CopriSystems Doubles The Sporting Provision at Welland Park

Community college, Welland Park, were hugely over-subscribed and needed to expand in order to keep up with demand for school places in the ever-growing town of Market Harborough.

PE was identified as one of the areas for significant development with the installation of a state-of-the-art multi-sports facility that could provide an even broader, more diverse programme of activities and develop minority sports.

The ambitious project was a full turnkey operation from groundworks to internal fit-out and CopriSystems, as principal contractors, chose to use a number of local subcontractors and suppliers to support their own team. This strategy was proposed as a way of reducing the carbon footprint on the project, building positive relationships and maximising efficiency as well as the value of local knowledge. James Teale, Site Manager, did a fantastic job as the ever-present, consistent point of contact for everyone involved, “It really is a team effort at CopriSystems and our strong working relationships are a primary factor in ensuring we maintain a programme that delivers on quality.”

The job faced a number of obstacles, which is not uncommon for projects of this scale. Primarily, these were posed by extreme heat, followed by heavy, persistent rainfall, sub-zero temperatures and significant snowfall but as James explains, “There are challenges with any construction project but it is how we overcome them that makes us all professional. Our biggest challenge was how we could safely excavate 700 tonnes of earth and erect 50 tonnes of steel in a playground full of children! To add to this, a 20-mile per hour zone with regular school runs becomes a logistical nightmare when you consider the sheer volume of heavy-duty vehicles involved in this process. Nevertheless, the dedication of our team, their ingenuity and proactivity was relentless.”

The new multi-sports structure has been designed in accordance with the standard Sport England configuration of four badminton courts, equating to 554m2 but will be used to encourage participation in multiple sports and promote student wellbeing without the weather being a barrier.

The facilities will also be accessible outside of school hours, something that Councillor Simon Whelband believes “will enable more residents in the Harborough district to live healthy, active lives.”

With a renewed focus nationally from governing bodies, including Sport England, on making sport more inclusive and sports facilities more accessible, we are thrilled to see projects such as this one starting to take shape after the pandemic precluded growth in this field.

Rafe Colenso, Director of CopriSystems, commented, “I’ve been in the industry a long time and although I still get excited by every project, this particular job grabbed my attention and I’m extremely proud of my team who have excelled in every area.”

Most importantly, what does the local badminton club think of their new home?

“As members of a club that has played at Welland Park for some years, we were excited by the prospect and anxious that a new hall would be up to standard for our sport, which needs a high ceiling, good lighting that’s not too bright or with lights positioned right above you when you play, and plain dark-coloured walls so we can clearly see the shuttlecocks.

What were our first impressions upon walking into the hall? Delight! The ceiling was pleasingly high. The lighting and visibility is great and the flooring is superb: just the right amount of compliant bounce and plenty of grip.

From a badminton perspective at least, this new sports hall is, without doubt, the best facility in the district.”