WORKING in the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next month, has meant ‘keeping it in the family’ for one Enniskillen woman.

Three generations of Linda Morrison’s family have worked in the popular lakeside sports venue since it opened on May 19, 1976 – and now a fourth generation is using the facilities today!

Linda herself started working at the Forum as a recreational attendant when it first opened its doors to the public almost 40 years ago and remains a key part of the team there.

Her mother, Doreen Morrison, subsequently got a job at the leisure complex not long after it opened and was also employed as a recreational attendant for several years, before taking up a new job as a swimming teacher in Dungannon.

More recently, Linda’s son and daughter, Nathan and Jade Judge, have both worked at the Forum as well. While Nathan has since moved to New Zealand, Jade is still employed at the venue on a casual basis.

Meanwhile, Linda’s seven-year-old grandniece, Lilly-Ella, a pupil at Enniskillen Model Primary School, is currently learning to swim in the Forum pool once a week – and is already showing an interest in working there.

Speaking to the Impartial Reporter this week, Linda revealed: “Lilly-Ella always pops her head into the office and tells me she’ll be Linda!”

Recalling how she got the job at the new, state-of-the-art leisure centre four decades ago, the Enniskillen woman said she was 17 at the time and studying on a secretarial course at Fermanagh College, having previously attended the Collegiate Grammar School.

“Taking the secretarial course made me realise that wasn’t for me. I was quite sporty and the Forum was a lovely new leisure centre with a swimming pool, so I thought it would be good,” she said.

Looking back on her first week in what was her first job, Linda said: “I was at school on the Monday, and then received the letter on the next morning telling me to be at the Forum for 9am that day!

“I started on the same day as getting the letter, which seems a bit strange now but in those days that’s the way it was.”

The Fermanagh Lakeland Forum was officially opened by Irish rugby legend, Willie John McBride, on May 19, 1976. There was a civic reception at a local hotel afterwards with nearly 300 invited guests.

But Linda admitted that she remembers very little about the opening as the swimming pool was so busy!

“I was already in post, manning the pool and doing lifeguard duties. You wouldn’t have seen the bottom of the pool for all the people. It was a fantastic facility at the time and it still is,” she said.

It was within the first year of the opening that her mum joined the staff at the Forum – but Linda claims that she didn’t help her get the job.

She joked: “At 17 or 18, I probably didn’t want my mum working in the same place!”

The pair have always had a close relationship and made good use of their time together, with Doreen taking her daughter for driving lessons during their half-hour breaks.

In her 40 years at the Forum, Linda has worked under four different managers, Brendan Burns, Brian Marshall, Iain Kennedy and present incumbent Emma McManus. She has had a variety of roles, including as a swimming teacher, coaching sports such as trampolining and badminton, and coordinating keep fit classes.

She recalled: “In the 1980s, Jane Fonda was all the go! The classes were based on that and were very well supported.”

Around the time that Iain Kennedy was appointed as manager in the late 1980s, Linda became a supervisor with responsibility for the swimming pool and staff training.

For 16 years, she also organised badminton tournaments that attracted a lot of entries until the sport went “out of fashion”.

In recent years, Linda has been fortunate enough to work with both her son and daughter at the Forum.

Nathan worked there on a casual basis from when he was in his last year at school. However, he has since left Northern Ireland and now lives in New Zealand.

His sister, Jade (23), lives locally and is currently also a classroom assistant at Erne Integrated College. Having started at the Forum at the age of 17, like her mother, she still helps out at the reception, teaches swimming on a one-to-one basis, works in the gym and takes a fitness class called “Bums and Tums”.

Talking about how her relationship with her daughter has developed as they have worked together, Linda said: “As the years go on it’s getter closer.”

And the link between the Lakeland Forum and the Morrison family is continuing on into another generation at least.

Lilly-Ella Morrison, who is a granddaughter of Linda’s brother Glen, comes to the Enniskillen venue once a week for swimming lessons. She has been brought to the Forum by her father Carl since she was a toddler.

Linda said that her grandniece really enjoyed swimming and gymnastics – and also has her eye on her job in the future!

Having nearly completed four decades at the Forum, Linda is in no rush to call it a day.

She said: “I would says it’s a lovely place to work. People come in to enjoy themselves. It’s a great environment with a wide and varied programme.

“We cater for the very young, the ‘ducklings’, to the senior citizens. You get to know the regulars and you meet a lot of people out and about – it’s hard to remember everyone’s names!

“I’ve made some good friends and, generally speaking, I’m very happy in it. I really enjoyed working with Iain Kennedy and now Emma’s got some great ideas. You just have to embrace it,” she added.

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the Lakeland Forum is hosting a special celebration event on Thursday, May 19 this year. Between 4pm and 6pm, there will be a DJ playing music, along with face painting and spot prizes. Light refreshments will be available.

Throughout the week of the anniversary, the Forum will also be holding a swimming gala, netball competition and a five-a-side bubble football tournament.