Pupils from nearby St Paul’s School for Girls have been invited to include some of their creative writing in a special time capsule of artefacts from 2018 at Ladywood Leisure Centre. The capsule and its contents will be ‘built into’ the fabric of the impressive new community facility now taking shape as part of the Icknield Port Loop regeneration area near Birmingham city centre.
When the building opens in 2019 they can look forward to swimming lessons, birthday parties, sports classes and more to fire their imaginations further. In the meantime, Birmingham Community Leisure Trust (BCLT) who are building the centre in partnership with Birmingham City Council (BCC) and Sport England asked pupils at St Paul’s to contribute poems to be read by children opening the time capsule in future decades. Five poems judged the most creative will be stowed in the capsule inside a wall cavity and its position marked with a commemorative plaque.
Pupils and staff from the school had a chance to meet Cllr Albert Bore, Birmingham City Councillor for Ladywood Ward and handed over their work in the time capsule to Craig Johnson, Project Manager for main contractor, ISG, the company building the leisure centre for the development project partners. They also saw the site and heard about the extensive, modern sports facilities to be provided at Ladywood, in what will be their local recreation centre.
Birmingham City Council and Sport England are investing £8.5 million in the development which will feature a state-of-the-art gym with approximately 135 stations offering the latest in fitness equipment, a 25-metre swimming pool with timing equipment for competition events and spectator seating for 250 people, a teaching pool, a dance studio, relaxation, sauna and steam areas and a café. The project is part of a citywide investment of nearly £40million to give Birmingham residents leisure and exercise facilities fit for the twenty first century.
The leisure centre, on newly regenerated land adjacent to Ladywood Middleway will bring exciting new sports, fitness and swimming opportunities to the communities of Ladywood and nearby Edgbaston, as well as to new residential developments in the city centre and the Jewellery Quarter.
Unique in being located on a new site, Ladywood Leisure Centre is the fourth new centre to be built and managed in Birmingham by Birmingham Community Leisure Trust (BCLT), working in partnership with Birmingham City Council (BCC). The Trust has replaced three leisure centres at existing sites across the city in Erdington, Northfield and Stechford and has completed a programme of refurbishment at Fox Hollies Leisure Centre; Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre; Beeches Leisure Centre, Wyndley Leisure Centre and Billesley Tennis & Fitness Centre.
Established in 2015, BCLT is tasked to create and maintain a first-class range of health, leisure and recreational activities and facilities to serve all parts of the community. It is working in partnership with Birmingham City Council to revitalise the city’s sport and leisure centres and offer value for money leisure services.
BCLT Chair, Brian Taylor said: “We are confident that the excellent recreation facilities coming to this impressive new leisure centre will be welcomed by everyone, whatever their age or fitness level. The poolside spectator seating is a real bonus. Local galas and swimming clubs will really enjoy the facilities, and who’s to say, but Ladywood, or one of our other pools could be developing the next star of swimming, especially with the Birmingham Commonwealth Games on the horizon.
“We are delighted with progress so far on the development and look forward to inviting the whole community to come and experience high quality, modern sport and leisure facilities at Ladywood Leisure Centre when we open in 2019.”
Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “The pupils contributing to this time capsule are the local residents who, for years to come, will benefit from the development of this fantastic leisure facility – meaning their contribution to the capsule is fitting.
“By getting involved in the project in this way they are learning much more about the efforts to regenerate their neighbourhood and also using their creativity to make a positive contribution in their community.”
Building work is being undertaken by construction services company, ISG who were awarded the contract for new leisure centres at Erdington, Northfield, Stechford and Ladywood. BCLT has also delivered a programme of refurbishments to Fox Hollies Leisure Centre; Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre; Beeches Leisure Centre, Wyndley Leisure Centre and Billesley Tennis & Fitness Centre.
