Tresham

Work begins on 3G Astroturf pitch

10 Mar 2010

Work has now begun at Tresham College of Further and Higher Education's Windmill Avenue campus in Kettering to install a brand new 3G Astroturf pitch in preparation for use by the college's learners and the local community in September 2010.

The brand new sports facility has been partially funded by the Football Foundation and the Rugby Football Union in collaboration with Kettering Rugby Club.

The new 3G playing surface will enhance the curriculum provision at Tresham and enable the college to develop additional courses from September 2010 as well as provide the opportunity to expand its higher education provision at the college.

AP Thompson has been awarded the contract to prepare the land and lay the new Astroturf pitch to. A P Thompson are experienced contractors and have been involved in Astroturf pitches for numerous professional football clubs.  The construction work will be managed by Surfacing Standards Limited who are specialist sports pitch consultants.

The new Astroturf pitch will be available for use by local senior and junior football clubs together with Tresham's own use for its sports programmes as well as Kettering Rugby Club training sessions.

Steve Kind, Director of Finance at Tresham said:

"We are very excited about the developments we are able to make at our Kettering campus with funding provided by the Football Foundation and the Rugby Football Union. This brand new Astroturf pitch will be a great asset not only to Tresham's learners but to the local community and local sports teams who will benefit from having a 3G fit for purpose facility to train and play on."

Ross Baxter, Regional Funding and Facilities Manager from the Rugby Football Union said:

"The RFU has identified Tresham's site as strategically significant to its objectives of increasing the number of people playing the game in the 16+ age group. The £80,000 RFU Capital Investment Programme Award will support not only the development of rugby union within the college and surrounding schools but also provide sustainable exit routes for players to the Kettering RFC. The surface is RFU approved and will allow the college and the club to have high quality training sessions as well as matches. The club and Tresham have worked hard to develop rugby development plans to demonstrate how the new facilities will support our growth objectives and we look forward to the continued growth of the club and sport in the town."

Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said:

"I am delighted that the Football Foundation is once again working in partnership with rugby to boost community sports provision. Foundation funding, such as the £300,000 grant that has been awarded to Tresham College, is provided by the Premier League, the FA and Government. This investment is helping to transform the landscape of grass roots facilities right across the country."

For more information about booking sessions for local sports teams during evening and weekend sessions please contact Steve Kind on 0845 658 89 90.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

The Rugby Football Foundation (RFF) is a major funding source for clubs in England that has invested more than £12.5m in the community game over the last six years. The charitable trust established b the Rugby Football Union in 2003 has invested in 915 projects to develop amateur rugby club with 182 projects receiving interest free loans worth over £9m and 733 Ground Match grants worth over £3.5m.

Photograph of construction teams on site will be available. Please contact Olivia Morton, 01536 413151 or omorton@tresham.ac.uk