Special guests gather for Perse Sports Centre opening ceremony

The brand-new Perse Sports Centre has been officially opened with a special ceremony.

Dignitaries from companies associated with the process of bringing the sports centre to fruition were joined by Perse staff past and present who had been involved in the project over the last four years to celebrate the occasion.

Featuring a 25-metre swimming pool, 10.5-metre climbing wall and sports hall, the sports centre opened to the public this week, having been used by Perse students since the start of term.

Head Ed Elliott thanked guests for an “amazing facility”, adding that it had brought joy to pupils who had visited to swim, climb, play sports or meet friends.

He said: “You’ve done wonders for the pupils and the community. It will be great for them to benefit from the facility too. It’s a huge success and I’m enormously grateful to everyone for the role they’ve played.”

Bursar Alison Shakespeare echoed Mr Elliott’s sentiments, adding that there was a buzz around the sports centre with more than 700 visitors looking around during the recent community open event.

She said: “There’s a lot of interest and excitement locally about the new sports facility. We are geared up for community use and that will hopefully continue to scale up and grow.”

Steve Kitchen, Director of Delivery at Willmott Dixon, the construction company behind the sports centre, provided guests with some fascinating facts about the facility, such as the climbing and bouldering walls containing more than 1,500 holds.

He added: “It’s all about the teamwork and collaboration and the hundreds of people who have been involved in this project for the last four years. We are extremely proud of what we’ve been able to deliver.”

Martin Lindus, Director of Saunders Boston Architects, who designed the sports centre, explained the coloured bricks on the exterior of the building signified “motional waves” to highlight the activities on offer inside.

He said: “What a brilliant day to be here to see what everyone has achieved”, adding that he hoped “this is a space that will thrive with the pupils here and the community.”

Discover more about the Perse Sports Centre on our dedicated website here.