SUNDERLAND College is about to welcome more than 700 students to its new, improved Bede Campus.

Following the final stages of its £22m fit-out, the college will welcome A-Level and vocational students to its new state-of-the-art Visual and Performing Art and Sport centres, which have been in development since spring 2013.

The sports building spans some 30,000 sq.ft and includes a multi-use sports hall, sports science performance lab, sports massage treatment areas, exercise studio and fully equipped gym and will be home to over 500 students currently enrolled to study a range of sport-related courses ranging from A-level Physical Education and Fitness Instruction to BTECs, HNDs and Foundation Degrees. The building will also accommodate the college’s development centres for elite men and women footballers, rugby players, swimmers and coaches.

As well as offering a broad curriculum, the sports building will be home to new basketball, trampolining, gymnastics, volleyball and futsal clubs catering for a range age groups from young children to adults.

From September, all Sunderland College students will be entitled to use the brand new £100,000 fitness suite.

Students studying dance, music and photography will be among the many visual and performing arts students who will benefit from the college’s outstanding teaching and amenities at the 50,000 sq.ft Arts Academy, which includes a theatre; film screening room; media/T.V, drama, dance, art and fashion and clothing studios; two industry standard recording studios; a music technology suite; photography studio; dark room and film processing facilities.