Cardiff International Sports Stadium is now officially being managed by a partnership between Cardiff and Vale College and Cardiff City House of Sport after a proposal to secure the future of the facility was agreed by Cardiff Council in March 2015.
Effective from 1st April 2016, the agreement between the Council and the two organisations will see significant investment made by the long-term partnership into improving and diversifying the existing facilities; providing the community with state-of-the-art sport surfaces able to accommodate a wide range of sports alongside an inspirational learning environment for people in the region wanting to build a career in the sports industry.
Renamed the Cardiff International Sports Campus; work has already taken place at the site to replace the existing AstroTurf pitch with a more flexible and sustainable 3G option allowing for the community to access it in all-weathers with plans to add a second 3G pitch this summer; whilst transformations to the interior of the stadium have created 12 classrooms and a new gym facility for CAVC’s sport students.
Mark Roberts, Deputy Principal at Cardiff and Vale College, said: “In conjunction with Cardiff City House of Sport we have been liaising with Cardiff Council since our proposal to lease the facility was agreed in March 2015 and we are delighted that we can now progress with our plans to safeguard the community use of the stadium and establish a home and centre of excellence for CAVC Sport.
“With their significant expertise in the management and hiring of sports facilities, the House of Sport will carefully manage and maintain relationships with existing and regular users whilst working with the community to create a timetable of sporting events, from school sports days to running clubs, that will ensure that we’re maximising the use of the stadium and its facilities outside of core college hours and offering a wider range of people with the opportunity to utilise it.
“For Cardiff and Vale College, the introduction of the Cardiff International Sports Campus to our portfolio of sites marks another step forward in our vision to transform learning across the capital region, providing sector-leading environments for communities throughout Cardiff and the Vale.”
Steve Borley, Director of Cardiff City House of Sport said:
“We are determined to ensure that Cardiff International Sports Campus becomes a sporting hub right on the doorstep of the local community; offering grassroots and professional clubs, local community groups, corporate businesses, charities and industry professionals an inspirational space to utilise.
“With the existing House of Sport facilities situated just across the road, Cardiff International Sports Camus will be an extension to our community-focused philosophy and business model and we look forward to working with Cardiff and Vale College to invest in the future of the stadium and surrounding facilities for the benefit of Cardiff and the region.”