Blakedown Sport & Play winners of the SAPCA 2024 Large Sport or Play Project Of The Year Award
On the 29th of February, Blakedown Sport and Play attended the SAPCA awards evening held at Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium, Leicester – the home of Leicester Tigers RFC. The event was hosted by Olympic silver medalist and former Badminton world champion, Gail Emms MBE, and throughout the evening, we heard from keynote speakers such as Maggie Alphonsi MBE, the popular TV pundit, and former England Rugby International.
On the evening, Blakedown Sport and Play was awarded the SAPCA ‘Large Sport or Play Project Of The Year’ award for 2024 for our project at Shoreditch Park, London. The project was a result of strong partnership work between Blakedown and our relevant supply chain, LUC, and the London Borough of Hackney.
The project consisted of a refurbishment of the existing park with many improvements focusing on ecology, sport, recreation, and play. The core components include:
- Refurbishment of the existing natural sports pitch used for informal football matches and recreation users.
- A new dedicated sports hub with MUGA and outdoor gym equipment, and the relocated beach volleyball court.
- Children’s playground.
- Adjustment to boundary fences to create a perimeter running route.
- Ecological enhancements including rain gardens and swales, wildflower meadows, hedgerows and linear planting, log piles and hibernacula, and bird and bat boxes.
- Improvements to Dorothy Thurtle Gardens with new seating, entrances, and circulation, planting, and an informal play trail.
- Improvements to the boundaries, entrances, and pavements.
- A new tree plaza.
- Installation of new park furniture including benches, bins, and signage.
- Improved planting – including trees, hedges, shrubs, climbers, perennials, and grass.
The project was completed and handed over in March 2023, and the contractual value was £1.89 million.
“A fantastic outcome; the park has really come to life! Thank you to the Blakedown Team for delivering a high-quality project with new facilities and planting that will benefit the whole community for years to come.”
