Sports hall celebration! (From Barry And District News)

Sports hall celebration!

AN overgrown patch of grass behind a Barry school is soon to become the training ground for potential athletes and sporting heroes of the future - thanks to a grant worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Work on a £750,000 sports hall at the rear of Cadoxton Primary School is due to start in January next year and finish in September.

The facility, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, will provide great sporting opportunities to pupils at the school and people in the community.

School head Chris Myers said: "The area of land where the sports hall is to be built may not look very much now - but the facility is going to be the size of three badminton courts.

"The school has worked for four years to get funding for the project - we"re in desperate need of new facilities.

"At the moment we have problems delivering the PE curriculum to pupils because of the sloping yard and the lack of a grassy area.

"Now we will be able to improve standards and deliver lots of extra curricular activities, not just to the school but to a large cross section of the community."

The sports hall will accommodate activities including football, gymnastics, cricket, dance, table tennis, basketball and badminton.

It will be available to Cadoxton pupils and youngsters from other schools in the locality during term time, and other organised community groups during evenings, weekends and school holidays.

The project was formally given the go ahead by the Vale of Glamorgan council.

Cabinet member for education and lifelong learning Cllr Tony Hampton said: "This facility will make a major difference to the pupils, and will also be an opportunity for the school to create stronger links between themselves and the local community.

"This marvellous development involves a substantial investment in Cadoxton"s sporting facilities."