24 September 2009
Wanstead Flats changing rooms transformed
The new changing room facilities on Harrow Road at Wanstead
Flats Playing Fields were launched yesterday (23 September). To
mark the occasion, an Inflatable Speed Tunnel and an Inflatable
Football Pitch were set up and a series of tournaments involving
local schools and communities were held.
Chairman of the City of London's Epping Forest and Commons
Committee Mrs Barbara Newman said: "The City of London has managed
the Wanstead Flats since 1878. The new changing rooms are a
testament to our commitment to maintaining sporting facilities in
Epping Forest to the highest standard. We hope that footballers who
frequently use the Flats, some of whom could be David Beckhams of
tomorrow, will fully utilise the new facilities. We also welcome
the local community to take advantage of the new communal meeting
rooms. Bookings already coming in and we are off to a good start
.'
The refurbishment of the changing rooms at Wanstead Flats was
made possible thanks to the £790,600 grant by the Football
Foundation to the City of London Corporation.
Wanstead Flats Playing Fields is in the East London area in the
southern most part of Epping Forest, providing 64 adult and youth
football pitches across three sites: Aldersbrook Road, Capel Road
and Harrow Road.
Football is played on the Flats throughout the year, and has
been since the 1940s, when troops were in transit on the Flats and
prisoners of war were sited at Aldersbrook Road. In 1957 formal
football started at the Flats. The official football season runs
from September to April. During the 2006/07 season, bookings have
increased with some potential customers being turned away.
Whilst the Playing Fields are generally in good condition, the
changing rooms at Wanstead Flats were in a severe state of decline
and in much need of modernisation. The rebuilding of Harrow Road
commenced in February 2009.
Other funding bodies supporting the bid include the Mercers
Company, £15,000, the London Marathon Trust £100,000, Charles
French Charitable Trust £5,000, Grange Farm Centre Trust, £15,000
and Coutts Charitable Trust £2,500
Ends
Press enquiries: Loretta Lui 020 7332 1528
Loretta Lui
Senior Press Officer
Public Relations Office
City of London
PO Box 270, Guildhall
London EC2P 2EJ
Tel 020 7332 1528/ 0777 080 3589
Fax020 7332 1987