PLANS to create a world-renowned multi-use community sports facility in Aberdeen have reached a new milestone as a contractor has been appointed to start work.
Inverurie-based Hunter Construction will give the new Catherine Street Court an extreme make-over to create Scotland’s first Cruyff Court, the brainchild of Dutch footballing legend Johan Cruyff.
Aberdeen City Council have signed an agreement with the contractor on behalf of their partnership with The Denis Law Legacy Trust and the Johan Cruyff Foundation to carry out the work from next month.
The £250,000 Cruyff Court described as a hi-tech, all-weather astroturf playing area which gives children and young people from regeneration areas opportunities to play and be active in an urban environment.
Ross Grant, Aberdeen City Council’s regeneration spokesman, said: “We have reached a new milestone on a project that will offer fantastic new facilities for young people and their families in the city centre and the communities in the surrounding areas."
The Denis Law Cruyff Court, which has been designed with the help of Communication Design and Architecture students at Robert Gordon University, will enable access to a wide range of free sessions, including Freestyle Football, Street Hockey and Street Dance.
Denis Law Legacy Trust chairman Graham Thom hailed the progress made on the Cruyff Court and said he hoped more facilities could be built throughout Scotland.
He said: "We are determined that we don't want this first Cruyff Court to be a one-off.
"There is the potential for others and if we, in Aberdeen, continue to be at the forefront of these facilities being delivered elsewhere then we are convinced this programme will work wonders for communities in various parts of Aberdeen and beyond."
The Denis Law Legacy Trust already delivers several activities across the city, including its flagship Streetsport programme which is based at RGU.
Streetsport deploys mobile activity arenas, offering free doorstep sports and other events directly to young people in their own communities, including seven local priority neighbourhoods highlighted by the Scottish Government as being in the 15 per cent most deprived areas of Scotland.
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