A PLAN to build a community sports hall at Appleby can now go out to tender thanks to a grant of nearly £1 million from the Big Lottery Fund.

Pupils, staff and community representatives have been celebrating this week’s announcement of lottery funding which means that their dream of getting a state-of-the-art four-court sports hall built in the grounds of the town’s grammar school can now become a reality

The school will be able to offer a wider variety of sports, such as badminton, basketball, bowls, cricket, judo and volleyball, but the hall will also be available for use by community groups for young and old alike.

A spokesman for the Big Lottery Fund said: “The new sporting facility will be a tremendous boost for the local area and in particular for the 1,600 students and 10,000 community visitors who will use the sports hall.”

In the latest round of handouts from the Big Lottery Fund’s £750 million new opportunities for PE and sport program, Appleby Grammar School was the biggest funding recipient in the Cumbria region with a grant of £983,536.

Other funders of the sports hall are Eden District Council, which has provided £300,000, Appleby Town Council, which put £40,000 into the pot, and members of the community, who have so far raised nearly £20,000.  However, about a further £40,000 could be needed.

Terry Hobson, headteacher of Appleby Grammar School, said: “We are delighted that the proposals for our community sports facility have been approved.

“The value of such a facility cannot be underestimated.  Not only will it allow an improvement in the provision of physical education for our students, but it will provide an excellent venue for activity for all members of the community, young and old.”

He added: “The facility represents a life-enhancing change to local infrastructure, bringing a much-needed opportunity to this rural area.  I have no doubt that the facility will repay such a commitment and that the benefits to the school, students, and to sporting organisations and activity groups will soon become apparent.”

Appleby Grammar School’s assis­tant head, Keith Scott, chaired an eight-strong steering committee, which also included Leonard Coulthard, Sue Fell and Eric Wooff, which was set up to bring together all the elements of the community sports hall bid.  Mr Scott said: “It is going to be a tremendous boost for the community and as a school we are privileged to have it on our site.”

Both young and old would benefit as community groups such as Age Concern had also expressed an interested in using the hall.

Mr. Wooff, who is chairman of Appleby Alliance, said the project to get a community sports hall for the town was taken up some years ago.  He said he was obviously delighted that the project could now go out to tender; but his overwhelming feeling was one of relief.

“It is with profound relief that, after going on for three years, the project has been brought to a successful conclusion. It will be a wonderful sport and leisure facility for the Appleby and district community and for the school itself,” said Mr Wooff.

Martin Stephenson, of the Wild Rose Caravan Park, Ormside, who is chairman of the fund-raising committee, said a target of raising £60,000 was set for the community.  To date nearly £20,000 had been raised, so there was still some way to go, but the exact figure needed would depend on the outcome of the tender procedure.

“It will be a tremendous asset for the school and the local community,” said Mr. Stephenson, who added that a forthcoming fund-raising event was an evening with climber Leo Houlding to be held at Appleby Grammar School in November

As more than £1¼ million is in the bank, tenders for building work can now be sought and there will be a six-week period for interested firms to submit their quotes.  Following a discussion and presentation period the contract will be awarded.  It is hoped preparation work on the site can take place during the Christmas holidays, followed by building work.

Architect Simon Binney, of Capita Symonds, said that, as well as drawing up the plans for the project, the local Penrith practice of Capita would also be overseeing the development of the sports hall on site until its completion.  It is hoped work can start on site in four months’ time.