21 Mar 2025
A multi-million pound High-Performance Centre designed for elite athletes to train has officially opened at Oaklands College.
The centre, which reflects an investment of £7.5m and took 11 months to build, features a cutting-edge studio, a fully equipped gym with advanced fitness technology, and upgraded changing rooms designed to meet the highest standards of performance. It is situated on the St Albans college campus, spanning an area of 1200 sq. metres, and will primarily benefit football and rugby academy students.
Oaklands is known for providing young people with a wide range of vocational and academic courses but also for being a hotbed of sporting talent, and has helped produce some of GB’s exceptional athletes through its Wolves Athletics Academy, which provides coaching for high-level athletes and also those who are aspiring towards success.
Well-known Oaklands Wolves alumni include Ladies Arsenal and England football player Alex Scott and Saracens Rugby player Jackson Wray.
St Albans MP Daisy Cooper and High Sheriff Annie Brewster attended a ceremonial ribbon-cutting yesterday to mark the opening, alongside college principal and CEO Andrew Slade, and Peter Thompson, chair of the Oaklands Corporation.
Chris Murray, Commonwealth Gold medallist 2022 and Jackson Wray from Saracens Rugby (Oaklands alumni) spoke to guests, including VIPs such as St Albans Mayor Cllr Jamie Day, about the importance of teamwork and high-quality facilities in sports performance.
Jackson said Oaklands was “always a college with ambitions in sport” but when he was a student the facilities did not compare to the High-Performance Centre which includes a state-of-the-art gym, which he declared “better than many professional team gyms!”
Shanice Beckford-Norton, captain of the victorious Wolves Super League Basketball Women’s team which beat the Sheffield Hatters in the SLBW cup final earlier this month, was also in attendance and spoke in glowing terms about her experience at Oaklands and the warm welcome she has received.
Notable Wolves alumni present included: Jeriel Quainoo – 2021 European 100m semi-finalist, 2022 World Junior finalist, 2024 British number 2, European Championship Senior 200m semi-finalist; Mia McIntosh – British track and field athlete who competes in sprints and hurdles. She won the 100 metres hurdles during the 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships; and Seth Wylie – Men’s BUCS National Champions, Loughborough Basketball, Leicester Riders Basketball.
Principal Andrew Slade said Oaklands College was proud of its huge success producing athletes and sports professionals of a world-beating standard and that the new centre would build on this capability.
“This beautiful building has been a journey of collaboration,” he said, noting the excellence of the work of R.G.Carter, whose design vision has now been realised.
“We are very ambitious when it comes to our students,” he explained, “but sport at Oaklands isn’t just about competition and is more than being elite. It’s about dedication, resilience and personal growth. It is for all levels and all ages and does so much for our mental health too. Our new High-Performance Centre will be a hub where students can develop, not only as athletes but as individuals ready to take on any challenge.”
Claire Dolan, deputy principal (strategy, partnerships and business development) added : “Members of our Wolves Academy travel to the college to study here from across the country as we are renowned for our excellence in sports coaching, and it is important that our facilities reflect this level of excellence and commitment to the athletes of the future.
“We are passionate about running sports academies at the highest level which give young people the chance to study while participating in elite athletics and sports development programmes. To repeat our Wolves mantra: together we empower excellence.”
