The Hermitage Academy in Chester-le-Street has secured Olympic legacy funding from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities fund.
The Academy will receive £150,000 to support the conversion of an old all-weather pitch to a new synthetic pitch suitable for a range of outdoor sports.
The Academy is hoping to jointly fund part of the project with English Hockey Foundation with the promotion of school sport and first class community facilities at its heart.
Sport England’s Chair, Richard Lewis, said: “This National Lottery investment is helping us deliver a lasting sporting legacy in Durham from last year’s successful Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“With so many clubs in the North East having benefitted from this fund already and building on the success of last summer, this is the legacy people want for their local community.”
Academy Principal Jim Murray said: “We are delighted to have secured this investment, which means we can upgrade the quality of our sports facilities to match the quality of our teaching in this fantastic department. It is the cornerstone of our strategy to have outstanding facilities to match the optimism and ambition created from the 2012 Olympics’ legacy.”
Kevan Jones added “I am very pleased to hear that the Hermitage Academy has been awarded Inspired Facilities funding. I know that the Hermitage already offers great sporting opportunities to its students and the local community, and I am sure the new pitch will be a fantastic addition. It is great to see a school, and young people, in my constituency benefitting from the Olympic Legacy.”
The Hermitage Academy is one of 310 projects across England to receiving lottery investment from the third round of the Inspired Facilities fund and one of over 1,000 to benefit overall, with the milestone being achieved one year ahead of schedule.
Many more communities can still benefit from the fund, with a further two rounds remaining. Bids will be accepted for the fourth round of Inspired Facilities Funding from the 4 March 2013. You can find out more at www.sportengland.org/inspiredfacilities.