It is one of only 10 projects in the country chosen from hundreds of entries to face a public vote to find the best sports project in The National Lottery Awards. The eventual winner will receive their award be featured on the primetime BBC TV show.

The National Lottery Awards are an annual search held annually to find the UK's favourite Lottery-funded projects.

Now in their fifth year, the Awards aim to recognise the incredible difference that Lottery-funded projects - both large and small - have made to people, places and communities across the UK.

And, as the only sports project in the region to have been shortlisted for the title of Best Sports Project, the Sunderland Aquatic Centre is flying the flag for the region when the public voting begins this Monday, June 16.

Said Sunderland City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Cllr Mel Speding: "Being shortlisted as one of the best sports projects in the UK so soon after its opening is a huge coup not only for the Sunderland Aquatic Centre but for Sunderland and the North East.

"Every vote counts and we very much hope that people will help us to get as many votes as we can to give Sunderland and the region the recognition it deserves.

"We have one of the finest, most environmentally friendly 50 metre pools in the country and It’s time to shout about it."

Voting begins at 9 am on Monday June 16 and is open until midday Friday July 4.

Voting couldn't be simpler, online via the link below or via the dedicated phone number on 0845 386 3213.

If the Sunderland Aquatic Centre is one of the three projects with the most votes successful in gaining the most votes nationally, it will go through to a further round of public voting later in July, with the winner announced in a special awards show on primetime TV in August.

Since opening in April the Sunderland Aquatic Centre has attracted more than 1,000 people a day through its doors.

Developed by Sunderland City Council with the help of Lottery funding, on land next to the Stadium of Light, the Sunderland Aquatic Centre has already been earmarked as a potential training camp for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics It is the first 50 metre pool in the North East and the only one between Leeds and Edinburgh.

The Sunderland Aquatic Centre houses a competition-sized swimming pool, a 25m diving pool and a two storey, state-of-the-art Wellness Centre.

It is also the most environmentally friendly pool in the country – filtering and recycling every single drop of water which falls on its roof for re-use in the pool.

With a 10-lane 50-metre main pool, a 25-metre diving pool and seating for 500 spectators the Sunderland Aquatic Centre has the ability to cater for high profile national and regional swimming competitions.

In addition its moveable floors, which can vary the water depth from anywhere between 0 to 2 metres in the main pool and 0 to 4 metres in the diving pool, make it as suitable for toddlers learning to swim as talented swimmers.

And the clever design of the building is such that the 50 metre main pool also has a moveable boom, which allows the pool to be divided up to cater for everything from aqua-fit and family fun with inflatables to budding Olympians - all at the same time.

Sunderland Aquatic Centre has been funded by Sunderland City Council, Sport England, European Regional Development Fund, One NorthEast, TyneWear Partnership, Sunderland arc and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

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last updated 17/06/08