Hannam’s Wake Hub has been given a new lease of life ahead of the upcoming watersports season.

Ely Standard: The hub offers wakeboarding, wakeskating, open water swimming and paddleboarding.The hub offers wakeboarding, wakeskating, open water swimming and paddleboarding. (Image: Archant)

The upgraded watersports centre on Cambridge Road, Stretham, was officially opened by newly elected mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, James Palmer, last weekend.

The centre has benefitted from a grant of over £85,000 from Cambridgeshire Fens Leader programme and Acre - which works alongside local communities and businesses to target rural issues - allowing it to invest in a system so it can handle more than five times the amount of customers at once.

Jess Hannam, who runs the centre, said: “The new ‘full cable’ facility allows us to deal with up to 50 people per hour, where previously we could only take eight, so it will make a huge difference to the number we can get out on the water in a day.”

Brothers Ben and Terry Hannam, along with Ben’s wife, Jess, kick-started the business in 2012, offering wakeboard coaching to beginners and advanced riders.

Ely Standard: Hannam's Wake Hub has benefitted from a grant of £85,000 from Cambridgeshire Fens Leader programme and Acre.Hannam's Wake Hub has benefitted from a grant of £85,000 from Cambridgeshire Fens Leader programme and Acre. (Image: Archant)

“With the business going from strength to strength, we could no longer meet the demand of the number of people wanting to use the facility,” Jess added.

“The funding we received has made it possible to upgrade the equipment to enable us to cope with the demand and hopefully attract new people to the sport as well.

“It’s a great activity that all the family we can get involved with – we often have families all out on the water riding together including grandparents and their children!

“We all come from a background in watersports and have worked in various facilities around the country and abroad so we have a great insight into what our customers want.

Ely Standard: Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, James Palmer, at the recent reopening of Hannam's Wake Hub in Stretham.Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, James Palmer, at the recent reopening of Hannam's Wake Hub in Stretham. (Image: Archant)

“We try to make sure we achieve that at every level – whether it’s the coaching or if it’s just a friendly face on arrival.”

As well as wakeboarding, Hannam’s also offers wakeskating – in which riders are not bound to their boards – stand-up paddleboarding, open water swimming and inflatable rides.

Sessions begin at £20. For more information, visit www.hannamswakehub.com or call 01353 649683.

Ely Standard: Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, James Palmer, was on hand to re-open Hannam's Wake Hub in Stretham last weekend.Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, James Palmer, was on hand to re-open Hannam's Wake Hub in Stretham last weekend. (Image: Archant)