22nd May 2019
On Saturday 18th May, South Devon College hosted its first ever Sports Centre Open Day. Utilising the new state of the art facilities, the College was able to accommodate a vast range of activities for the community to come and take part in. These activities included:
- Archery – Premier Education
- Arts and Crafts – Play Torbay
- Bubble Football – Torquay United Community Sports Trust
- Bushcraft – Play Torbay
- Fencing – Premier Education
- Girls Football – Saints South West
- Netball – Dart Netball and Netball Kidz
- Players tackle Weight – Sport and Fitness 4U
- Sports Day Races – South Devon College Sports and Fitness team
The College had over 250 people attend the open day to enjoy the wide range of activities that were on offer for both children and adults to try out.
There was also an incredible performance put on by football freestyler, Steve Gray, provided by College partner Pro:Direct Sport. After the show, he went on to teach children and adults some freestyle tricks that were featured in the impressive routine he performed.
Laurence Frewin, Vice Principal and Deputy CEO of South Devon College, greeted the volunteers and the key partners that supported the event including members of the community. He said, “It was inspiring to see families from the community enjoying a day out at South Devon College Sports Centre. We see the Centre as a vital resource not only for our students but also, importantly, for our community. Use of the centre has gone from strength to strength since it opened in January and this brilliant event continues to show that the investment has been more than worthwhile.”
Laurence Frewin – Vice Principal and Deputy CEO of South Devon College, Craig Hutcheson – Community Sports Operations Manager at South Devon College, Steve Gray – Football Freestyler
Lynn Squire, Head of Sport, Leisure and Hospitality Industries said, “I am proud of what our team have achieved here. It’s great to see us delivering on our vision for the Sports Centre and seeing the wider community take advantage of what facilities we have on offer. With the success surpassing our expectations for our first open day, we are eager and excited to plan future days like this.”
Lynn Squire – Head of Sport, Leisure and Hospitality Industries at South Devon College, Kevin Foster – Torbay MP, Matt Burrows – Assistant Principal at South Devon College
The College also relaunched the Torbay Cup with a new name in tribute to former student, Will Dolman, who sadly passed away. The name of the awards are ‘The Will Dolman Torbay Cup’ alongside the partnering shield, the ‘Will Dolman Trophy’. Will’s parents (in the picture below) attended to join us in celebrating Will’s life, his achievements, and to see the impact of his legacy that will connect with students of many generations to come. The cup was presented to the Torquay team for winning the Torquay VS Paignton/Brixham football match and Sam Brown won the shield for being player of the match.
The College Sport and Fitness Team and 3d Leisure worked hard to arrange the event and its activities and shows great promise for the future of community events hosted by the College. It was only five months ago on 25th January that the Sports Centre was opened, with the funding of The Football Foundation. Having gone from this to such an engaging event in such a short space of time is an incredible achievement and testament to how much of a benefit these facilities will be, not only to the College, but to everyone in the community too.
If you would like any more information about the South Devon College Sports Centre, you can visit the website www.sdcsport.co.uk to see what facilities are available and make bookings to use for your own events or training. If you want to contact someone from the department with other queries, email [email protected].
