On your marks, get set, go, go, go St Mary’s! New state-of-the-art sports facilities open at Long Road
Girls at St Mary’s were not only celebrating their first week back to school, but they have also been enjoying their first PE lessons on spectacular new sporting facilities at Long Road for the very first time!
The state-of-art facilities include new AstroTurf pitches for hockey, rugby and football, plus netball and tennis courts, athletics facilities for track and field, and floodlighting. A pavilion with a kitchen and changing rooms is being constructed later in the year, and will be a great addition to the inspiring new facilities. So far, the girls have experienced playing football on the 3G surface and netball on our three new netball courts. Next week hockey clubs will also be up and running.
Developed in partnership with Homerton College, Cambridge, the site benefits our school, the college and the wider community, as, in support of Cambridgeshire County Council's Health and Well-being strategy, the facility will also be available for community use.
Alongside exceptional rowing facilities on the River Cam for St Mary’s rowers, the refurbished site at Long Road greatly enhances opportunities for students to discover, experience and excel in a wide range of sport, delivering St Mary’s commitment to encourage sport for all.
Working with Ingleton Wood Martindales Ltd., the Long Road scheme was designed to minimise its environmental impact and the site’s overall carbon footprint. Measures include:
- Installation of solar panels
- Energy efficient lighting and floodlights
- Protection of key wildlife corridors – particularly important for bats
- Planting additional trees in the space
- Dedicated conservation areas for enhanced outdoor learning
- Anti-flood provision in the drainage scheme
Miss Louise Powell, Acting Director of Sport, commented: “We were so excited to get the girls using the fantastic new facilities at Long Road at the start of this week. Our sportswomen are already amazing athletes – with the girls becoming District Hockey and Netball champions in recent years – and the new facilities will take them to the next level.”