New Barrow athletics track to train stars of the future
Last updated at 17:01, Friday, 25 January 2013
A NEW athletics track is to be built thanks to the legacy of the 2012 London Olympics.
- Related article: Barrow athletics cash ‘fantastic news’ for community
It was revealed today that £2.3m from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Olympic and Paralympic Legacy Fund is to be pumped into 46 sports groups across the north west.
Furness Academy, in Park Drive, Barrow, has been awarded £150,000 towards the development of an athletics track for the use of the community.
The academy is one of 10 organisations in Cumbria to benefit from the windfall raised by Sport England through National Lottery funding.
Overall, the 10 Cumbria organisations have been allocated a total of £590,662.
The only full-size athletics track in Furness is based at Park Vale, on Walney, but the facilities fell into disrepair some time ago.
The track is still used for training purposes but is not fit to host competitions.
The closest tracks to Barrow are at the Copeland Stadium in Whitehaven (45 miles away), Salt Ayre Sports Centre in Lancaster (50 miles) and Blackpool (80 miles).
Young athletes from Barrow have had to make 160-mile round trips to Blackpool to compete in the Barrow Schools Athletics Championships.
The number of facilities supported by Inspired Facilities now totals more than 1,000, which is one year ahead of schedule, with 25 in Cumbria.
Richard Lewis, Sport England chairman, said: “This National Lottery investment is helping us deliver a lasting sporting legacy in the area from last year’s successful Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“With so many clubs in Cumbria having benefited from this fund already and building on the success of last summer, this is the legacy people want for their local community.”
Bruce Lawson, Active Cumbria senior manager, said: “This latest funding announcement is fantastic news for sport in Cumbria.
“The grant awards for these 10 organisations are supporting facility project developments valued at over £1.8m.
“What’s even more encouraging is to see the overall investment from this and previous Inspired Facilities awards.”
Last week Sport England launched a new £40m fund to help local sports projects as part of £493m committed to 46 sports over the next four years.
- Barrow Island Rugby League Club, based at Ostley Bank, has also benefited from a slice of the funding. Click here to read the full story
First published at 16:45, Thursday, 24 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
Have your say
So is the running track to be a full size one and not the substandard smaller track that was planned? The article doesn't say.
Posted by tom on 24 January 2013 at 17:22