What is the single most cost effective way of providing an all-year multi-use games area in your school?

The first key point about a multi-use games area is, of course, in the name. Such an area can be used for football, tennis, hockey, basketball, netball, etc.

But that’s only the start. Because where there is a facility that can be used for so many sports, there is immediately the risk that the surface will start to degrade because of over-use and inclement weather conditions.

And, just to cover every angle, such a multi-use facility would be less useful if it were not designed to meet the specific sports requirements of your school.

So when we speak of multi-sports facilities we also need to consider both flexibility of design and the ability for the area to be used again, and again, and again, every day, every week. (Including at the weekends if it is rented out to local sports clubs.)

Now that might seem to be everything covered, but there is still the issue of finance. We’ve even worked on this so that we can fund more entire facilities via Fast Track Funding, the mechanism used by numerous schools and local authorities for this sort of development – with payment not starting until the facility is completed.

These are the fundamentals that we have considered: flexible design, multi-sports use, all weather provision, constant use, and flexible finance.

As the leading UK artificial sports surfacing specialist and official partners of England Hockey, we decided to team up with Timberplay, the designer and supplier of flexible multi-sports areas to create exactly what was required.

Because Notts Sport synthetic surfacing systems require minimal maintenance over a long lifespan, schools using the system can offer more sports for more pupils with all the benefits that brings – no matter what the weather.

To make the whole process as simple as possible we built in a five step approach

• Step 1. A free site visit and feasibility report
• Step 2. A range of competitive quotes
• Step 3. Confirmation of the funding package
• Step 4. Construction begins with Notts Sport managing the build
• Step 5. Payment begins after completion

To discuss how this remarkable development could be used in your school to enhance your sporting provision throughout the year, please do call me on 01455 883 730 or email info@nottsport.com

There is also more information at http://www.nottssport.co.uk/