William Birch begins work on long awaited Malton sports facility

William Birch & Sons has just begun site work at Malton School, on the new £2.4 million Malton Community Sports Centre. Initially, the scheme has entailed highway enabling works, with actual building work commencing mid-April 2010.

The new building, which is a design and build contract, will provide a ‘county standard’ sports hall as well as multi-use games area for community use, in addition to enhanced facilities for the existing 722-pupil school. It has been part-funded by Ryedale District Council, the Football Foundation, Malton School, North Yorkshire County Council and the Derwent Sports Association.

The 1300 sq metre centre is a steel framed and clad structure that will provide 594 sq metres of useable sports hall space, incorporating a four-court badminton hall, a basketball court and a climbing wall. Adjacent to the sports hall will be a state-of-the-art 3G synthetic turf pitch.

Malton School head teacher Rob Williams said Malton residents had been trying to obtain a sports centre for the benefit of the local area for around 30 years, and he inherited the challenge on becoming head teacher at Malton School in September 2006: “The community desperately needed a new sports centre, and it made sense for it to be built on a school site, so that people of all ages could benefit from it. It’s been a long time coming, but at last we’re seeing the foundations going up. We’re looking forward to the full engagement of the local community through sports clubs and individual memberships.”

Feeder primary schools in the area will also have regular, timetabled access to the new facility and to the coaching experts that will be based on site, through the Government’s commitment to deliver two hours of quality physical education per week.

John Taylor is chairman of the Derwent Sports Association (DSA), and has been involved with the long campaign to bring better sports facilities to Malton. The DSA raised £50,000 towards the overall funding. On 31 March John was invited to cut the first sod at the school – a milestone for the community, and a real achievement for the DSA.

For main contractor William Birch & Sons Ltd, construction director Paul Goyea commented: “It is particularly satisfying for us as a local construction company to know that our new building will benefit not only Malton School, but the whole community too. We take great pride in being involved in this worthwhile project.”

The new facility is due to open in early Spring 2011.

Founded in 1874 and still family-owned, William Birch & Sons Ltd is based on the east side of York and employs around 100 people, with a turnover in the region of £23 million. Back in 1958, it was William Birch & Sons Ltd who built the original Malton School with its multi-use school hall, which Rob Williams said remained in excellent condition with great acoustics, recently successfully hosting a Welsh male voice choir.

ENDS

PHOTO-CAPTION: John Taylor cuts the first sod for the new community sports centre, watched by pupils from Malton School

For further media information and photographs please contact Bridget Summers or Jay Commins, Footprint, PO Box 4, Thorpe Park, Leeds LS15 8WX. Tel: 0113 251 5697. Fax: 0113 251 5351. E-mail: bridget@fim.org.uk