Laurencekirk residents can try out some of the activities on offer at the town’s new £23million school and community campus this weekend.
Mearns Academy Community Campus opened its doors after the summer holidays, and already local residents have been making use of the sports hall, fitness suite and community spaces.
Tomorrow, education secretary Mike Russell and Aberdeenshire Provost Jill Webster will officially open the school, and will unveil a plaque at a private ceremony.
To celebrate, a packed programme of free events has been lined up for the weekend.
There will be arts and crafts, bookbug storytime sessions, console tournaments and the chance to try various sports, such as archery, badminton, football coaching and volleyball.
John Harding, Aberdeenshire Council’s head of lifelong learning and leisure, said: “Mearns Academy Community Campus is home to a host of inspirational facilities accessible to everyone.
“This community celebration weekend gives local residents a wonderful chance to find out more about what Mearns Academy Community Campus has to offer and I hope people come along to see exactly why this is such an exciting building.”
There will also be two heritage exhibitions on display as part of a celebration of the wider Mearns area, featuring artefacts from the authority’s museums service. Howe o’ the Mearns Heritage Society has also put together a display of photographs and archives about the history of the old school building.
The new community campus was built to replace the ageing academy, and has space for 640 pupils.
It also includes a four-court games hall, a gym and fitness suite, a full-size all-weather pitch, a theatre and various community rooms.
Some of the weekend’s sessions require advance booking. For more information call the campus on 01561 378817.