Tuesday 23 September 2008

Court watch: Surrey Centre for Sport

Artist's impression of the new Surey Centre for SportSTOP PRESS: NEW SQUASH COURTS TO BE BUILT

So just as I was lamenting the possibility that British squash players in 2015 would be reduced to playing in broom cupboards, I chanced upon the proposed Surrey Centre for Sport: 8 squash courts with show courts for 180+ spectators ...

After hearing that there are at least 20 new courts being built just in Cairo, it occurred to me that facilities in Britain seem to be disappearing at an inversely proportional rate.

What with the Sobel and Finsbury Leisure Centres in London under threat, Flint Pavilion in north Wales set to close and clubs in Leicester, Morley, Harrow and the famous Lambs Club all gone or in the process of losing courts, a click on the Provision link at the top of this page does not make for optimistic reading.

The Centre, which will cost £33 million and is due for completion at the end of 2009, has a vision:

"... to build a world-class sports centre at the University of Surrey in Guildford. A centre that provides opportunities for all students, graduates, staff and the local community to access outstanding sporting facilities. A centre where talent is nurtured and where a new generation of athletes can realise its potential."

It is not yet clear how the total cost of the project will be met (especially given what appears to be an ambitious opening date), though a series of events are taking place in order to contribute to funding.

Readers feeling generous can make a donation to the building fund here.

Surrey Centre for Sport

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