RESIDENTS from across the Stockton district are being encouraged to come and give something different a go at the River Tees Watersports Centre by its new Sports Recruitment Activator,

Linda Rolfe, from Bishop Auckland, appealed for more members of the public to take up rowing, canoeing and even dragon boating racing.

She said: “Not many places in the country have a river as good as ours, so we should take advantage of it. The centre is in just the right spot to get into the water and start having fun. The water is flat enough to be able to accommodate most watersports and is perfect for beginners.”

Linda’s background is deeply rooted in sports, having competed in swimming at a national level. After gaining a first class honours degree in Sports Promotion and Marketing from the University of Huddersfield, where she wrote a dissertation that is now to be published, Linda was keen to return to the North East and put what she had learnt into practice. Her key responsibility will be to increase participation in watersports and she wants to use her passion to help others to become accomplished in a new sport to the best of their ability.

The Sports Recruitment Activator role is joint-funded by Sport England, Stockton Council and the Tees River Users Trust.

For more information on the River Tees Watersports Centre visit rtwc.co.uk, email activator@rtwc.co.uk or call 01642 628940.