14 Sep 2018
'Fully inclusive' £4m sports centre opens at Berkshire school
BY Tom Walker
An inclusive multi-sports centre has opened at the St Andrew’s School in Pangbourne, Berkshire.
Developed in consultation with disability sports charity SportsAble, the £4m facility has been designed to meet disability access regulations and is able to host competition standard wheelchair basketball and boccia.
The centre will be used by a number of local community groups and is open to the general public, as well as serving St Andrew's 300 students during school hours.
Designed by Mancon Project Management and developed by Amiri Construction, facilities at the centre include a large sports hall measuring 36mx18m; a 25m a four-lane swimming pool with hoist and ambulant disabled stairs and wet and dry changing areas.
There is also a group exercise and dance studio, a 9m, four channel climbing wall and viewing galleries overlooking the pool and sports hall.
All areas offer full disability access, with a dedicated toilet and washroom large enough to accommodate a single person in a wheelchair along with a carer located on the ground floor.
“Ensuring full accessibility was core to this development," said Jon Bartlett, headmaster of St Andrew’s School.
"We were very keen not to just tick a box with regards to our legal requirement in this area.
"Our ambition was to create an environment that could truly be enjoyed by all children, whatever their physical ability.
"Sport has so much to offer all children and access should be available to enable them all to get involved. We engaged with SportsAble because the charity is delivering disability sport on a daily basis”
The project was funded by the school and by contributions from the school community and local trusts and organisations.
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