HMS Calliope, the North East Royal Naval Reserve Training Centre prominently located on the Gateshead Quayside, recently played a key role in supporting the Great North City Games.
The Great North City Games, which was held on Saturday 10th September, is a key fixture in North East England’s sporting calendar and received prime-time coverage on National Television.
The event is held on the banks of the River Tyne, with crowds of over 25,000 converging on the quayside to watch world class athletes complete within touching distance.
Given its convenient location, HMS Calliope is well-placed to play a key role in supporting the event.
The unit, which recently underwent a £3 Million upgrade, was used as a Media Centre, housed teams from Northumbria Police, was used as a base for the world-class athletes to warm up and was also used as an “Events Control” centre.
In addition, HMS Calliope’s Outreach Team made full use of the event to run a Recruiting Stand to introduce the public to the opportunities available in the Maritime Reserves.
HMS Calliope’s Public Relations Officer, Lt Paul Ladislaus, said: “Our visitors from the local media were very complimentary about the unit and its unique location.
“The event also provides valuable “live” training and experience in the setting up and running of a Media Facility which will be valuable when supporting live Military Operations.”
The Outreach Team also made the most of the event, with the chance to meet and interact with members of the public.
The Outreach Team Leader on the day, LS Dipty Patel, said: “The team really enjoyed themselves – it’s always great to meet the public.
“People often don’t realise they have a Royal Naval Unit right on their doorstep and we enjoy explaining what we do and letting them know about potential career opportunities with us.”
Lt Cdr David King, HMS Calliope’s Royal Navy Staff Officer, said: “Given the significant investment made in HMS Calliope and our requirement to grow and develop our unit to meet the requirements of Future Reserve 2020, it’s important that we make full use of our facilities.
Events like this are therefore important to us – we are able to support the local community and also showcase our facilities.”
