Hartlepool wellbeing hub marks official opening with family funday

The free public event at the Highlight Active Wellbeing Hub, in Harbour Walk, Hartlepool, will take place on Saturday, August 15, and will mark the official opening of the flagship facility.

Visitors will have the opportunity to experience everything the new hub has to offer, including three swimming pools, a 100-station gym, dedicated spinning studio, fitness suites and children's soft play area.

A number of free taster sessions will also be available on the day as well as a range of entertainment including live music, dance performances, a brass band and colourful street theatre performances.

Councillor Graham Harrison, leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “Highlight is a landmark development which represents one of our most significant investments in the health, wellbeing and quality of life of local residents.

“It is a fantastic facility which reflects our ambition for the town, supports healthier and more active lifestyles and provides a welcoming space where families, friends and communities can come together.

"The official opening is a moment to celebrate what has been achieved to date and to recognise the positive difference Highlight will make to the lives of local people for generations to come.”

Highlight replaced the former Mill house Leisure Centre and has already been visited 82,235 times since it opened in June.

As well as offering a range of sport, fitness and leisure facilities, Highlight also has a dedicated suite of consultation rooms where NHS clinics are delivered through a partnership between Hartlepool Borough Council and University Hospitals Tees.

Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, said: “I’m proud we’ve helped fund this project.

"Highlight is already proving a success and shows what can be achieved when we invest in getting things done to make the town a better place to live, work and visit.

“There’s progress on the waterfront and we’re making strides in building on the town’s cultural and film-making strengths.

"If we want Hartlepool to grow and become the cultural capital we know it can be, we need people to be healthy, active and enjoying where they live.

“Highlight is already playing its part and it’s great to see so many people already through the doors.”

Lisa Dodd-Mayne, executive director for partnerships and place at Sport England, said: "Great facilities change lives and Highlight has all the ingredients to do exactly that.

"As Hartlepool's Place Expansion Partnership gathers pace, this fantastic new hub gives people more reasons to be active, more ways to improve their health and more opportunities to be part of a thriving community.

"That's exactly the kind of impact Sport England wants to see and the reason we backed this project."

Bookings for Saturday’s taster sessions need to be booked in advance and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bookings will open from 5am on Thursday, August 13, online at https://activehartlepool.gladstonego.cloud/book or in person at the Highlight.

Paddleboarding sessions will also be available and can be booked by emailing [email protected].