Cram races to opening of impressive new health and wellbeing centre

23/06/2011

Olympian Steve Cram led the way as the University of Worcester unveiled its impressive new health and wellbeing centre.

Around 70 invited guests joined the former 1,500m world record holder at the official opening of the McClelland Centre at the University’s City Campus on Castle Street.

Cram was at the launch in his capacity as an ambassador for Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks and was invited to the opening ceremony by Mandeep Rajput, Business Development Partner at Clydesdale Bank’s Financial Solutions Centre on The Tything, Worcester.

The new centre is based on the ground floor of the newly refurbished Charles Hasting Building, which was the principal building of the Worcester Royal Infirmary from 1771 and is where the British Medical Association was founded in 1832.

The centre will specialise in nutritional advice, counselling, fitness and sports therapy. It has been named after Mary Jane McClelland who was appointed matron at Worcester Royal Infirmary in 1888 and played a pioneering role in nurse education including establishing a medical library for the use of nursing students.

Cram said: “My role as an ambassador for Clydesdale Bank allows me to get a feel for fantastic projects going on in the community and it was a great honour to be invited to open the McClelland Centre.

“This project is about giving students a facility and a resource which they can use both academically and in their spare time, but also at the same open the door up to the local community.

“Turning an old derelict building into a facility like this is fantastic and I hope it is well used by the students and the local community because when projects like this work well they are a real bonus for any city like this.”

Among the impressive facilities at the new centre is the McClelland Exercise Suite equipped with top of the range gym equipment, along with nutritional advice, massage, counselling, sports therapy and injury rehabilitation clinics, and a multi-purpose seminar room.

University of Worcester Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor David Green said the Charles Hasting Building had been carefully restored and converted for modern educational use and students would play a key role in the operation of the centre.

He said: “The new centre will contribute to promoting the health and wellbeing of people who live in Worcester and the surrounding area and we are proud of this facility.”

The McClelland Centre for Health and Wellbeing is open from Monday to Friday between 6.30am until 8pm, and on Saturdays from 8.30am until midday. For more information please call 01905 542001 or email wellbeing@worc.ac.uk.