NEW MULTI-SPORT BUILDING FINISHED

On Friday, Yate Town Council got the keys from the builder for the new multi-sports building on its land at YOSC - behind Brimsham Green School. This has been funded with grants from Sport England, environmental trusts and the Town Council. It will provide a new home for Yate Boxing Club and other indoor users. If you are looking for a new home for indoor sports - check it out.

The photo shows Karl Tomasin and Chris Willmore from the project group with the architects, builders, boxer, and other project group members at the handover this week.

When it is kitted out, it will have a boxing ring, punch bags, mirrors and other training kit. If you would like to sponsor the building, its kitting out or help in any way please contact  chriswillmore@blueyonder.co.uk

Staying fit at home

Stay fit at home

Sport England have set up a Join the Movement campaign because of the importance of us all keeping as fit as we can. They’re inviting everyone to ‘Join the Movement’ and get or keep active with the help of their campaign.

Using #StayInWorkOut on social media, it is designed to provide inspiration and trusted information to the public about how to get active in and around the home during the coronavirus pandemic.

It has ideas for everyone whatever your previous fitness level.

https://www.sportengland.org/news/join-movement

 

FREE Leisure Centre activities for people with Dementia and their carers

Yate Leisure centre runs FREE sessions on Mondays - with singing, tea and coffee and chance to use a range of sports facilities for people with dementia and their carers. To find out more ring or email Mike at the Leisure Centre - mike.jones@circadiantrust.org or 0300 333 0300

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.

Yate sports and play project grant successes

In the recent edition of Focus we promised to tell you more about the various projects that Yate Town Council has got a total of £1.4 million funding for. The success of these bids is due to a lot of local teamwork by the Focus Team councillors, Yate Town Council staff, volunteers, friends groups and residents. Here are the "main headlines":

Yate Outdoor Sports Complex (YOSC)

Yate Town Council successfully bid for funding to replace the track and athletics facilities. They raised £850,000 in total, from developers' "Section 106 money" to develop outdoor sporting facilities in the area), Sport England and by running their own fundraising campaigns. Construction begins week commencing 9th July 2018 to be completed by the end of September 2018.

Sunnyside upgrade

It wasn't very "Sunny" that day...

Yate Town Council ran a Public Consultation to find out views of local people about extending the Changing Rooms at Sunnyside Playing Field. They successfully bid for unding from S106 money to the sum of £128,205.73 to develop outdoor sporting facilities in the area. Construction will begin mid-June and be completed by 12th November 2018.
There will be two more changing rooms at Sunnyside Playing Fields which will enable:
• Female football to take place alongside male match fixtures;
• Provision of an adequate amount of changing rooms in relation to the amount of teams using the pitches and neighbouring Tennis Court facility;
• Improvement of disability access to the facility to promote inclusive sport taking place on site

Abbotswood

Yate Town Council successfully bid for S106 funding of £89,535 to develop an informal play area on the green in Abbotswood Shopping Centre. This includes installing new equipment to expand the opportunity for children and families to engage in informal play. At the Abbotswood Apple Day the town council will give an update and talk with local people to discuss the overall plan. It is anticipated that the work will be completed by Spring 2019.

Kingsgate Park

Yate Town Council will get £72,380 of S106 money for Outdoor Exercise Equipment at Kingsgate Park. The park will benefit from the installation of Yate’s first and only set of Outdoor Exercise Equipment, which will provide a free opportunity for visitors aged 14+ to increase their fitness and strength whilst enjoying the surroundings of the Play Area and Lake. There will be a range of equipment aimed to exercise multiple areas of the body, including the ability to undertake cardio workouts at a range of levels.

A public consultation will take place at the Yate Rocks 2018 Festival and it is planned that construction will be completed by Spring 2019. This will be coordinated with Dodington Parish Council's project at Lilliput Park to avoid duplication of equipment.

Howard Lewis Park

Yate Town Council will received £49,628 of Section 106 money to develop the Howard Lewis Play Area. Following consultation with residents and pupils of the local school regarding ideas, extra equipment will be installed including a multi play unit, a basket swing and bike trail markings. Other areas of the park will also receive attention such as signage and landscaping. Construction to begin by
September 2018.

Brinsham Fields

Consultation is vital to getting funding on this scale!

Earlier this year, Yate Town Council began work on the project to enhance Brinsham Park. The works are part of a long term aspiration to improve the rest of the play area, in line with the new housing development taking place nearby. YTC were awarded £25,370 to develop and enhance the play area further. Construction is starting this month to create a fort, sandpit play area and an outdoor trampoline. The work should be be completed by the middle of May.

Member Award Funding (MAF)

The magnificent Ridge Sculpture was funded by MAF money

Yate Town Council has launched a ‘Yate Ageing Better Project’ to establish the needs of the fast
expanding ageing community of Yate. The Council is working together with Age Concern. The first steps have been to launch a new lunch club and Men in Sheds. They have been awarded MAF funding totalling £2156.73 to fund this project, which will be launched this summer with a public consultation to seek the opinions and experiences of those who are involved in existing groups and activities as well as identifying any additional interest and/or hobbies.

Sunnyside Changing Rooms Extension Project - Public Consultation

Yate Town Council is hoping to extend the changing facility at Sunnyside Playing Fields this year:

• To allow female football to take place alongside male match fixtures;
• To provide an adequate amount of changing rooms in relation to the amount of teams using the pitches and neighbouring Tennis Court facility;
• To improve disability access to the facility to promote inclusive sport taking place on site;
• To create environmental sustainability by considering the installation of solar panels;
• To review and improve improvement of security measures at the facility.

For more details and to have your say, please click on Yate Town Council's Sunnyside project web page

Giant leap forward for Yate Outdoor Sports Centre

Volunteers, Yate Town Council staff and councillors at YOSC

The facilities at Yate Outdoor Sports Centre have been coming to the end of their working life, but a massive fund-raising campaign by Yate Town Council has now borne fruit. The final piece of the funding jigsaw was put in place today to enable campaigners to start work replacing all the athletics facilities at YOSC. The last part of funding came from "Section106 Monies" - that is money developers have to hand over for sports facilities once they’ve sold their houses.

This marks a key point in the 12 month funding campaign. Project chair Chris Willmore explained
"The athletics at YOSC are used by local schools, hundreds of local young people each week and host national events. For some events it is the best facility in the country. But it was at the end of its life and needed completely replacing"


"To our horror when the estimates came in they were £850,000. We’ve spent six months working flat out to raise the cash to raise the cash to save the Centre"

"We got backing from Sport England. And today we got confirmation of the developer money - that means we have a total of £800,000"

"We’re having a sponsors event next week to which local big firms have been invited do were confident we’ll get the last £50,000, so we can now go out to tender and get cracking"

"This is great news for the amazing volunteers who run YOSC, all the users and for the great project team who have been doing all the work. The project won’t just replace what is there - it will add facilities including making much better provision for paraathletics"

"This is the biggest single project Yate Town Council has ever undertaken. We’re really grateful to all the sponsors, it is brilliant to have got it all covered by grants so Yate Town Council won’t have to borrow the cash, so we’re all excited but nervous. We’re determined to make every penny work for our residents. Yate Town Council took over the track from South Glos council two years ago this week. It was in a sad state after years of neglect. Now with the volunteers we’re turning it back into a facility locals can be proud of. And we will look after it well - nobody wants to have to raise this sort of money again in a hurr!"


"We are looking for sponsors for the last £50,000 - with opportunities to name facilities eg the hammer cage - and have banners for sponsors. For the right sum the whole sports complex - including national facilities - could be named for a sponsor"

"We’re having a sponsors evening on 6 November. iI anyone who had not been invited is interested in coming along please ring Lori Ramsey at Yate Town Council on 01454 866506"

Yate Swimming Pool to reopen at end of October

Yate Leisure Centre have announced: "We are pleased to announce to all Active Customers, that both of our Swimming Pools will be opening again at the end of October following major redevelopment works.  This is a little later than originally envisaged"

"Both pools will be re-filled with water during early October.  This is to enable the building contractors to monitor and test the integrity of the new pools.  The water will then be gradually heated prior to opening for general use"

"We are really excited that we are nearing completion and the reopening date.  We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patience and continual support"

Temporary swimming pool at Yate for 6 months

Because of essential maintenance work at Yate Leisure Centre, both swimming pools will be closed from the end of March until the Autumn. Public swimming WILL still be available using a temporary swimming pool.

The pool and plant equipment requires essential maintenance work for it to remain in operation. The  pool pipework and plant will be replaced with new environmentally friendly equipment.

We contacted Circadian Trust for more details about the temporary pool, and they've told us:
"It will be 18m in length X 10m in width X 1m deep. The frame will be constructed mainly of wood, then lined with a sand based and a pool liner. The whole structure will be secured in a marquee in the rear of the Kennedy Way car park. Customers will access the pool from the corridor of the main building (customers will not be outside, there will be an enclosed walk-way). The admission costs and opening times will be the same as normal and a specific pool timetable will be created for this period. All swimming lessons will continue and lesson days and times will remain UNCHANGED."

Sprint Triathlon for charity - 2nd Oct

On Sunday 2nd October, the Players Sprint Triathlon will be taking place at The Players Golf Club near Codrington. Consisting of a 750m open water swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run, it will be raising money for the West of England MS Therapy Centre. For more information visit mstherapybristol.org.uk/triathlon

Kelston Close changing rooms upgrade under way

A major upgrade is now under way to Dodington Parish Council's changing rooms at the QE2 Playing Fields, Kelston Close. The £84,000 project has been helped considerably by a £25,000 grant from community programme Barclays Spaces for Sports, partnered with sports charity The Football Foundation. A further £7,000 contribution is coming from South Gloucestershire Council’s New Homes Bonus scheme, and Dodington Parish Council is funding the balance of £52,000.

The new funding for the QEII Playing Field follows previous grants totalling £68,000 from Barclays and the Football Foundation since 2006. These grants were used to pay for a multi-use games area (MUGA), to deliver a three-year sports development plan and to organise holiday sports tournaments for young people.

The changing rooms, which are mainly used by football players on the Parish Council's very popular pitches, date from many years ago when the facilities were the playing fields for King Edmund School (now Yate International Academy)

The works include new showers, accessible toilets, landscaping and general building improvements. At the moment the layout is mainly designed for male players, but Dodington is also aiming to make the changing rooms suitable for any female teams they may have in future.

Grants agreed for local sports

The recent Frome Vale Area Forum decided to give Community Grants to a range of local sporting organisations. These grants were aimed at providing sporting oportunities for local young people.

Dodington football tournaments £2730

Dodington Parish Council has been running football tournaments for 7 to 11 year old boys and girls at QE2 Playing Fields, Kelston Close since 2009. There are two tournaments in each of the Easter, May, October and February half terms - 8 days of free sporting fun for local youngsters, led by professional coaches.

King Edmund Acrogymnastics £3000 

The number of young people involved in this popular sport is increasing, so there is a need to progress volunteer coaches to higher levels. This grant will pay for the coaches' training, safeguarding and welfare courses.

Southwold Swimming Club £1134

Swimming is a demanding sport, particularly at competitive level. This grant will pay for a highly respected and qualified physiotherapist to screen all the Club's competitive swimmers for probelsm that could lead to significant injury.
 

Chipping Sodbury Golf Club £1500

The Golf Club provides a 6 hole academy course on Chiping Sodbury Common that is available free of charge to the public.  There is free junior coaching on this course and practice area, both for members and non-members. The money will provide new wires around the greens to keep the cattle off the playing area.

Sodbury Tennis Club £1500

This money will be half of the cost of upgrading and improving a Mini-Tennis court and providing a dedicated children's fitness area.

What's in the future for YOSC?

Various stories are going around about what might happen to Yate Outdoor Sports Centre.
Circandian’s contract to run it ends this October, and South Gloucestershire Council can’t take it back in house.

The Focus Team are determined to make sure it stays open. We’ve got South Glos to commission experts to work out how it could be run - and are now working with users to try to come up with a scheme to save it - which would involve users and Yate Town Council jointly running it.

So - if you use it - don’t panic. As soon as we have got a deal we’ll make an announcement. One way or another, The Focus Team will make sure YOSC doesn’t close.

Anyone for tennis? Court upgrades for Yate

Yate Town Council's tennis courts at Sunnyside Lane have been resurfaced and repainted. The fencing has been improved, plus a path to the courts from the car park to improve access to the courts for all members of the community.

Yate was awarded a £31,150 funding boost from SITA Trust, and worked with tennis experts to get the courts completely refurbished.

Councillor Sue Walker said "The newly surfaced courts are available for hire - why not come along and give tennis a try its a fun way of keeping fit and losing those few pounds you may have gained over Christmas? The courts are in a lovely situation near the common can be accessed by turning into Moorland Rd from Station Rd and continuing to the end where there is a free car park"

A local tennis coach also holds coaching sessions at the courts for various ages and abilities.

For details of how to book the courts please ring Yate Town Council on 01454 866506 or check out the council web page.

The hire rates are rates are currently as follows:

• Adults - £6.40 per court per hour
• Children - £3.20 per court per hour
• Older people - £ 5.20 per court per hour

The photo shows Cllrs John Ford, John Davis, Sue Walker and Mike Drew checking out the upgraded courts.

FREE basketball sessions to start at Abbotswood next Wednesday

Are you aged 14+ and want to play basketball?

Then join these sessions on Wednesdays at St Nics Youth Centre (Abbotswood) from 28 January

The sessions run from 6.30 to 7.30 pm - learn basketball skills and play friendly games.

The sessions are completely FREE so come along and join in!

For more information contact sport@southglos.gov.uk or call 01454 865821

Free fun and social fitness classes for teenage girls in Yate and Chipping Sodbury

Click picture to enlarge poster

These teen fitness sessions could be just what you're looking for! Each session consists of a fun fitness routine e..g. aerobics, toning, yoga, running, dance. Bring along your own music!

• Mondays 6-7 pm at Yate International Academy (Activity Studio)
• Wednesdays 6-7 pm at Chipping Sodbury School (Sport Centre) 

Sessions start next week (week commencing Monday 12 January)

For more information email sport@southglos.gov.uk or phone 07534 241644

You can also check out:

• usgirls.org.uk
• Facebook facebook.com/sotoservices
• Twitter @UsGirlsTweet

Free basketball sessions for 14 to 18 year olds, male or female

If you would like to join this free club at Yate International Academy on Fridays, please contact sport@southglos.gov.uk or call 01454 865821.

Please complete a short survey to support the campaign to update the Kelston Close changing rooms

Please help the project to update the changing rooms at our local playing fields! Dodington Parish Council manages the changing rooms at the QEII Playing Fields at Kelston Close.

Over the years, and with heavy use during football seasons, the changing rooms have become run down and look very sad. The good news is that Dodington Parish Council is seeking to completely renovate the building and the area around it.

The Council is preparing to apply for funding from the Lottery Funded Sport England Inspired Facilities Fund.

Your comments and views are needed to help make our application successful - please share this post and encourage local people to fill in the survey.

Click this link to complete the very short questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/qe2kelston

Fun fitness sessions this summer for girls 14 plus

Us Girls Yate is a FREE session for girls only, aged 14+ years. Come along, join in and have a laugh with your friends while getting fit.

The sessions will be a mix of

• Aerobics
• Zumba 
• Street dance
• and more!

You can join in at Chipping Sodbury School Sports Centre on Wednesdays from 3-4 pm during the summer holidays.

For more details email sport@southglos.gov.uk or or phone 01454 865821.

Us Girls is active in lots of places throughout the country -  check them out online:

• Facebook facebook.com/UsGirlsGetActive?fref=ts 
• Twitter @UsGirlsTweet https://twitter.com/UsGirlsTweet