Gateshead Leisure Centre - new roles advertised
The centre closed to the public in July
The team bidding to revive Gateshead Leisure Centre have begun recruiting for new staff, ahead of the shuttered facility reopening.
There has been a huge public outcry over the closure of the beloved leisure centre since Gateshead Council closed its doors in July due to controversial budget cuts.
But there are hopes that the hoardings around the Alexandra Road site will soon be coming down and the centre back in use before the end of this year.
Gateshead Active, the organisation bidding to take control of the sporting hub from the council, has now launched a recruitment drive as it forges ahead with the reopening plans.
A new centre manager and a head of sales and marketing are among the key roles that applicants are being asked to put themselves forward for.
Among the other jobs currently on offer are a business and finance assistant, a cafe supervisor, and leisure attendant apprentice, with more vacancies expected to be posted in the coming weeks at gatesheadactive.co.uk.
It had been hoped that a community asset transfer for the centre could be completed in November, but the target date to get it open again has been pushed back slightly to the end of December.
The closure has been a source of deep sadness across Gateshead and has sparked concerns about the negative impact of people’s physical and mental health, rising pressure on local NHS services, sports clubs being forced to relocate, and schools facing huge travel bills to bus their pupils to other areas for swimming lessons.
Gateshead Active chairman Robert Waugh said: “It is depressing going past it at the moment with all the boards up, knowing that there is a fantastic building inside with a lot of new equipment in there – things like the Clip n Climb are still relatively new. We can’t wait to tear down those boards and get it open again.”
An online fundraiser to boost the reopening plans recently raised more than £9,000, while the efforts were further boosted by the efforts of the Gateshead Kaizen Karate Club.
Mr Waugh, a former Labour councillor, added: “”We are really happy and thankful to everyone who donated for us, it is fantastic that the community has come together like that. More recently, the karate club held a fundraiser with its members and raised £2,400, which is absolutely massive for us. It will really help with the legal and admin costs that we need to pay before we can receive official funding from loans and grants.
“We are extremely grateful to that group – it was unexpected money but definitely well received.”
Gateshead Active’s plans include bringing the centre’s cafe and climbing wall back into use, and providing 24-hour gym access.