Wick High School synthetic pitch opens to community

A £584,000 floodlit synthetic sport pitch for Wick High School will be opened tomorrow (Saturday 11th November, 2006) by Principal P.E. Teacher Gordon Beveridge and Janitor Ron MacKay.

Mr Beveridge and Mr MacKay will cut a ribbon to declare the pitch open at a ceremony attended by members of the Caithness Committee of The Highland Council and Council officials with the Education, Culture and Sport Service, and Property and Architectural Services, Wick Community Council members, Wick High School Board members and representatives from  local community sports clubs.

Pupils from Wick High School will provide demonstrations of football, rugby, and netball.

Construction of the pitch and floodlighting development was carried out by contractors, Malcolm Construction Services Ltd. working for The Highland Council. Funding for the development was been provided by The Highland Council’s Education Culture and Sports Service.

The pitch will be used as a multi-sports use playing surface by the school and the community by arrangement through the school. Types of sports which can be played on the pitch include football, hockey, shinty and netball.

Councillor Roger Saxon, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Caithness Area Education, Culture and Sport Committee said: “It is genuinely satisfying to finally see the Wick synthetic pitch open for business and valued by the community. I know from contacts with sports and community groups that this has been long awaited and will be well used by the community and the school. Bringing this project to fruition has taken a lot of work by numerous council officers in getting the funding and managing the project at all levels. I am grateful for the financial support given by the Council, which ended up paying the lions share. I would also congratulate the specialist contractor Malcolm Construction Services Ltd for a job well done.”

Alister Traill, Head Teacher Wick High School said: “This is a first class facility which will be of great benefit to the School and the Community in further developing Sport and Recreation.”

For further information please contact: Graham Nichols, Area Education, Culture and Sport Manager – Caithness, The Highland Council, Education, Culture & Sport Service, Rhind House, West Banks Avenue, Wick tel: 01955 602362.