Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has opened the new £1m watersports training centre at Stithians Lake in Cornwall.

The facility, which offers annual membership, now boasts year-round training facilities as well as lecture rooms, boat and equipment storage and clubroom and changing facilities as well as a new cycle track.

The development received funding from Sport England, Objective One, The South West of England RDA, South West Water, Cornwall County Council, Kerrier District Council and Falmouth College. It will be managed by South West Lakes Trust, an environmental charity which promotes recreation and education at more than 40 inland waters around the south west of England.

“This scheme is a prime example of how our natural resources in the south west can be used to encourage people to increase physical activity during their leisure time,” said Mark Drew, senior development manager at Sport England.

Stephen Bohane, head of operations in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for the South West RDA added: “It’s great to see the new water sports training centre at Stithians Lake up and running as it means that Cornwall will now have first class facilities dedicated to training qualified instructors, which are such a vital part of South West England’s booming water sports sector.

“Having qualified instructors to teach watersports at venues throughout the region will help the sector to continue to thrive and make a valuable contribution to the local economy.

“The local training centre will also open up new opportunities for those wanting to stay in the county and get the necessary skills to enable them to make a living from the water sports sector.”

The 274-acre lake near Redruth in West Cornwall currently attracts more than 50,000 visitors per year. Details: www.swlakestrust.org.uk