Leisure centre to open almost a year after closure

Gateshead Leisure Centre is due to open again on 14 June

A leisure centre which has been closed for months will reopen in June, it has been confirmed.

Gateshead Leisure Centre closed last July amid council budget cuts, which sparked backlash from the local community.

Plans have now been agreed by Gateshead Council to hand the building over to community organisation Gateshead Active, as part of a community asset transfer.

The organisation's director and former councillor Robert Waugh said it was "an enormous relief" that the plans had been approved.

Gateshead Active will stage a reopening on 14 June, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"We hope that people will see a big change in culture here and we really want to give people the best service possible," Mr Waugh added.

The centre’s gym, pool, soft play, and climbing wall are all due to be open for 14 June.

Building work and staff training would be carried out after Gateshead Active received the keys to the building at the end of May, Mr Waugh said.

There would also be a soft launch on 10 June where local groups would be invited to test out the facilities, he added.

'Sustainable'

Layla Barclay, a member of The Save Leisure Gateshead campaign, said the centre's closure was missed from "so many different angles".

"So many people have stopped exercising, it has had huge mental health impacts, it has been a massive loss to the community," she said.

“So we are really hoping that once it opens it will be sustainable – that people will start going and spending time there again.”