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Creating High Quality Sports Facilites in Schools Across The UK
The Mill Primary Academy: A Case Study
From expert design to opening ceremony, The Playground Company ensures a stress-free project installation from beginning to end, delivering complete MUGA and 4G Football Pitch solutions that inspire students and can be used all year round.
BACKGROUND
The Mill Primary Academy
The Mill Primary Academy, Crawley, partnered with The Playground Company to bring their vision of a high-quality, all-weather sports facility to life. The aim was to create a versatile space that could be enjoyed by pupils during the school day while also generating additional revenue through community use.
After a detailed consultation process, a bespoke 39.3m x 26.9m MUGA and 4G pitch was expertly designed and installed, providing a durable, multi-use sports facility that could be used in all weathers for years to come.
Making It Happen
Following an extensive period of fundraising and collaboration with key stakeholders, the project became a reality.
The final steps to make the project feasible was a "Sponsor a Square" campaign arranged by the school.
This initiative involved local businesses as well as parents, carers and the wider community to have the opportunity to sponsor sections of the pitch.
The school will have an honours board for everyone who sponsored a square, as well as a pitch-side board to list the names of anyone who donated towards the cause.
SPECIFICATIONS
Project Deatils
The school needed a high-quality multi-use games area for daily student use and community rental income. We delivered a comprehensive MUGA installation built to last.
Features of this pitch includes an all-weather surface - the pitch itself is 4G, making it perfect for football matches, with a durable Multi-Play Artificial Grass perimeter border, giving spectators somewhere to stand during games. We also included bespoke graphics in the pitch, including the school's logo in the centre circle and their motto "Forever Proud. Everyone. Everything. Always" into the border surface.
Pitch Size 39.3m x 26.9m
SPORTS SURFACING
Choosing The Right Sports Surface for Your Pitch
We have a wide range of sports surfacing solutions for schools, playgrounds, Multi-Use Games Areas and public spaces - choosing the right surface is essential for the performance of the facility and to ensure longevity.
Surfaces like 4G are the premium surface for football, whereas Multi-Play is an all-round surface that can be used in MUGAs.
4G Artificial Grass
This is a non infill turf that combines the newest and most revolutionary yarn and tuft design to create a high quality, low maintenance, football pitch of the highest standard.
Laid onto a shockpad, it does not require sand or rubber infill which means less maintenance. Shorter blades make it ideal for multi-sport pitches, training pitches and smaller pitches such as 5-a-side.
Suitable for: Football and Rugby
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OPENING CEREMONY
An Opening Ceremony to Remember
As part of our opening ceremony package, The Playground Company invites guests, including former professional athletes and well-known personalities, to play a central role in celebrating new school facilities. For The Mill Primary Academy, we invited Dean Ashton to come down and have the honour of being the special guest at the event.
Q&A with pupils and staff
Ribbon cutting ceremony
Pictures with the school and visitors
Q&A with Head Boy and Head Girls
A key feature of this event was a hosted Q&A session, led by selected pupils. The Head Boy and Head Girls asked Dean Ashton questions about his career and adversities he had faced, including overcoming injury, as well as about the importance of taking part in football from an early age.
Ribbon Cutting & Speech
The event culminates in a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony, where guests are invited to say a few words to officially open the new facility. At this opening ceremony, pupils were then invited to gather outside of the pitch ready for the official opening.
Dean gave a speech to the pupils before he cut the ribbon to officially open the pitch - this opportunity to deliver an inspiring message and cut the ribbon marks a milestone for the school while aligning with a positive initiative that supports grassroots development.
Pictures & Signings
Following the ribbon cutting, the rest of the pupils and staff at The Mill Primary Academy were then invited to come and meet Dean where they were able to ask him questions, take pictures and get signatures. Senior members of staff then had their pictures taken with Dean outside of the new facility.
RESULTS
A Facility To Use For Years To Come
The Mill Primary Academy have worked hard to achieve this amazing space for their pupils, and now have a sports facility that can be used by students and the surrounding community for years to come. We are extremely proud to have been selected to be part of this project, and look forward to working with the school again in the future.
"We have been working with The Playground Company for over 2 years. They have completed a number of projects for our school, including fencing, climbing frames, role play areas and a 4G pitch. It has been a pleasure to work with Martin and his team during each project. All work has been completed to a fantastic standard and has completely changed the look of our school and provided excellent provision for our children and the local community. I would recommend The Playground Company to anyone looking to improve spaces around their school and we are looking forward to future projects with them."
Matt Eagle
Assistant Headteacher
CEREMONY PACKAGE
Why Hold an Opening Ceremony For Your MUGA?
An official opening ceremony builds anticipation and excitement among students. The ribbon-cutting moment and the presence of a guest celebrity make the new sports facility feel special and memorable. It transforms the installation from simply a new piece of equipment into a milestone event for the school. This enthusiasm encourages students to take pride in their new space and motivates them to use the facility for sport, exercise, and social activity.
Build Community Connection
Inviting pupils, families and local stakeholders celebrates and promotes your new facility, as well as creating a shared sense of ownership. This also strengthens existing relationships with the local community.
Media Coverage
A launch event provides an excellent opportunity for positive publicity. Local newspapers, community websites, and social media channels are far more likely to cover a celebratory event than a standard installation. Photos of the ribbon cutting, student participation, and celebrity guest appearances can generate engaging content that promotes the school or facility as a place investing in health, wellbeing, and opportunities for young people.
Lasting Impact
Holding an opening ceremony event elevates the importance of the project. It marks the facility as a significant investment in the school’s future and creates a memorable moment that students and staff will remember. Photographs and videos from the event can also be used in future marketing and newsletters to demonstrate the positive impact of the facility.