Monday the 3^rd December sees the official opening of the new 3G sports facility at St Thomas More Catholic Academy. Last year St Thomas More Catholic Academy was successful in a capital bid to secure over £800,000 from central government to improve their outdoor facilities. The existing Redgra all-weather pitch has been replaced with a 3G artificial turf recreational area which is fenced and floodlit. This provides one full size football pitch and 3 mini multi-use pitches, allowing for a huge variety of sports to be played on the surface all year round.

The official opening will see Stoke City Football Club Manager, Gary Rowett, officially open the sports facility with dignitaries from the local community. This will be followed by a football tournament involving 6 local primary schools, St Gregory’s Catholic Academy, St Augustine’s Academy, St Maria Goretti Academy, Our Lady’s Academy, Sutherland Primary School and St Pauls Primary school. There will be a 9 a side team of mixed boys’ and girls’, competing against each other in the first official games on the facility.

With the new facility, St Thomas More Catholic Academy aims to be able to:

• Offer a wider and more diverse sports curriculum
• Provide innovative extra curriculum activities, not only for active lifestyles but for healthy lifestyles
• Provide appropriate outdoor recreational space for lunch and break time
• Share these facilities with the feeder primary schools and community partners
• Provide opportunities for local teams to let the 3G facilities on a regular basis to grow youth and adult participation in sporting and leisure activities

This bid has been a collaborative project with a number of local community groups and St Thomas More Catholic Academy have received tremendous support from their councillor Kath Banks, MP Jack Brereton, Stoke City Community Trust and Sport England in securing this facility.