£50,000 boost for "jewel in Spennymoor's crown" (From The Advertiser Series)

£50,000 boost for "jewel in Spennymoor's crown"

11:04am Saturday 26th January 2013 in News By Stuart Laundy, Reporter (Barnard Castle & Teesdale)

A COUNCIL has won Olympic legacy funding to upgrade sports facilities at its town park.

Spennymoor Town Council is celebrating after netting a £50,000 grant to improve the all weather pitch at Jubilee Park.

The improvements will include a new multi-use playing surface, complete with goals, nets and markings and new fencing with specialist rebound panels.

Jubilee Park has helped thousands of local people get into sport since it opened in 1998 and is considered by many residents as the jewel in Spennymoor’s crown.

Coun Bill Waters, chairman of the town council’s services and amenities committee, said: “We are delighted to receive this grant that will go towards the total cost of the £80,000 refurbishment project to improve what has always been a very popular town council facility.”

MP and shadow minister for culture, media and sport Helen Goodman, whose Bishop Auckland constituency includes Spennymoor, welcomed the announcement by Sport England.

She said: “I am delighted local people in Spennymoor will directly benefit from the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics legacy with a new all-weather sports pitch in Jubilee Park.

“I know that Spennymoor Town Council’s successful application is down to a lot of hard work behind the scenes and I am thrilled that this has been rewarded with an enhanced community sporting facility.”

The project is one of 310 across England to receive lottery investment from the third round of the Inspired Facilities fund, which is part of a £150 million Places People Play legacy programme.

Like more than 1,000 sports facilities to benefit so far, the development at Spennymoor will carry the London 2012 Inspire mark to celebrate the link to the Games.

Sport England’s chairman, Richard Lewis, said: “This National Lottery investment is helping us deliver a lasting sporting legacy in Spennymoor from last year’s successful Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“With so many clubs in the North East having benefited from this fund already and building on the success of last summer, this is the legacy people want for their local community.”

There will be two further rounds of the fund, for details visit www.sportengland.org/inspiredfacilities.