Challenger - Kingsbrook College

As we enter the winter months, schools and colleges everywhere are faced with the dismal spectre of cancelled sports activities and frustrated children. Amid the waterlogged fields and overcrowded sports halls, the UK's leading artificial turf manufacturer, TigerTurf, has focussed it's attention on developing a solution that may go a long way to solving these problems.

With more than one quarter of all schools in the UK identified as having sub-standard specialist accommodation for the delivery of the breadth of sports education (following a review by her majesties chief inspectorate of schools), it has been more than a passing cause for concern. The report further highlights the high priority needed to be placed on external playing facilities, where all too often poor drainage renders much of what is available useless, with sports fields turned to mud in waterlogged conditions. This hits home most acutely now.

Enter TigerTurf; an international artificial turf manufacturer on a worldwide scale. They have addressed surface and climate conditions in the educational sector on four different continents. TigerTurf have looked at the issues UK schools face in requirements for all weather surfaces and have taken account of the bandwidth of the sports curriculum. Having analysed the problem, TigerTurf have developed the first surface that performs to FA community and FIFA standards for football, whilst characterising many of the FIH Hockey standards that make it a perfect surface for educational hockey.

The product, called Challenger, is the brainchild of TigerTurf's international Research and Development specialist Robbie Craven. Craven explains;

‽The UK education market is used to the Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) concept, but has been crying out for a chameleon like product that adapts to the needs of school and community. A surface technically capable of supporting the curriculum and durable enough to host community use. That's what Challenger does; it widens the opportunity to deliver a high standard of sports education to internationally recognised standards. If you're looking to spearhead a school and community bid then that's what Challenger is for - it's a winning formula when organisations are trying to attract funding.”

Challenger is a product that can be utilised for small sports areas at junior level as well as full sized pitches. An all weather surface of this nature means full delivery of the sports curriculum promise and a facility which will raise revenue. Who say's so? - well just about everyone does. Whether it is the school, the pupils, the Governors or the sporting professionals, one thing they agree on is that Challenger is special and does exactly what's written on the proverbial can.

"Challenger has changed our curriculum pattern overnight," says David Fennel, Deputy head and head of business development and enterprise at Kingsbrook Specialist Community College.

"No longer do we have cancelled matches, no longer do we have the situation where hockey is not taught, nor do we have to worry about the mud and the dirt. We have a pitch that is fully utilised all year round. In the evenings we have multiple use of it, already it is fully booked three nights a week from 6pm until 10pm. If you're going for one of these facilities involve your community.”

Governor Alan Walker concurs; "It's not just for the local catchments, we have people turning up in bus loads! Occasionally I'm involved in the veteran's football and I think it's fantastic. Players feel safe and that's a big part of it."

Revenue and a sustainable facility are the cornerstones to attract multiple funding streams, but the driver is of course the opportunity it creates for children. Phil Cousins, head of PE at Kingsbrook, provides a useful insight to what Challenger offers from a teaching perspective.

"It's a massive motivation tool, if they could, the kids would be on the surface all the time. Practice at lunchtimes has really taken off, they are rushing down from the changing rooms to get down to the surface. We have 80 students in our year nine group. I'm getting 50 to 60 out at football practice where a year ago on the grass, on a muddy, horrible winter's day, I'd get 15 to 20 at the most. Therefore I am now picking from 60 for a school team and we are obviously doing much better.”

Professionals in the sporting world are confident what facilities like these mean for schools and communities.

Steve Williams's head of Facilities for the English Football Association attended Challengers inaugural FIFA community standard launch day.

"The benefits are better skills, better opportunities to play the game to a higher level and bringing a better quality of player through for the Football Association in years to come.”

But the last word should of course go to the children. As One pupil put it; "when the weather's bad, one group can use the hall, while another group can go outside. You don't have to all coop up in one space”