Friends of Southampton Sports Centre

The Friends of Southampton Sports Centre - community action to protect , improve and promote
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April 2018 Improvement Plan Update

Following on from Council Cabinet accepting the report on the 2015 Public Consultations on the draft Sports Centre Improvement Plan in April 2016, council officers have been working behind the scenes to progress the project. Council issued a tender for a detailed “options appraisal” which came forward with recommendations for the next stage of improving the facility based on the results of all the consultation work. The tender was awarded to “Places for People” who work with 35 local authorities and directly manage 118 facilities. Sport England and other sport-specific governing bodies are also involved in providing advice and guidance. The aim will be to have some conclusions to this work early in 2017, which then allow more detailed planning, budgeting and design to proceed. We hope for information to be made public in Spring / Summer 2018.

Work Parties

Starting in 2016, we held regular monthly litter picks, which made a big improvement to the general tidiness. We also turned out nearly every weekend on Saturday evening or Sunday morning to empty any bins that were full and to pick litter as we went. The bins only got emptied by Council waste team twice a week and on a busy summer weekend many of them are already full by Saturday evening, resulting in piles of litter that get blown around or distributed by the wildlife. From 2018 on, the waste team are being withdrawn, making even more work for the grounds team.

These efforts removed a staggering amount of rubbish.

2016 - litter picking = 46 bags, bin emptying = 258 bags

2017 - litter picking = 109 bags, bin emptying = 58 bags

A huge thanks to the regular volunteers who turn out to give us a hand and to the Grounds team for the endless supply of bags. As well as being a valuable contribution to the site, it is also good exercise (think of the step count!) and a social occasion (we retire to The View afterwards). Why not give it a try in 2018? Timings are always advertised on our facebook page but are usually the first Saturday of the month, from 2:00 - 4:00 pm, meeting outside Block 1. All PPE, litter pickers, bags, hoops etc. provided.

We also started work to redecorate block 2 toilets. We managed to get the walls of the gents cleaned, filled and painted, and the floor deep cleaned before the weather turned too cold and damp We hope to complete the gents including re-tiling, gloss work and new door furniture, loo roll holders etc. in 2018 and maybe start on the Ladies, but we need volunteers to help or it simply won’t get done!!!

We also have continued working on Fairway 2, all 4 ponds are now colonised by amphibian and much more. We continue to plantihedges, create habitats and the such like.

There is a huge amount that volunteers can do and dates for 2018 work parties will be advertised on our facebook page.

Come along, meet new friends and help protect, maintain and enhance your Sports Centre.

Many hands make light work