10 | Aycliffe Today Business
Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 11
Golf shop manager
Julie Welch, a PGA
professional, wants
to develop young and
novice golfers.
Finley Structures
employees Mark
Stones (left)
and Andrew
Workman (right)
join footballer
Jason Steele and
his friend Richard
Langthorne for a
round.
GOLF AT THE
COMPLEX -
SOME FACTS AND
SPECIAL OFFERS
• Oakleaf Golf Course measures
5,682 yards in length from first tee
to last pin;
• The Council spends around
£200,000 a year on the day-to-day
running of the course, which funds
three full-time greenkeepers as
well as the golf shop manager and
her team;
SPORTS COMPLEX IS
A REAL ALL-ROUNDER
Sitting on the boundary of Aycliffe Business Park, and within
several acres of beautiful greenery, Oakleaf Sports Complex
offers a top-class all-round venue for business and pleasure.
Its array of sporting opportunities and
longstanding support from the town’s people
means the Complex - which is provided by
Great Aycliffe Town Council - already has
a well established affinity with the local
community.
Indeed, nearly everyone who has lived in
Aycliffe has played one or more sports there
at least once.
But it’s the people who work on the
business park every day - some of whom
may not live on the town - who might be
unaware of the Complex’s hidden qualities.
Aside from its function room which can
accommodate up to 60 guests, and is often
used by a handful of Aycliffe companies for
conferences and meetings, it has a recentlyrefurbished bar and restaurant supported
by a fully-equipped kitchen and three chefs ideal for a staff night out.
Buffets can be made for firms looking to
take a group of staff off-site for meetings or
training sessions, while the sporting options
also provide some off-beat team-building
opportunities which can incorporate a bit of
everything.
Leisure manager Judith Thexton says: “We
can adapt to just about any requirement and
we have lots of space and options to provide
plenty of choices.
“We have regular firms that use us for
training purposes, and we’ve also had teambuilding companies coming in and using
the bowls or golf to break things up a bit,
followed by some food.
“Our function room caters for up to 60
people and boasts some stunning views
across the town, while all our food is freshly
prepared on-site, so those who do use our
facilities usually keep coming back to us.
“All-in-all we have a fantastic facility which
is here for the public and local business to
utilise.
”
Football, squash, badminton, table tennis,
netball and bowls can all be played at the
Complex.
And then there is, of course, the golf
course and driving range...
Previously described as a rich man’s game
in years gone by, playing golf at the Oakleaf
is cheaper than going to watch football
matches, and the golf shop’s forwardthinking manager wants to engage with local
businesses.
Julie Welch is a PGA professional and
has been with the Complex for 18 months,
having previously held similar roles at
Ramside Hall near Durham and Sharpley Golf
Club in Seaham.
“I’m very much into golf development,
”
she says.
“I want to take people from total beginners
right through to full members, and hold their
hand every step of the way.
“It’s a nice, friendly facility here at Aycliffe
and really affordable. People think golf is an
expensive sport, and it really isn’t, especially
for children. Under-14s membership is £25
for the year, and it’s a wonderful summer
hobby for the youngsters to fill up their time
during the school holi ^\