Nottingham High School has invested £2m in building two synthetic hockey pitches at Nottingham Hockey Centre, making it the largest hockey centre in the world outside of the Netherlands.
The increased capacity will allow the independent school and Beeston Hockey Club, the English Premier Division club based at Nottingham Hockey Centre, to establish an outreach programme for hockey in the community, with a particular focus on local schools. With the additional pitches, the centre will have six by the end of the year.
Beeston Hockey Club was founded in 1907 by former students of Nottingham High School. The land at Highfields was left in trust for the people of Nottingham by Jesse Boot, founder of Boots, for the purpose of sport and recreation. Boot was also a former pupil at Nottingham High School.
“We are delighted to be further enhancing our excellent sporting facilities through this investment,” said Kevin Fear, headmaster of Nottingham High School.
We look forward to working with the Nottingham Hockey Centre in developing an outreach programme to enable local schools and clubs also to make use of this new facility – Kevin Fear, headmaster, Nottingham High School
He continued: “We strongly believe that alongside our excellent academic provision we have a really strong sporting offer and this new facility, together with our sports field at Valley Road, enable us to offer our students fantastic facilities in which to develop their sporting aspirations.
“We look forward to working with the Nottingham Hockey Centre in developing an outreach programme to enable local schools and clubs also to make use of this new facility and we are proud to be part of the largest hockey centre in the UK.”
David Griffiths, chairman of Nottingham Hockey Centre, said: “It has always been our goal to make Nottingham a city known for its hockey – with the construction of these new pitches and Beeston Hockey Club’s matches featuring weekly on Notts TV, we are well on the way to achieving this.
“I’m particularly looking forward to the results the schools outreach programme will bring to the city and introduce new people to the sport.”
