Ysgol Pen-y-Garth pupils get set for sports galore! -
12/02/07
Pupils at Ysgol Pen-y-Garth in Penarth are all set for more
sporting success thanks to the school's brand new Community Sports
Hall.
The £800,000 building was declared open for business with an
official opening ceremony that featured sports stars from the past,
present and future.
As well as providing a top class facility for school use during
weekdays, the state-of-the-art building is designed to benefit the
wider community through evening and weekend use by a range of local
groups and clubs.
The project was funded via £400,000 from The Big Lottery Fund
with match-funding provided by the Vale Of Glamorgan Council.
Former Welsh rugby international Arthur Emyr, who is also a
parent at Ysgol Pen-y-Garth, was joined at the launch by fellow
sports stars including rugby players James Goode and Tom Riley from
the Cardiff Blues, former Welsh rugby international Nadine Thomas
and Glamorgan Dragons cricketers Mike O'Shea and Mike Powell.
Also present for the official opening were Vale of Glamorgan
Council Leader Cllr Margaret Alexander, Hugh Vaughan Thomas from
the Big Lottery Fund, Chairman of Governors Meurig Roberts,
representatives from local schools and sports clubs, parents and
teachers.
Vale Council Leader, Cllr Margaret Alexander, spoke at length
highlighting the benefits to the pupils at Ysgol Pen-y-Garth and to
the people of Penarth and surrounding areas.
"It is a fantastic new sports venue," she said. "Having this
dedicated facility means that the children of Pen-y-Garth will
enjoy an uninterrupted PE curriculum, which is great news. And even
better, it means that people locally will benefit from having a new
space to use outside school hours."
Ysgol Pen-y-Garth Headteacher, Mrs Iona Edwards, added: "We are
very grateful to the Big Lottery Fund and also to the Vale of
Glamorgan Council for securing funding for the hall following a
lengthy process. It's a truly impressive venue and it means that
Ysgol Pen-y-Garth will now be able to provide a wider range of
sports activities for pupils as well as offering new opportunities
for extra-curricular activities."
To celebrate the official opening, Year Six Pen-y-Garth pupils
provided a gymnastics display and poetry recitation, while
refreshments were supplied by the school's Parent/Teacher
Association. There was also a demonstration of athletics, hockey
and cricket skills courtesy of Year Six pupils, under the guidance
of Dragon Sports leaders.