Penlan Leisure Centre celebrates 20th birthday

ROBSON and Jerome were on top of the charts with their version of Unchained Melody when Penlan Leisure Centre first opened.

Now, over six million user visits later, the Heol Gwyrosydd attraction is celebrating its 20^th birthday.

The centre, where more than 60,000 children have learned to swim, was first opened by former councillor Grenville Phillips and ex-Wales football star Dean Saunders in 1995.

A variety of Swansea Council celebrations have been arranged to mark the two decade milestone. The fun included a fitness fiesta on Wednesday June 24 where pilates, group cycling and a talk on nutrition were among the free activities set to 1990s music. A cake-cutting ceremony has been organised for noon on Friday June 26.

The council is also now making an extra month’s membership free for anyone who signs up for six months to an Active Swansea leisure and sports centre. Other centres are located in Penyrheol, Morriston, Cefn Hengoed and Bishopston.

Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development and Regeneration, said: “It’s hard to believe that Penlan Leisure Centre has now been open for 20 years. The centre has made a terrific impact over the last two decades – it’s a place where over 60,000 of our children have learned to swim.

“As a Penlan boy, I know how important this terrific leisure centre is to the community. Along with our other Active Swansea community leisure centres, the facility in Penlan makes a big contribution to people’s health and wellbeing right across Swansea. The beauty of these leisure centres is that they’re within reach of people in all parts of the city. This helps show how seriously we take our commitment to ensuring residents have access to top quality sport and recreational facilities.”

Several members of Penlan Leisure Centre staff, including manager Steve Smith and administrative officer Andrea Ace, have worked at the centre since it first opened.

Two of the first clubs to start there – the Penlan Shukan Ryu Karate Club and the Penlan Table Tennis Club – are still going strong. The centre, now used by over 370,000 people a year, was extended in 2010 to allow for the introduction of more swimming changing facilities. New state-of-the-art fitness equipment was also installed two years ago.

Have a look at www.activeswansea.com for more information about Penlan Leisure Centre and other sports and fitness facilities in Swansea.

What else happened in 1995?

* Piers Brosnan starred as James Bond for the first time in Goldeneye

* South Africa won the Rugby World Cup on home soil

* Manic Street Preachers lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards went missing

* OJ Simpson was found not guilty of double murder

* Everton beat Manchester United 1-0 in the FA Cup final