life-guard job because it was more money."

A highlight of Mr Haswell's career was when the team at Billingham Forum saved a man's life after he had a heart attack in the gym.

"We managed to get him back with the defibrillator and mouth-to-mouth, and when we got him to hospital, the nurses said that if we hadn’t done what we did, he’d be dead," he said.

“We just felt on top of the world."