34 | CAMPUS INSIGHT | CAMPUS SERVICES
OF BIRMINGHAM
UNIVERSITY
ABOVE & RIGHT: The University of Birmingham splashed out on a new £55m sports centre, due to open its doors in early 2016
most advanced in the country, thanks to both the quality and range of equipment, but also the supporting expertise”), six glass-backed squash courts and a new home for the University’s Hi Performance Centre. Innovations already in use in the later include the Alter G treadmill, which uses an inflatable bubble to enable users to walk and run in a reduced-gravity environment. This lowers the impact on the lower body, meaning a reduced risk of long-term injury. The Alter G is available to everyone, whether they’re an athlete, returning to exercise from an injury, or just wishing to lose weight. It’s free to use for the University’s students. In addition to students, the new
sports centre will cater for around 3,000 community and alumni members, as well as various clubs and groups. It will offer a choice of up to 200 classes, and an expanded learn-to-swim programme for all ages. What’s more, substantial effort has been made to ensure that all facilities are as accessible as possible for those with disabilities. Director of Sport Zena Wooldridge said:
“This large and complex project is the culmination of many years of planning and design. The new facilities, and the opportunities they’ll house, will be a game-changer for the University, both in raising its profile as a leading UK sporting university, and in its provision for the local community.” “The new sports-centre facilities will
have a massive impact on the University’s sporting students,” concurred racing
cyclist Ciara Horne, who represented Wales at the Commonwealth Games just a year after graduating from Birmingham. “Students at the University receive so much support already, helping them to excel in their chosen sport; now, it will be really exciting to see what they go on to achieve with the help of the new, state-of- the-art facilities.” Further afield, the University of Victoria
in Canada’s stunning new £46m sports complex – the Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities (CARSA) – features a 32,000 sq ft, multi-purpose space, a high-performance sprint track, three gymnasiums and, towering over all of that, a 16-foot-high indoor climbing wall. And Athletics Director Clint Hamilton believes the facility can make an impact both in the immediate future and beyond. “We’re trying to balance the recreational needs of a large community and student population with the specific needs of high-performance athletes, he explained. “It’s a legacy – this building will be around for many, many years after we’re gone.” The common theme throughout
all of these examples – apart from a commitment to sporting excellence, and no small amount of expenditure – is that the facilities are intended to beter their respective catchment areas as a whole, and not just serve those atending the universities. By opening their doors to the general
public – and to different age groups and abilities – the colleges are not only
enhancing their reputation as friendly, conscientious establishments, they’re also boosting their revenue and helping to recoup some of that cost. And there are other ways of doing
this. Such is the quality of its sporting facilities, the University of Bath’s switchboard is constantly alive with requests to host prestigious gatherings. In the lead-up to London 2012, numerous groups – from 200 British Paralympians to swimmers from China – based themselves at the Sports Training Village. It’s also been used for international netball matches, and will host the 2015 European Modern Pentathlon Championships. The University’s Director of Sport,
Stephen Baddeley, comments, “We’re proud to be chosen to host the Championships. We have a terrific track record of hosting major sporting events, training camps and teams. The world-leading facilities at the Sports Training Village, along with both the accommodation and the catering on campus, are a winning combination.” And winning is the operative word.
There may not be any medals up for grabs, but when there are so many other prizes at stake – the tuition fees of prospective students, their health and wellbeing during the course of their stay, not to mention the very reputation of the university itself – staying one step ahead of, or at least keeping up with, the best sporting universities must surely be the ultimate goal. UB
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