Focus Team win cash for Yate Outdoor Disabled Sports

At last, we have got confirmation that we will be getting a grant for more kit for disabled sports at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex. (You may have seen reports of this in the newspaper a couple of weeks ago, but that was a press release from someone who had not been involved in the grant process, and just heard we had an application in and we were likely to get the money.) Now it has been confirmed.

This is £57,618 for track and field equipment for disabled athletes at YOSC and some additional drainage work.

If you've never been to YOSC or don't know where it is, it is worth going up to have a look. You could pop in and have a drink in the bar and find out more.

A committee, made up of councillors from  the Focus Team  have raised over £1.5MILLION to do the site up since South Gloucestershire transferred it back to Yate Town Council. South Glos had let it get run down, but it now  brand new athletics track and field, a target sprint  facility, brand new all weather surface for hockey and football, grass pitches and work starts next week on a new multi use indoor sports building. All paid for by money the committee has raised from local businesses, councils, Sport England and developers.

The entire facility is run by a group of volunteers, called YOSC Ltd - transforming it from a site that lost £190k a year when S Glos run it, into a self financing project without putting up charges!

Princess Anne visited the site last year to congratulate the councillors and volunteers who have transformed the facility.  So if you are interested in sport, and have not been, do check it out.

(Head for Brimsham Green School and just beyond the School you will find the access road)

Photo - users, volunteers, members of the Focus Team, town council staff and contractors at the handover of the upgraded facilities.

Yate Outdoor Sports Complex (YOSC) athletics improvements open, astroturf project starting

Yate Town Council has announced that the refurbished and enhanced track and athletics facilities at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex (YOSC) are now open for business. Local athletes can resume use of the now greatly enhanced facilities.

Councillor Chris Willmore, Chair of the Project Steering Group commented:

"We are delighted that local athletes now have access to a completely upgraded facility that will last another 25 years, and give disabled athletes, Brimsham Green School pupils and athletes of all ages international quality facilities.”

The first community event to take place at YOSC on the track was the annual Relay for Life on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July 2019.

In August a Guinness World Record Attempt will be taking place at YOSC. The event will be held on the athletics track, with a relay of 105 people covering the marathon distance of 42,195m, combined with target sprint shooting.

This month sees the next big project at YOSC - Yate Town Council's AstroTurf refurbishment project. Yate Town Council has raised funds through Sport England, Ibstock & Entrust Communities and Suez Landfill Community Trust to replace the AstroTurf and to upgrade the current pitch to competitive standard. 

The works will take place during the summer holiday period and are due to be completed by the end of August 2019.

YOSC is a multisport site including an athletics track, grass pitches and a sand-based AstroTurf pitch adjacent to Brimsham School in North Yate.

Ready Steady Go for Yate Town Council's inclusive athletics project

Signing on the dotted line: Councillor Chris Willmore (chair of the Project Steering Group),
is pictured seated next to Councillor Karl Tomasin (vice-chair of the Project Steering Group),
with Councillors Mike Drew, John Serle and Tony Davis behind (from left – right).

Yate Town Council is delighted to confirm that they have signed and sealed legal agreements with South Gloucestershire Council so that its project to enhance and refurbish the track and field facilities at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex (YOSC) can start.

The development of the new track and field facilities at Yate Outdoor Sports Complex is scheduled to start on 9th July 2018 and will continue over the next few months.

Councillor Chris Willmore, the Yate Town Council Chair of the Project Steering Group stated:
"This is a wonderful step forward for sport in Yate.  It will give us modern athletics facilities that will last a generation.  It has been designed so para-athletes will have equal access, and includes innovative sports such as target sprint.  We thank the volunteers at YOSC who run the facility, Yate Athletics Club, the kind donors and governing bodies who have made this project possible.  We are delighted that Sodbury & Yate Business Association has adopted YOSC Ltd as their charity of the year, bringing a whole range of local businesses in to helping all the sports at YOSC, including boxing, football, hockey, rugby and walking football.”

Yate Town Council would also like to acknowledge a very generous donation received from an anonymous donor towards the project in the sum of £50,000.  The additional money will enable the project to provide enhanced facilities at the site.

The remainder of the funding for the replacement and enhancement project was secured by Yate Town Council through external funding and grants.

For further information please contact Yate Town Council via email info@yatetowncouncil.gov.uk or phone 01454 866506.