Tigers Trust plans £2m upgrade of community sports facilities in West Park
DESTINATION WEST PARK: A concept design of the new facilities by Alessandro Caruso Architecture and Interiors (ACA)
EXCLUSIVE
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
Plans for a £2m upgrade of community sports facilities in West Park have been unveiled by the Tigers Trust.
They are part of an ambitious plan to create a vibrant community and sports campus that will inspire participation, improve health and wellbeing and create opportunities for people across Hull and East Yorkshire.
The not-for-profit charity is proposing to re-open the outdoor artificial pitches, refurbish and extend the Tigers Trust Arena, and transform the area between the two into a welcoming, accessible and inclusive space for the wider community.
Originally part of the wider stadium development in West Park, the outdoor pitches have been closed for public use since the Coronavirus pandemic.
The trust leases both the pitches and the indoor arena from the Stadium Management Company.
Trustees say they are now in a position to move forward with the plans as part of a new long-term vision for growth and community impact for the charity.
The ambitious redevelopment aims to create a campus that brings together sport, education, health, wellbeing and learning opportunities in one location, while also providing a dedicated home for the continued growth of girls’ football.
‘EXCITING OPPORTUNITY’: Tigers Trust chairman Nick Rennardson and chief executive Karina Ellis
Tigers Trust chairman Nick Rennardson said: “We are incredibly excited about this opportunity to create a destination in West Park with new and improved facilities that reflects the scale of our ambitions we have as a charity and the needs of the communities we serve.
“Every day the Tigers Trust is proud to use the power of the Hull City AFC badge to engage people, improve lives and create opportunities for children, young people, adults and communities to be active, healthy and connected.”
As well as re-opening the outdoor pitches, the trust is planning to construct a new adjacent facility featuring changing rooms and toilets.
At the indoor arena, a two-storey extension is earmarked at the rear of the existing building.
Subject to securing planning consent, it will include new multi-use studio space capable of hosting a range of activities such as dance, yoga and pilates.
Other new facilities will include additional teaching and learning spaces, a heritage area focused on Hull City’s history and a potential new nursery.
The trust is working with Humber-based Alessandro Caruso Architecture and Interiors (ACA) on the emerging plans and concept designs for the community sports campus.
HOW IT COULD LOOK: A concept design by Alessandro Caruso Architecture and Interiors (ACA)
Trust chief executive Karina Ellis said: “Having been awarded a licence by the Football Association to operate as an Emerging Talent Centre, we are now looking forward to using this opportunity to provide a dedicated home for the professional development of girls’ football.
“Bringing the outdoor pitches back into use will allow us to do that and also expand the opportunity to encourage wider participation in activity by children, young people and adults in a safe and inclusive environment.
“Alongside this, the wider campus development will help us expand our educational opportunities, raise aspirations and improve our community programmes to support more people to lead active, healthy and happy lives.
“It will strengthen our ability to engage communities, create pathways into learning and employment, and deliver lasting impact for years to come."
The proposed landscaping work is being designed to improve public safety in what is currently an unused and overgrown part of the parkland.
The trust says it expects to raise around three-quarters of the required funding for the upgrades from external sources while footing the bill for the remainder.
The development represents a significant investment in the charity’s future and is likely to take around two years as a rolling programme of works with the upgrade of the outdoor pitches scheduled to start first early in 2027.
As well as activities at the arena, the trust also delivers a wide range of sport, education, health and employability programmes in schools and community venues across Hull and East Yorkshire.