New sports hall at Gordon's School moves closer

A new sports hall and all-weather pitch at Gordon’s School was brought another step closer this week when the Environment Secretary gave the green light for what will become a sports hub for the school and local community.

The new development, to be built on the northern site of the co-educational day and boarding school in West End, Woking will provide enough space for four badminton courts; changing rooms; a café; first aid room and storage. There will also be spectator viewing areas. The new facilities are in addition to the existing all-weather pitch and tennis/netball courts.

It will allow the school to take part in more competitive events at all levels and will enable students to participate in a sporting activity whatever the weather. The development will also be open to the local community to enjoy badminton; basketball; indoor cricket and a host of other sporting activities.

Students at the school, which is the National Memorial to General Gordon, currently take part in over 22 extra curricular sporting activities. The all-weather floodlit pitch will provide further opportunities for team sports and provide much needed space in which to practise and play for the burgeoning numbers of sportsmen and women. It will enable the PE programme to be expanded to include sports such as basketball; badminton and volleyball.

Work is expected to start in May with the development up and running by the Summer of 2020.

Providing enough space for four badminton courts; changing rooms; a café; first aid room and storage, the new sports hall will also include spectator viewing areas.

A Gordon’s education is recognised as being a well-rounded one, not only offering excellence academically but also in sport and the arts. The school has a proud heritage and tradition for producing and nurturing sportsmen and women in many sporting disciplines and current students have achieved success at county and national levels.

Former students who have pursued sporting careers include Paralympian Hannah Russell MBE; Commonwealth Gold medallist in netball Eboni Usoro-Brown; Footballers Jonathan Henley; Adam Francis and Jake Shepherd; Golfer Steve Brown and rugby player Jake Ball.

Gordon’s Director of Sport, Jamie Harrison commented: “The new Sports Hall and Astroturf pitch has been eagerly and long-awaited and I am delighted to see the project finally being launched. It is particularly pleasing that the local community is able to benefit from using them.”

“Gordon’s is synonymous with sporting excellence and we are very proud of the sportsmen and women we have nurtured and developed here. The new facilities will enable us to offer more sporting disciplines for all our students and the wider community and we look forward to helping even more people in their competitive sport for their school, county or country.”

The new development will be funded by the Gordon Foundation but funds are needed for equipment and internal fixtures and fittings.

A fundraising exercise will soon be launched by the school. First to jump at the chance to equip the sports hub is Head of House Jamie Sinclair who will be taking part in the London Marathon (to sponsor him please visit the school website www.gordons.school).