School pitches in with sports facility
A MICKLEOVER school has unveiled plans for a £500,000 sports facility which will also be available to the community.
Work is about to start on the first phase of the project at Murray Park Community School which will create two purpose-built outdoor basketball courts, with a long-jump pit annexe.
Phase two will see the creation of seven tennis courts and four netball courts which will replace the current outdated courts at the rear of the school.
And eventually the school, which is in Murray Road, also hopes to create a multi-use games area, with three five-aside Astroturf football courts.
Phase one of the project should be finished by the end of April, with the rest of the facilities due for completion by the start of the next school year in September.
Assistant head teacher and head of PE, Phil Gregory, said: “During lockdown we all realised just how important physical activity and sport can be, so this investment is our way of meeting the needs of our students and the local community.
“Children have missed out on grassroots sports and extra-curricular clubs for almost a year and so we are really excited about the opportunities these new facilities will allow.
“Of course, being outside is much more Covid-safe than being inside, so the new facilities are being developed at the perfect time. We are very lucky to have quite a lot of land on our site and the new courts will either replace existing ones or be positioned on wasteland which is currently out of use.
“We hope this new provision will be useful to the community too – all these facilities will be available to the people of Mickleover and Mackworth out of school hours.”
The facilities are mainly being funded by the school, which is seeing increasing numbers of pupils every year, with an additional £30,000 from Derby City Council. Eventually the school hopes to be able to provide an on-site gym and fitness centre, so that students gain access to a wider range of activities. Head teacher Nicola Caley said: “We are confident that this new provision will be a tremendous asset for the school and the local community. It is well proven that pupils who play sport are better able to concentrate and maintain focus, which has a positive impact on their academic life.
“Sport also improves teamwork and leadership skills, as well as relieving stress and anxiety, so these facilities will benefit the children at Murray Park across the curriculum. “Mickleover is a growing community and there are very few sports facilities, so we very much hope this provision will be popular with local residents too.”