An Arbroath charity hopes to kick on with the success of its all-weather pitch through the opening of the £200,000 facility to community bookings.
Skilz Academy realised their dream of opening up a community astro surface late last year.
Despite being the largest town in Angus, Arbroath was the only one without a plastic pitch.
In 2020, the charity secured a 99-year lease of the site beside Arbroath High School and sports centre.
LED floodlights have been installed at the FIFA-approved pitch.
And since the gates opened late last year it has been a runaway success with local football clubs.
Popularity growing
Now Skilz Academy want to see the wider community get maximum benefit from the facility on their doorstep.
Charity CEO Mark Anderson said: “Up to now it’s been clubs and schools which have been using it.
“It’s been really busy – every football club in the town plays on it, including Arbroath FC.
“We’ve had events in partnership with Active Schools and there has been lots of community stuff, which is amazing.
“But now we want to let people know that the booking system is open to the general public.
“They can use it for whatever suits them.
“It might be a group of pals who aren’t part of a club but just fancy a game of five-a-sides out in the open.
“So far it’s mainly football, but we have had discussion with the Rugby Rhinos and Arbroath High School PE department.
“It’s a full sized pitch which can be divided into four smaller pitches.
“We have really tried to keep the cost down so that it makes it accessible to the public.
“There are a lot of opportunities with what can be done with it.”
Bookings for the community astro can me made online here.
PKS becomes title sponsor
The charity also wants to build on the community support the project has enjoyed.
Mark added: “We have made an agreement with Prime Signs/Keillor Graphics, known as the PKS Group, to name the astro The PKS Arena.”
The company resulted from a merger of two well-known local firms and has backed Skilz their inception.
“This significant investment has allowed us to move forward with amazing plans for the PKS Arena,” said Mark.
“There are lots of opportunities for sponsorship and a lot of local businesses have begun to support us in that.
“We would love to hear from more.”
The community astro turf facility is only one strand of Skilz Academy’s success story.
It has four staff who co-ordinate a variety of projects.
Those include a six-days-a-week community project around health and wellbeing.
Their DJ Academy is an eight-week programme to help youngsters develop education and personal skills.
Skilz is also delighted with the early success of its Project Elevate initiative.
It aims to encourage girls and young women to become more active.
And Glow sports sessions which began in 2018 have now expanded across Angus.
