The Metrocentre, in Gateshead, is playing home to retro-themed roller rink for the rest of the summer holidays.
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00:00We're super excited to be given the opportunity. The Metro Centre reached out to us a few months ago
00:03and basically gives us the chance to have a presence here right next to Vision Square.
00:07So again it's just an opportunity for some diversion activities for teenagers but also
00:11some family activities throughout the holidays. It gives somebody an extra reason why not come
00:15to an amazing shopping centre like the Metro Centre when there's now some fun attraction
00:18right outside some of your best shops to keep the kids entertained whilst you go shopping.
00:21Now obviously the proceeds from this do go to Power Through Sport,
00:24just talk us through what Power Through Sport is for people who might not know what it is.
00:27So Power Through Sport, we're a community interest company, a non-for-profit and we
00:31specialise in alternative minority sports. We effectively use those sports in areas of
00:36low-income underserved communities where we know we can have the biggest impact in
00:40rebalancing rising health inequalities. So a lot of what we do, we're improving
00:44physical and mental health, we're offsetting anti-social behaviour and improving educational
00:48outcomes. Often targeting the youth who have often been left behind in a lot of these kind
00:51of left-behind communities and give them a chance to, like I said, rebalance rising health
00:55inequalities across even the North East and hopefully make the North East a happier and
00:59healthier place to live. Now obviously, talk to us about the roller
01:02rink, what can people expect from this roller rink here at the Metro Centre?
01:04Well yeah, many people might remember roller skating from the 90s and everybody used to do it
01:08out on the streets. It's one of those activities now which has almost become very hidden because
01:11nobody plays out on the streets anymore. So what's amazing and incredible, doing it
01:14somewhere so visible and so vibrant like the Metro Centre, it's fun for the whole family,
01:19it's a great new way to develop new skills. A lot of young people have never even seen
01:22roller skates and never mind being on them, so when you have lots of young people falling over
01:26together, they're helping each other up, peer-to-peer sport, families coming together.
01:30Roller skating is a great activity that really brings the whole family together
01:33and because you're having that much fun, you don't realise what a good physical workout you're
01:36getting. You've got to activate your core, it's really good for your strength and for your power,
01:39so it's a really good sport to actually keep yourself fit but whilst you're having fun,
01:42you don't even realise it. Anything else you'd like to add?
01:45No, again, we're here now until the 1st of September. We're open from 11 o'clock in the
01:49morning until 7 o'clock at night here in Exhibition Square. At the same time,
01:53Power Through Sport have got stuff going on all across the North East throughout the holidays,
01:56so it would just be fantastic to meet all the families, welcome everybody down here at the
01:59Metro Centre and hopefully see them at our session throughout the week as well.