Middlesbrough Southlands Leisure Centre
Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2011 9:01 am
These extensive modem premises, catering both for business and leisure interests, originally began in 1964 as a secondary school to replace the old Lawson Secondary School at Cargo Fleet. The fourth school to be built on the Middle Beck School Base, it was planned by the architectural staff of the Education Department under the direction of the Education Architect, K. J. Caton A.R.I.B.A., with J. W. A. Towell A.R.I.B.A., senior assistant architect in charge. The main building contractors were H. Fairweather & Co., of Middlesbrough, the quantity surveyors being Turner and Townsend, also of Middlesbrough. Twenty-two years later, Southlands School was declared to be surplus to education requirements and closed on 18th July, 1986. Within a year it was brought back into use after more than £1 million had been spent converting the building to provide fully-equipped training workshops covering a wide variety of interests and special needs. Fourteen enterprise units are designed to encourage local residents to set up in business and create jobs. Many groups and organisations rent space in the centre and arrangements can be made to hold regular events and meetings. The leisure section of Southlands opens every day offering a wide range of exercise, training and sports activities. Aerobics, badminton, bowls, circuit training, cricket, football, judo, karate, rollerskating, table tennis and volleyball are all included in the wide range on offer. Principal features include a sports hall, gymnasium, a synthetic outdoor pitch with floodlighting at night, a theatre hall with over three hundred seats, a cafeteria and fully licensed bar. An official opening ceremony on Tuesday, 13th March, 1990, was performed by David Hunt M.P., Local Government and Inner Cities minister. A Royal occasion took place on Thursday, 11th November, 1999, when HRH Princess Alexandra visited the Teesside branch of the Fairbridge Drake Society, an inner city youth charity based in Southlands of which she is the Royal Patron.