Pictured above: (l-r) Professor David Green (University of
Worcester) and Steve Cram with Brian Colquhoun, Mandeep Rajput, and
Stephen Cronin (all from Yorkshire Bank)
Clydesdale Bank ambassador 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.
Olympian Cram was invited to the opening ceremony by Mandeep
Rajput, Business Development Partner at Clydesdale Bank's Financial
Solutions Centre on The Tything, Worcester, as part of the bank's
commitment to helping develop UK sporting talent.
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