Major new investment in Sports announced by Cirencester Deer Park School.
We are replacing both of our all weather artificial pitches this summer. Since their installation in 2001, our 'astros' have become an important facility for both the school and the wider community.
In excess of 4,000 individual Deer Park pupils over 16 years have benefited from using the astros during PE lessons and for after school clubs and fixtures. Whether for football, hockey, netball, cricket, tennis, freeball, athletics or fitness, the artificial surfaces are a vital part of our school PE facilities.
During the school hockey season (January to April), other secondary schools in the Cotswold and Stroud district enjoy the use of the larger pitch for their fixtures, and it also plays host to annual district hockey tournaments. A number of local primary schools also use them for training and competitions.
The facility is an important centre for local sport, being home to Cirencester Hockey Club, for both matches and the development of junior players, and it supports the development of youth and adult football in the local community, as well as being used in the holidays by the Sports Club.
The pitches were originally expected to last 10 years and the fact that we have extended their life by a further 6 years is testament to good husbandry. However, they are now showing significant signs of wear, which is having an impact on both their performance and the cost of maintenance. The cost of the multi-use replacement project will be £250,000, which includes the upgrade of the surface from our existing sand-filled to sand-dressed astroturf, plus the repair of fencing and replacing the dug-outs. We shall be upgrading the floodlights at a later date. Deer Park will invest £150,000 of its own funds (raised from Lettings fees over the years) and has already raised £85,000 from local organisations keen to support the redevelopment of this important educational and local sporting facility.
For the first time, Deer Park is looking to local and regional businesses for support, offering a range of sponsorship opportunities, including both naming rights and on-site advertising.
If you are interested in talking about sponsorship, please contact Cath Brace, Assistant Head, on 01285 653447 or email her.
"Our School has a leading role to play within both Cirencester and the surrounding area, now and in the future. We consider it is essential that we provide top class sporting facilities opportunities for our pupils and, where appropriate, the local community." Chiquita Henson, Headteacher
"It is exciting to be able to offer the local community the opportunity to use such a high quality facility. It has been an interesting journey to get to this point and we look forward to the developments over the summer holidays." Cath Brace, Assistant Head
Design: our small astro
Design: our large astro
The work with Verde Recreo to replace the all weather pitches will start in first week of the summer holidays and the old surfaces will be recycled. Look out for a dramatic colour change in September, along with the much improved feel and quality!
This is an exciting time at Cirencester Deer Park School with the new investment in our learning environment over the next 18 months. Miss Brace commented "I am thrilled to be part of such forward-thinking time at Deer Park and I am pleased that PE is the first phase of the school's redevelopment, complementing our exciting new build, which also starts this summer."
