Lee Valley Ice Centre in Leyton opens to the public this Saturday

Olympic gold medallist and former Dancing on Ice judge Robin Cousins launched the £30m Lee Valley Ice Centre this week to an exclusive group of skaters, school children and other stakeholders.

The elegant world class centre, which will open to the general public on Saturday 17th June, is one of only three in the country, and the first in the Southeast, to have two Olympic-sized rinks which means that it can remain open to the public while providing professional athletes, synchronized skating teams and ice hockey clubs with a much-needed place to train. It also has a gym, dance studios, community spaces and café, and will be a new community hub for East London alongside the award-winning open spaces in Lee Valley Regional Park.

A welcome addition to sport and leisure facilities in the region it is expected to boost the local economy by as much as £1.5 million annually and attract half a million visitors a year, double that of the old Lee Valley Ice Centre which, after 37 years, could not cope with demand. It will provide future Olympic stars with a much-needed place to train, as some currently travel up to four hours for on-the-ice coaching sessions.

The centre will attract customers from a range of communities from across the region giving them the chance to use elite level facilities and enjoy public skating sessions where anyone can come and try skating.

British Ice Skating – the sport’s National Governing Body – is launching its new Skate UK course at Lee Valley Ice Centre. Designed for all ages, and delivered by British Ice Skating qualified coaches, Skate UK will teach everything from basic ice skating skills, speed skating, ice dancing and synchro and is expected to further extend the reach and appeal of ice skating which has been experiencing a resurgence in recent years thanks to popular shows like Dancing on Ice.

Olympic Gold Medallist and President of British Ice Skating, Robin Cousins said: “I skated at the opening gala of the old Lee Valley Ice Centre in 1984. It’s fantastic to see that journey continue with this stunning new state of the art space – the perfect place to launch Skate UK, our new national learn to skate programme. Having these two Olympic size rinks in London is a game changer and I’m sure they will attract thousands of people of all ages and abilities, from World level competitors, community groups and families, to the first timers, who will experience the joy of ice skating and all it has to offer.”

Shaun Dawson, Chief Executive of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, said: “The stunning new Lee Valley Ice Centre replaces our much loved old venue which had, for 37 years, provided a wonderful place for people of all ages, especially young people, to meet, socialise and stay active. At a time when many sport and leisure facilities across the country are at risk of closure, I’m so proud that we have gone beyond simply protecting the old centre, to have instead more than doubled the capacity and created a truly inspirational venue that is at the cutting edge of leisure with world class facilities that will support physical and mental wellbeing for generations to come.”

Grace Williams, Leader of Waltham Forest Council, said: “We’re very excited about the opening of the new Lee Valley Ice Centre on Lea Bridge Road. It is going to be absolutely fantastic having such a world class venue in our borough and, as well as having these incredible facilities on our doorstep, I’m really pleased that Lee Valley Ice Centre will also play a key role in supporting the community. The venue is going to become a focal point for so many people, with the council helping fund a range of community-based programmes working with young people and a whole host of different local groups.”

Lee Valley Ice Centre will be the most sustainable ice venue in the UK, combining innovative architectural features and £1.5 million-worth of landscaping, planting and environmental improvements. It uses solar panels, wastewater recycling and has fully electric operations. It is constructed using gabion baskets, which have built in nesting and bat boxes and is surrounded by meadows and new trees to attract and support wildlife and local biodiversity.

It is the culmination of a £30 million investment by venue owner Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, with support from the London Borough of Waltham Forest, to create a world leading ice venue on the site of the old Lee Valley Ice Centre on Lea Bridge Road, Leyton.

A range of programmes including a Targeted Crime Prevention Programme, Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme, Biodiversity Awareness Education Programme and an Employment and Apprenticeship Scheme, will run for 10 years with the support of £1m funding from the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

In addition, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority will deliver a £250,000 Community Engagement Programme over the next 10 years too. The fund will support access to the venue for community groups and schools across Waltham Forest and Hackney and will give 68,000 people the opportunity to participate different activities and take part in biodiversity learning programmes at the new venue free of charge.

It will be open seven days a week from 06:00 – 22:00 and operated by GLL.

Skating for an adult is £10 and for under 18s is £8. Skate hire is £3. Bookings, and full information, including gym and exercise classes is at: www.better.org.uk/ice-centre

More information on British Ice Skating’s Learn to Skate programme is at: www.iceskating.org.uk/learn-to-skate.