A new community games area is to be built in Boothtown, after the area received over £50,000 of funding towards community projects.
Calderdale Council is working with a local community group, Boothtown Partnership, to develop a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA). The Council and Boothtown Partnership held a voting day in Boothtown in February 2012 to ask residents what they would like to see in their community. The results showed that residents wanted an area that would encourage young people and others to be active, help to reduce anti-social behaviour and improve the environment.
The project will offer activities including tennis, football, rugby, netball and basketball for the local community, which consists of around 2,000 households. The facility will be available for people to access all year round.
The majority of the funding is from the Biffa Award, which is a multi-million pound fund, awarding grants to community and environmental projects across the UK. The fund’s money comes from landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services.
The rest of the money will come from Nesta, sponsors of the Boothtown Challenge, a community project which has financed a number of schemes in the area. A contribution has also been made from the NHS Healthy Towns Programme.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr Pauline Nash, says:
“This is great news for Boothtown and Calderdale. The funding has made it possible for residents requests to become reality.
“Facilities like this help to support an active lifestyle and the games area will benefit local people, not only in Boothtown, but also in the surrounding area.
The area will be designed to ensure that it can be used by all, regardless of age or disability. An asphalt path will lead to the area, making it easily accessible for parents using pushchairs, and people who use a wheelchair.
The project is due to be completed in summer 2013. For more information contact Vicky Robertshawvicky.robertshaw@btinternet.com at the Boothtown Partnership Community Centre on Grantham Road.