Sunderland Aquatic Centre going for gold in live TV final » Communities » 24dash.com

Sunderland Aquatic Centre will find out in a live TV final this weekend if it has been successful in winning the title of Best Sports Project in the UK.

The Aquatic Centre was voted one of the country's top three sports projects following two rounds of public voting earlier this summer.

This Saturday August 30 it will be competing against two others for the title of Best Sports Project on 'The National Lottery: Big 7' at 8.05 pm on BBC 1.

The show will feature a short film of the Aquatic Centre alongside those of 20 other finalists competing across seven different categories.

Councillor Mel Speding, Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, said: "We're absolutely thrilled to be in the finals of The National Lottery Awards.

"As the only North East sports project to have made it through to the finals, we are flying the flag for the whole region.

"To win would be a fantastic way to celebrate what has been achieved and to pay tribute to all the staff and customers who have made the Sunderland Aquatic Centre such a success.”

Since its official opening in April, Sunderland Aquatic Centre has regularly attracted more than 1500 people a day. The centre offers something for everyone from mums and toddlers to potential Olympians.

The National Lottery Awards are held annually to find the UK's favourite Lottery-funded projects.                  

Now in their fifth year, the Awards aim to recognise the incredible difference that Lottery-funded projects - both large and small - have made to people, places and communities across the UK.

The Sunderland Aquatic Centre is the first 50 metre pool in the North East and the only one between Leeds and Edinburgh.

The Sunderland Aquatic Centre is the most environmentally friendly pool in the country – filtering and recycling every single drop of water which falls on its roof for re-use in the pool.   

With a 10-lane 50-metre main pool, a 25-metre diving pool and seating for 500 spectators the Sunderland Aquatic Centre has the ability to cater for high profile national and regional swimming competitions.

In addition its moveable floors, which can vary the water depth from anywhere between 0 to 2 metres in the main pool and 0 to 4 metres in the diving pool, make it as suitable for toddlers learning to swim as talented swimmers.              

And the clever design of the building is such that the 50 metre main pool also has a moveable boom, which allows the pool to be divided up to cater for everything from aqua-fit and family fun with inflatables to budding Olympians - all at the same time.

Sunderland Aquatic Centre has been funded by Sunderland City Council, Sport England, European Regional Development Fund, One NorthEast, TyneWear Partnership, Sunderland arc and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.