British soccer backs new sports centre
2010-03-11
The chairman of the English Football League, Lord Brian Mawhinney, has agreed to open the new Mbekweni Community Sports Centre on 12 June, a day after the official opening of the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa. The Football League is supporting the project by contributing monies raised through ticket sales at the 2009 and 2010 Carling Cup Finals at Wembley Stadium in the UK. The centre is being constructed next to Desmond Tutu High School on land donated by the provincial government. It is largely funded by UK donors, according to Phil Bland of the organisation Hope Through Action, a charity specifically created to help the young people of Mbekweni. “But we would love for Paarl businesses to support it. We have support from a number of people, but we need more funds to complete the project,” he said. “We have a partnership with the international non-profit organisation Score, which specialises in community development through sport and recreation, to run the development programmes linked to the centre. “The day to day management of the centre, when it is completed, will be through a local management team,” he said. Phase 1 of this centre, which is being constructed by Power Construction, will be completed before the World Cup Soccer starts on 11 June. This will be followed by Phase 2, which will begin as soon as funds are available. In this phase a series of all-weather outdoor playing pitches will be created. Werner Hugo, project manager for Power Contruction, said that everything was on course and that the first phase would be completed before the first ball for the Soccer World Cup is kicked. The centre, which costs R9 million, is designed to be inclusive and will provide year round facilities and a secure environment in which to work with the young people. There will also be offices, training facilities (some of it on Astroturf), spectator areas and provision for local education and health organisations. The facility will also provide a venue for community activities. The annual operating cost will exceed R300 000. The development of five life skills programmes covering sports development, health (HIV/Aids), welfare, education and leadership is high on the agenda, Bland said.
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