Cllr Ramsey gave a presentation to students concerning the current closure of Dewsbury Sports Centre, which has been impacted by structural concerns due to RAAC concrete.  The building had to close last year due to safety concerns and this has meant the loss of sports facilities and access to the swimming pool for Dewsbury residents.  

In an insightful presentation, Cllr Ramsey outlined the problems and challenges with the building and informed students of plans to provide a short-term solution to the lack of facilities for young people that they could use as a temporary alternative.  She went on to explain further options for potentially re-opening part of the building and explained how the council might work towards creating a new leisure centre in the future.

Students had the opportunity to ask questions of Cllr Ramsey and this enabled them to gain a valuable insight into the world of politics at both a local and national level.  They were also presented with both national and local statistics relating to the finance of councils within England and Wales, which bares relevance to the issue concerning the sports centre.

The event was organised by Miss Healey, who co-ordinates the student council at the Academy, as a means of raising awareness of local government and how it operates in the community. 

We are most grateful to Jackie for speaking to our students, enabling them to develop their awareness of local government and for providing them with the opportunity to voice their opinion on matters that are relevant to them.