Hundreds of residents have visited Morpeth’s fantastic new sports and leisure centre as the doors opened to the public for the first time.  
 

Situated on Gas House Lane, the £21 million centre, fully funded by Northumberland County Council and operated and managed by Active Northumberland, will offer a whole new customer experience for all ages of the local community. 

The centre has been buzzing with activity as fitness classes got into full swing, the swimming pool was in action and the state-of-the-art gym in use. 
 

Some people came to have a cuppa and catch up with friends in the new Hive café while their children explored the soft play, others enjoyed the peace and relaxation of the new Tranquillity Spa. 

The new centre has been designed by GT3 Architect, and Willmott Dixon Ltd was the official contractor. Advance Northumberland has overseen the project management. 

Glen Sanderson, Leader of Northumberland County Council said 

“The completion of Morpeth Leisure Centre is the culmination of an ambitious £65 million countywide investment programme by this council to upgrade and transform sport and leisure facilities across Northumberland. This has included major investment to refurbish and revitalise sports centres in Hexham, Newbiggin and Blyth and build new leisure centres for Ponteland, Berwick and Morpeth.  

“It is strongly recognised that being regularly active is so important for people’s physical and mental wellbeing and we believe having great facilities around the county will help people to lead a more active, healthy and happy life.” 

 

Northumberland County Councillor Jeff Watson, cabinet member for healthy lives said: 

“This centre will offer so much more than a gym, fitness classes and swimming. As important as these are, we hope the centre will become a real focal point for the local community, with activities and classes for everyone, and a real focus on community spirit and developing friendships, health and well-being.” 

“It really is going to be a great community venue for the town and the surrounding area.” 

Residents can pay-as-they-go when they visit the centre, but can also become an Active member. There are a range of memberships on offer which work out cheaper for regular users and have many additional benefits. Members are entitled to unlimited access to all Active Northumberland gyms, fitness classes and swimming pools, expert one-on-one support and guidance through the specially tailored programme Elevate, for your personal fitness journey. Members can also receive a free health check and access to advance bookings on classes. 

 

Mark Warnes, chief executive of Active Northumberland said: 

“The new facilities will transform the way sport and activity is provided in the area, offering opportunities for the whole community to enjoy. The atmosphere in the centre is fantastic. It’s a high quality, welcoming and modern environment, the equipment is state of the art and our experienced team of friendly staff are here to help support local people on their personal health and wellbeing journey. “ 

“We are very excited about the future and the importance it will play in the local community.” 

Local Ward Councillor David Bawn added; “This council had a vision to completely transform and upgrade leisure facilities in Morpeth and committed to a multi-million-pound investment. This week the doors have opened on this fantastic state-of-the-art centre. I’m sure many happy hours will be spent at the centre by residents of Morpeth and further afield and I’m very grateful to everyone involved in delivering a fabulous facility.” 

In the pool hall there is a six-lane swimming pool with spectator gallery, and a studio pool with an adjustable floor which can be used for a variety of water activities including learn to swim and aqua fit. 

There’s a four-court sports hall, a brand-new state of the art gym and fitness area and three fitness studios. One will be a dedicated cycle fitness studio with Technogym bikes while the other two will be used for fitness classes, yoga and Pilates. 

For those wanting a bit of rest and relaxation there is a new spa facility which includes a sauna, steam room, salt room, experience showers and spa pool. 

There is also a new HIVE cafe selling delicious food and drinks as well as a soft-play area for younger children.  

The centre will also incorporate the town’s library and a whole floor is dedicated to learning, delivered on behalf of the council by Northumberland Skills. From English, maths and digital qualifications to business, leadership and management courses, there are learning opportunities for everyone designed to support the local community to upskill, boost confidence and gain or progress in employment. 

These services will be managed by Northumberland County Council. 

Bookings for activities at the sports centre are now available via the Active Northumberland app or join online at www.activenorthumberland.org.uk 

Find out more here 👉 https://bit.ly/MorpethSportsandLeisureCentre