Students at Northwood-based UTC Heathrow have been burning off energy on a brand-new multi-sports court built on a previously inaccessible piece of land, thanks to funding from one of the school’s employer partners, CyrusOne – a leading global data centre developer and operator.
The court will allow students to take part in a variety of sports including basketball, football, volleyball and badminton, using new sports equipment and kit. Previously there wasn’t an adequate space for the students to play these sports.
Matt Pullen, EVP Managing Director, Europe at CyrusOne and former basketball player said: “Having spent time at the UTC Heathrow over the last year, it struck me how few sporting facilities or outdoor recreation spaces there were on site for students.
“The positive benefits of exercise and outdoor space to improve concentration and focus on learning, as well as supporting mental health, are well documented and as such we felt a moral obligation to improve the facilities where we could for these talented and committed young people.”
The Mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor Becky Haggar-Kaikitis, Conservative MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, David Simmonds CBE and Andrew Riley, Residents Association Chairman of the London Borough of Hillingdon joined staff and students for an official opening ceremony.
After speeches and ceremonial plaque unveiling by the mayor, two teams of students showed off their skills on the court with a nail-biting basketball match.
Executive Principal Wayne Edwards said: “Since September this year, this facility is constantly in use. The students love this – they absolutely do. And I can only say thank you to CyrusOne for that. We are proud of the relationships we have built with employers and the way that this has now led to us being able to offer our students something they really needed. We have students here today excited to play and motivated to work together as part of a team.”
