Students in Loughborough can now benefit from a new £2.1m state-of-the-art sports facility, recently completed by regional construction firm Stepnell.
The contractor was appointed by Loughborough Schools Foundation, a charitable foundation made up of four independent schools situated at two neighbouring campuses in south Loughborough and attended by around 2,100 pupils.
The Parkin Sports Centre, which features a sports hall, fitness suite, dance studio, changing rooms, classrooms and reception area, will be predominantly used by students of Loughborough High School and Loughborough Amherst School. The foundation also oversees Loughborough Grammar School, Fairfield Prep School and Loughborough Nursery.
Stepnell’s East Midlands team worked closely with A+G architects to design and build the ultra-modern sports complex, which took a total of 26 weeks to complete and was the team’s third project delivered for Loughborough Schools Foundation.
Thomas Sewell, Stepnell regional director, said: “We are extremely proud and pleased to have completed such a stunning sports facility, creating a space for students to learn new valuable skills in an exceptional learning environment and enjoy playing sport at the same time.
“Working in a live environment is never easy and this project was particularly challenging due the central location of the new sports hall on the school campus, surrounded by occupied buildings and neighbouring boundaries. Throughout the building works, we had to ensure that our activity didn’t impact on day to day activities at the school, and we put special measures in place so that disruption was kept to a minimum.
“Our specialist sector experts understand the complexities of educational construction, and with our combination of experience and knowledge we are able to anticipate the risks and opportunities associated with educational projects and to ensure that our clients can maximise the whole life value of their investments.”
The new build construction, which comprises of a structural steel frame with single span cladding, offers a multi-use space for a wide range of sports activities and is also large enough to host all-school and joint school assemblies.
Rob Grant, director of operations at Loughborough Schools Foundation, said: “Loughborough Schools Foundation is very pleased to have this fantastic new sports hall which has enhanced our sporting facilities for all of our students.
“Much consideration went into the design of the Parkin Sports Centre in order to ensure the facility offered something for everyone and encouraged sports participation at all levels. We are already seeing the benefits of the new space as our students now enjoy an increased amount of sports activities during their lessons.”
