New Sports Hall Adds To Hawthorn High Community “Hub”

At the official unveiling of a new Sports Hall today, Councillor Maureen Webber, Deputy Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, has welcomed the completion of a £1.5M investment to improve the sporting facilities available for school and community use at Hawthorn High School. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The opening of Hawthorn High School’s new sports hall marks the completion of what has become an exceptional sporting campus enjoyed by school pupils and the wider community alike, thanks to significant investment. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has delivered and part-funded the £750,000 full-size sports hall on behalf of the school, in partnership with the Welsh Government’s Welsh Challenge Cymru. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

It now forms part of an exciting community hub which also includes Hawthorn swimming pool, external tennis/netball courts, astroturf and changing rooms. While Hawthorn High School owns the facilities, pupils from surrounding primary schools and the wider community are also able to take advantage of the facilities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The total invested in the “hub” by the Council and its partners in recent years is close to £2m and also includes: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• Hawthorn Swimming Pool, which brought back into use following Council investment of £0.8M to repair the roof and make improvements to the facilities.
• Tennis/netball courts and changing rooms refurbished and improved by the Council’s education department.
• The ongoing maintenance of the community astroturf pitch, which was originally installed using Lottery funding the Council secured on behalf of the school.

Speaking after the official opening of the Sports Hall, Cllr Maureen Webber, Deputy Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and ward member for Rhydyfelin, said: “The opening of the new School and Community Sports hall marks the delivery of a substantial package of investment which has seen the pool repaired, improved and reopened, tennis and netball courts refurbished and a new Astroturf pitch installed. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As the Deputy Leader of the Council I am pleased that the Council has been able to support the development of such high quality sporting facilities on the site of Hawthorn High School with investment in one of our #RCTinvest priority areas. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As the local Councillor for Rhydyfelin I also appreciate the positive impact this investment has had and will continue to have locally with children attending local schools and residents from the surrounding communities all able to benefit from these fantastic facilities. “ ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​