The official Sportsfield opening ceremony

Congratulations to all who have had anything to do with the Sportsfield project. It's official opening on July 1st marked a significant stage in this ambitious and special scheme. The progress on the greening playing field itself, together with the completed Nature Trail and Trim Trail, are now very clear to all.

The opening brought together all the major funders and sponsors of the project, the committee itself, children and staff from the school, members of the public and the local press. Above you can see Janet Blake (AVDC Chair and Councillor for Granborough) and Matthew Cox (Project Manager for major funder Wren) just after cutting the tape, flanked by Committee members Fundraiser Helen Shotton, Chair Karen Parks and Secretary Trevor Lane.

Amongst many other guests were Sue Polhill (AVDC Councillor for North Marston), Rob Symonds (Parish Council Chair) and Paul Holton, AVDC ecologist who has supported the project for over a year. Paul articulated my feelings about how well the semi-wild nature area and the informal recreational trails complement the more formal and highly cultivated needs of the playing field.

See the coverage

There's a great video of the day on Bucks TV, and the local papers will be running the story too.

Go there

If you missed the opening, the Sportsfield and its trails are open to the public at all times. It's well worth a visit. Head towards Granborough and it's on the left just before the pavement runs out.

Onwards and upwards

The next major project milestone will be the installation of the new clubhouse, although I'm also very much looking forward to the first home cricket match. Keep up with all the news and more photos on the Sportsfield project website.