A SPORTS pavilion destroyed by fire two years ago has been reopened thanks to a £1.6million investment.
More than 100 people turned out to celebrate the grand opening of Lord Halsbury Memorial Playing Field pavilion in Northolt on July 25.
Guests included Mayor of Ealing, Councillor Kamaljit Dhindsa, council leader Julian Bell, MP Steve Pound, and footballers Nedum Onuoha and Michael Harriman from QPR, and Stuart Dallas from Brentford FC.
The players joined in training sessions with footballers from Larkspur Rovers, the resident club, which said it was excited by the possibilities provided by the new facilities, including a small artificial pitch.
Northolt Amateur Boxing Club will also use a boxing gym in the new building, which also houses changing rooms, toilets and community space.
A mosaic on the outside wall of the new pavilion was also revealed at the opening. More than 30 students from Willow Tree Primary and Northolt High schools worked with artist Julie Norburn from Art for Space to design and make the artwork, which was paid for by Northolt Mandeville ward forum.
The project was funded by the Football Foundation, the Mayor of London’s Sports Facilities Fund, Sport England, and Ealing Council, with the cost totalling £1.6m. It reopened on the same day as Spikes Bridge Park in Southall, which benefited from a £2.2m investment.
Mr Bell said: “It’s now a year since the London 2012 Olympic Games and the borough is still buzzing with opportunities for people to get involved in sport.
“The facilities at Lord Halsbury Memorial Playing Fields and Spikes Bridge Park are the latest in a number of facility improvement projects and I hope they inspire more people of all ages and abilities to get involved.
“It’s fantastic that so many organisations got behind these two projects and we thank them for their support and generous contributions. This is an immense boost for grassroots sport in Ealing and it’s great to think that these facilities will continue to serve the community for generations to come.”
