£100m being spent on facilities for sport

I WANTED to respond to the letter from former professional racing cyclist Mick Ives (Feb 22) about the city needing more sporting facilities.

He says that sport is more than just football, ice hockey and rugby and that sentiment is certainly something I’d agree with which is why Coventry City Council is currently either providing or supporting sports and physical activity facilities totalling more than £100 million worth of investment.

These include replacing the ageing 50m pool at Fairfax Street with a new, state-of-the-art facility at the Alan Higgs Centre and next year will see the opening of the new waterpark in the city centre.

Subject to planning approval, we are looking to create a new indoor bowling facility, and we are installing more than 40 walking and running routes in local parks and open spaces to inspire more people to become active. In addition to this, the council will seek to establish further initiatives to support physical activity and sport for all in public spaces.

The University of Warwick is planning to open a major sporting facility in 2019 replacing its old sporting facilities with a state-ofthe-art set-up that will include a 25m 12-lane swimming pool; 16 court sports hall; event space with 1,000 seats; fitness facilities; 4G astro turf pitch; a waterbased hockey pitch and a variety of campus-based exercise facilities.

The university is aiming to become the UK’s Most Active Campus – an ambition we want to support. Coventry University has also recently opened its state of the art Health and Life Sciences Building, which provides leading teaching and educational facilities supporting training and research in the industry.

In addition, the Coventry Health and Wellbeing Board is working with Warwickshire Health and Wellbeing Board on developing a Year of Wellbeing, which would scale up the healthy lifestyles approach and improve people’s lifestyles and fitness outcomes.

All of this is on top of the muchloved and established Coventry sporting events such as the Half Marathon, the Children’s Mile and a Sports Week which encourages people to come and try different sports in the city centre. Last year, Coventry was also one of just 14 cities chosen to host an HSBC UK City Ride.

With over £100 million of sports and physical activity facility investment planned within Coventry or underway, the bid to become European City of Sport 2019 could mark the year as a landmark year to remember for sport, physical activity and leisure in the city. Councillor Kamran Caan Cabinet Member Public Health and Sports, Chair Health & Wellbeing Board (Upper Stoke ward)

Tackle root causes to help homeless

LAST month we heard the Tory-run Windsor council wanted to sweep every rough sleeper off its streets in time for the Royal wedding.

Now we hear that Tory-run Bournemouth Borough Council put bars on public benches to stop homeless people sleeping on them.

It’s as though they believe these poor people are choosing this dangerous life and by shuffling them down the road, the people will go away. Unless the root causes are tackled, it won’t.

The government’s figures show there were 4,751 people sleeping rough last autumn, a 15 per cent rise on the previous year, and more than double what it was five years ago.

Don’t they see the connection with austerity policies and changes to benefits? The rise in low paid, insecure jobs and out-of-control, Rachman-like landlords. Don’t they get that some people can hit rock bottom due to life-changing circumstances out of their control?

Or don’t they care? The same people like to brag how this country has never been better off due to turfing out the last Labour goivernment. It doesn’t look like it does, does it? Andy McDonald Tile Hill

Free cancer testing for men at risk

I’D like to acknowledge the generosity of local people and the Coventry Telegraph for supporting our PSA testing events.

We continue to see the benefits of this initiative.

Your support is enabling us to stage our next event which will be held on Saturday, March 17 at the Windmill Sports and Social Club, 145 Mancetter Road, Hartshill, Nuneaton between 10am and 12.30wpm.

We are also delighted that the Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Nuneaton and Bedworth will attend.

We will again be offering free PSA testing for men aged 45 and over. Remember that most early prostate cancers do not have any symptoms. So, we encourage men at risk to have a simple blood test to assess the health of their prostate. For more details, see cnwpcsg.org.uk. Peter Smith Secretary, Coventry & North Warwickshire Prostate Cancer Support Group (cnwpcsg.org.uk)

Brexit debate is about democracy

WHY can’t Mr Jeremy Corbyn and other Remainers understand that Brexit is not NOT about trade, but the recovery of British democracy, which has been our strength since 1783.

It enabled us to save Europe from dictatorship and disaster in three wars and we do not want to be ruled by corrupt bureaucrats and civil servants. P Wilson Nuneaton