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Last modified: 08 Apr 2022 3:13pm

aerial view of the selwyn sports centre and Foster Park

The Selwyn Sports Centre has been recognised as an outstanding project in the Recreation Aotearoa 2020/2021 Recreation Awards.

The 8000 square meter indoor sports and recreation facility at Foster Park, Rolleston, won a merit award in the Outstanding Project Category at the awards at Wednesday night’s ceremony.

The award recognises the innovative build, excellence of achievement, strong community use and support of the building, efficiency and sustainability.

It noted the success of the innovative procurement process run by the late John Reid, which delivered the facility at a low comparative cost on time and on budget, even with a period of being in level 4 lockdown during construction and the ongoing impacts of the pandemic on price of supplies.

The award also recognised sustainability features such as the solar panels, Kingspan insulating cladding and use of natural light to reduce electricity use, along with the rainwater collection tank that provides water to supplement the needs of the park.

A focus of the centre has been on delivering a space for the community, providing space for a wide variety of sports and groups, Council Group Manager Community Services and Facilities Denise Kidd says.

This was delivered through an eight-court facility, with the addition of exercise spaces, indoor walking track and a first of its kind in New Zealand digital sports wall.

The Sports Centre has been embraced by the community averaging well over 37,000 users per month in the first five months, even with Covid-19 lockdowns and protocols in place. Local sporting clubs have been established and have made Selwyn Sports Centre their home site, while other clubs have seen increases in memberships thanks to this facility – with all the codes that use the centre reporting growth.

The award is an honour for the centre and a great way to celebrate its success, Mrs Kidd says.

“The Selwyn Sports Centre saw a huge amount of work from people determined to deliver a top-notch facility for Selwyn. We’ve been delighted to see the smiles from so many people and the huge numbers enjoy the facility and the warm, friendly environment created by the staff there. This award is another recognition of that hard-work, led by the vision of John Reid, and the success that it has delivered.”