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Projects in Essex will benefit from investment from the National Lottery to refurbish or rebuild sports facilities as part of the sporting legacy from the London 2012 Games.

On 17 July 2012 Sport England announced the latest projects which have been successful in their bids to the second round of their Inspired Facilities Fund. This is the second round of Sport England’s Inspired Facilities fund. The Inspired Facilities fund is part of the £135 million Places People Play legacy programme that is bringing the magic of a home London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games into communities across the country. Every sports facility that receives funding will carry the London 2012 Inspire mark – celebrating the link to the Games.  11 projects in Essex will benefit from £500k of investment.

These are:

Great Wakering Sports Centre

Great new sporting opportunities are to be created in Great Wakering, Essex, thanks to a National Lottery award to Great Wakering Primary School. In September 2011, Great Wakering Sports Centre closed leaving the community with no access to sports facilities. An award of £72,000 will fund improvements to the school’s sports hall, including a sprung floor. A climbing wall will be added; outside existing hard areas will be converted to provide two floodlit ball courts and the sports pavilion will be refurbished with new changing room and showers.

Old Southendian Hockey Club

Women hockey players at the Old Southendian Hockey Club in Southend-on-Sea in Essex, can wave goodbye to 30-year-old changing facilities after securing £45,000 of National Lottery funding. This major refurbishment will see the creation of six self-contained changing areas for the new and flourishing ladies hockey section. With these new facilities and a new artificial turf pitch at the site, a major recruitment drive will be launched to make the most of the inspiration of the Olympics and halt a long-term decline in hockey participation in the South East Essex area.

Basildon Rugby Football Club

Basildon Rugby Football Club, in Essex, has secured £36,200 of National Lottery funding to replace the clubhouse roof. Players at the club will be happy to wave goodbye to the existing leaky roof which doesn’t have insulation, has asbestos and is decaying.

Frinton Lawn Tennis Club

Frinton Lawn Tennis Club based in Frinton, Essex, will be home to four new floodlit tennis courts after the club secured £50,000 of National Lottery funding. The four all-weather courts, plus suitable fencing and screening, mean local players will be able to wave goodbye to the current concrete courts which are badly cracked and have suffered heavy damage. Improvements will not only benefit existing members but will also help to attract new players.

Matching Green Cricket Club

Matching Green Cricket Club in Harlow, Essex, is receiving £50,000 of National Lottery funding towards the replacement of the current cricket pavilion. The funding will contribute to a total cost of £130,842 for new, modern facilities including new changing, shower and toilet facilities and an expanded interior. The improvements will not only benefit existing members but will also enable more young people to join existing junior coaching sessions.

Colne Engaine Football Club

Great new sporting opportunities are to be created in a small village on the Essex/Suffolk border thanks to a National Lottery award to Colne Engaine Football Club. The club is a community amateur sports club run by young people, in partnership with the local parish council, youth club and village primary school. An award of £20,481 will fund a new pavilion which will provide a facility for different sports (including rugby, cricket and running) and to make the pitch available to all ages in the local community. The pavilion will include changing facilities with showers and toilets as well as improved storage facilities.

Orford Sailing Club

The dinghy park at Orford Sailing Club in Orford is being extended after the club secured £50,000. The National Lottery cash will also pay for a portacabin arrangement that will provide a separate teaching/classroom area and further changing space.

Thames Estuary Yacht Club in Southend on Sea

Existing members and the local community will benefit from the expansion and modernisation of the jetty facility at Thames Estuary Yacht Club in Southend on Sea, Essex. A National Lottery award of £50,000 will fund the redevelopment of the jetty and the slipway areas. The upgrades will enable the club to cater for increasing demand from the local community and in turn promote the club’s growth.

Thurrock Community Leisure sports centre

People in Thurrock, Essex, can look forward to improved sports facilities after Thurrock Community Leisure secured a National Lottery award to upgrade the sports centre. The centre is receiving £50,000 for a project to improve the wet changing rooms and replace the old showers. The centre caters for a variety of sports including swimming and diving, lifesaving, yoga, movement and dance, fitness and exercise and golf.

David Smith Memorial Hall and Recreational Charity in Chelmsford, Multi-use games area

David Smith Memorial Hall and Recreational Charity in Chelmsford, Essex, is receiving £46,000 of National Lottery funding towards the replacement of an existing multi-use games area surface, which is no longer fit for use. The new multi-use games area will be used primarily for hockey, tennis, basketball, netball and football.
West Mersea Town Council on the island of West Mersea has secured £26,713 of National Lottery funding to upgrade its community pavilion, which is the hub for sporting activities on the island. The project will involve renovations and essential internal improvements.

The Silver Bowl

Braintree District Council is a Local Authority in the County of Essex. The aim of the project is to provide a facility that meets the need of Young People in the village of Silver End providing new opportunities to participate in sport.  £54,723

Brightlingsea Sailing Club BSC Changing Rooms Extension & Refurbishment

Brightlingsea Sailing Club is a Community Amateur Sports Club, their project is a funding request to refurbish the existing club changing rooms increasing the capacity for men and women’s changing as well as the creation of a separate changing facility £50,000

Chappel & Wakes Colne Cricket Club

The Ted Wrackett Memorial Ground The project is to turn recently acquired field into a practice area , newartificial pitch and practice facility and replacement of existing artificial cicket match square. £28,227

Read more about Sports facilities in Essex which are benefitting from the National Lottery Inspired Facilities funding>>