Monday July 25th 2016
From left to right: Provost Joe Wallace, the council’s Director of Education, Communities and Economy, Dr Mary Smith, Maureen Sanford of Beeslack High School, the Project Manager of contractor Allsports, Joe Canavan, and Captain Scott Shaw, representing the Army.
Midlothian Council ‘kicked off’ work on a new 3G football pitch for the Penicuik community with a special sod cutting ceremony on Thursday.
Provost Joe Wallace joined the council’s Director of Education, Communities and Economy, Dr Mary Smith at Beeslack High School to cut the turf along with the Project Manager of contractor Allsports, Joe Canavan, Captain Scott Shaw, representing the Army and Maureen Sanford of Beeslack High School.
The provost said: “A huge thanks to all of our partners who have made this possible including our main funders, the Ministry of Defence’s Community Covenant Grant Scheme, which has contributed around half of the £400,000 costs.
“Thanks too to all our other funding partners including the national agency for sport, sportscotland, the council, Penicuik Athletic Youth Football Club and the local community. We really couldn’t have done this without you. And big thank you also goes to local resident and Lifelong Learning and Leisure Co-ordinator at the school, Maureen Sanford, who has worked tirelessly since 2012 to get this project up and running.
“Due to be completed by October 2016, the pitch will provide much needed sports facilities for pupils at both Beeslack High School and Mauricewood Primary School. It will also benefit Penicuik Athletic Community Football Club (PACFC) and the Scottish Royal Regiment based at Glencorse. The pitch can be used for developmental and curriculum Hockey PE level.
“This is all fantastic news as currently pupils have to travel outwith the area for some physical education activities because the existing pitch at Beeslack is poor quality and not fit for purpose.
The provost added that the pitch will be much more than a community facility. It will help young people engage in sport, which in turn can bring numerous benefits from helping them get fit to improving attainment levels and getting them on the right track to achieve a positive destination. “
Lieutenant Colonel Doug Mackay, Commander of Edinburgh Garrison said: “I am delighted that work has started on the 3G sports pitch at Beeslack Community High School, which is at the centre of the Community Football and Wider Sports Hub Project. It’s great that we can help build something like this excellent facility, which will benefit not just the school but also the local and Armed Forces communities in Penicuik. A project like this is right at the heart of the UK Armed Forces Covenant – it’s all about creating community cohesion through sport and will provide some great opportunities for working in partnership at all levels within the community, including with 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (2 SCOTS) who are of course based in Penicuik. The Midlothian Community Covenant Partners have given their full support to this application, and I would to take this opportunity to thank them for their continued support to our local Armed Forces community.”
Stewart Harris, Chief Executive, sportscotland said: “sportscotland is committed to building a world-class sporting system at all levels in Scotland and providing access to quality facilities such as the new 3G pitch at Beeslack plays an important part in delivering on that aim.
“However, the pitch is only part of what is being created here. By bringing together schools, clubs and the local community we can deliver more and better sporting opportunities, encouraging participation and providing the pathways to enable people to progress in their chosen sport. That ethos is clearly the driver here and that’s why we were delighted to invest £66,250 in this terrific project.”
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