Donations Appeal for New Community Sports Hall at Charters School

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Charters School , which was designated a Specialist Sports College in 2002, is  appealing for local businesses and donors to help realise the dream of a new sports hall/indoor tennis centre  - the size of three tennis courts - on the site of the current front tennis courts adjacent to the drop- off zone,  on Charters Road. See model (left).

The pieces of the project's jigsaw - planning permission and finance - were in place, but Government funding was withdrawn, leaving the project dependent on private funding and contributions from awarding bodies.

At a meeting held at Charters on May 19th,  Charters  Deputy Headteacher, Mr. Steve Harvey, described the vision for the new building as a venue for non football sports such as tennis and netball, with seating for showcourts, as well as for giant craft fayres, concerts and car shows.  The school already has fantastic sports facilities, with many sports pitches, 3G astroturf, outdoor tennis courts, cricket nets , a gym, sports hall, squash courts and outdoor table tennis, but there is a strong feeling that the school, and commuity, need a big indoor sports facility.................

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The partners in the project would be RBWM, Charters Leisure Centre, the Lawn Tennis Association, the English Netball Association  and Sport England. The latter have an Iconic Facilities fund, which may provide a large  part of the money. Mr Harvey even hinted that a local celebrity might want to be a donor.  He  said: "For me, tonight is about the school is opening itself for the community. We make no apologies for saying that we are after your money. We can't promise fame but we can promise you would be helping thousands of people to enjoy sport."

Co Headteacher, Mr. Martyn Parker,  outlined the success and growth of the school , which now has 1,619 students, an £8.5 million buget and is a major local employer.   Chair of Governors, Mr Mark Cooper, pointed out that the new building would make possible a whole school assembly, which is way beyond the capacity of the current  main hall. Co- Headteacher, Mr. Richard Pilgrim, aslo stressed: " We take our community work extremely seriously. The school is well placed to be at the heart of this community."

Cllr Lynda Yong encouraged local businesses to get behind the project, saying :This is a way  of getting your organisation deeply rooted in the community which makes good business sense. A great school is a key to attracting good employers. There's a recession on and people can no longer afford private gyms  so Charters is keen to  offer excellent facilities. Let's support the school, spread the word about this plan. The Big Society starts here! "     For more information e-mail Deputy Headteacher This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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