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Time of the essence in countdown to the launch of 'SportsDock', Newham’s newest landmark

Friday 11 March 2011

 

The University of East London will open its new world-class sports-centre SportsDock to Newham residents in early 2012.

As part of celebrations to mark the final months of building work, a time-capsule was placed beneath the foundations of the centre on Friday March 11, which will be re-opened fifty years from now, in 2061.

Among the items placed in the capsule were pictures drawn by pupils from Drew Primary school in the Royal Docks, who were represented at the event by nine-year-old class-mates Neve Hughes and Kezia Abloso, along with Deputy Head Teacher Nicky Knight.

Working upon the themes of community, sport and Olympics, the youngsters provided 10 images, featuring a range of illustrations including World 100-metres record-holder Usain Bolt, the iconic Tate and Lyle factory building in Silvertown, as well as a colourful scene of Upton Park, the home of West Ham United FC.

Other items included in the capsule, which was designed and built by UEL student Holly Williams, were photos of various UEL sports teams, time-lapsed footage of SportsDock’s construction and a unique badge provided by the United States Olympic Committee.A memory-card containing images of the ceremony was also included along with a digital media interface, meaning those who open the capsule in 50 years will have the chance to view photographs from the day itself.

Holly, who is in the first year of her product design degree course in UEL’s school of Computing, Information Technology and Engineering (CITE), said: “I intended to make it obvious that it was about UEL, and that’s why I placed the new logo over the old one. It feels great. I love this university so contributing this time-capsule is something I’ll always remember.”

SportsDock will house a host of facilities, including multiuse games areas, two large multi-court sports halls, a state-of-the-art gym, a high-performance strength and conditioning centre,3G football pitches, a dance studio, a sports café and social areas.

It will also offer services such as fitness testing and sports coaching, and will serve as the main base for the US Olympic team during London 2012.

UEL Director of Sport, David Cosford, said: “UEL places tremendous importance on its role within the wider community, and this investment in the UEL SportsDock underlines this key principle. We hope that local people of all levels of fitness, health and sporting ability benefit as a result of this fantastic resource. We will offer a wide variety of sports within the centre including badminton, basketball, handball, futsal, volleyball, judo and many more.”

SportsDock will be open to the public from 6:30am to10:30pm, seven days a week, 362 days a year, and can offer flexible and affordable rates for individuals, clubs and organisations. The centre has received funding from England Basketball and the London Marathon Trust, and will become the home for the successful Newham All Stars Sports Academy (NASSA).

Located on UEL’s Docklands campus, the facility has a large number of on-site parking spaces, bicycle racks, and great public transport links provided by local buses and the DLR.

To find out more about membership and to register your interest in joining SportsDock, please email sportsdock@uel.ac.uk stating your name, address and preferred mode of contact or visit www.sportsdock.co.uk

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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