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21/04/2008 - ground breaking ceremony for new community leisure centre
On Monday 21 April, 2008 there was a ground-breaking ceremony at John Port School in Etwall to celebrate the start of work on the new £7 million multi-purpose leisure centre and sports facility.
The multi-million pound leisure centre and sports facility is being constructed by G F Tomlinson Building Limited.
The company also built the new Edale Building and New Derwent Block at the school. Says Roy Collis, Managing Director of G F Tomlinson Building Limited, “We plan to have all work completed by July 2009 so that local people can enjoy these state of the art facilities. We are proud to have been selected again to add to the magnificent campus at John Port School.”
Says Cllr Heather Wheeler, Leader of South Derbyshire District Council, “A new leisure centre has been needed for the last two decades. The patience of people in the northern parishes has finally paid off. Now at last the long-held dream has been made a multi-million pound reality.”
The leisure centre is based at the John Port School and will replace the existing leisure centre’s swimming pool and spectators’ room.
It is welcomed by Barrie Whyman, Chairman of the Governors of John Port School, “We are proud to be the location of a leisure centre and sports facility which will have a 25m six lane swimming pool, a six court sports hall to accommodate a wide range of sports, a regional badminton facility with Olympic training potential, a fitness suite, meeting rooms, a café with parking and landscaping. The leisure and sports facilities will be constructed to Sports England standards.
“Obviously the 2,000 students at our school and the many primary schools in the area will benefit from the state of the art facilities, but it will also be used by people from the whole of the north of the District. John Port School not only caters for the education of young people, it is also a focus for the community.”
The local community has worked hard to support the vision of a sports facility for the area.
Says Cllr John Lemmon, Chairman of South Derbyshire District Council’s Housing and Community Services Committee, Ward Member for Etwall and Chairman of the Etwall Leisure Centre Community Group, “It’s been a long time coming, but it’s well worth waiting for. Way back in 1995 local people came together to form the Etwall Leisure Centre Community Group and raised £25,000 toward a bid for Lottery funding. The bid wasn’t successful but we didn’t give up. This new leisure centre is a direct result of community action by committed individuals and it is also happening because of partnership working.”
Says John Williams, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, “Local organisations often talk about their commitment to partnership working and here is the proof that they work. This leisure centre is being built because of the concrete commitment and financial contributions not only of Derbyshire County Council but also South Derbyshire District Council, John Port School, Badminton England, the East Midlands Development Agency through the Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership, Toyota Manufacturing UK and not least the Etwall Leisure Centre Community Group.The long-awaited leisure centre offers far more than was originally planned in the 1990s.
Says Robert Knott of Badminton England, “The centre is being built to Sport England standards and has badminton courts which can be used for training and competition by the whole East Midlands region. It could be used to enable sportsmen to achieve Olympic potential.”
Major funding has also been contributed by the East Midlands Development Agency through the Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership
Says Kevin Edwards, Chief Executive of the Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership, “Our aim is to stimulate and develop sustainable economic opportunities which will improve the environment for businesses, communities, residents and visitors. By investing in a major resource which will benefit local people, visitors and employers, we are also improving the economic life of Derby and Derbyshire and so could attract further inward investment.”
Toyota Manufacturing UK has also contributed to the construction of the leisure centre. Says Clive Bridge, Corporate Affairs Director of Toyota, “We are committed to interacting and engaging with our local community. Toyota’s philosophy is to strive to be a good corporate citizen and to contribute to the society in which we operating. Since we started production in Burnaston in South Derbyshire in 1992, Toyota Manufacturing UK has contributed to a variety of national and local community causes. The new leisure centre will help us achieve our priority of supporting projects which add to the welfare of local communities which also support or enhance community life.”
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