Facilities review gathers pace

The Guernsey Sports Commission’s review of sporting facilities is picking up pace as the island and local sports clubs and activities return to normal following lockdown.

The Commission is undertaking this major data gathering exercise to audit all sports facilities in the island as part of its work towards delivering the aims and objectives of the Active 8 Plan for Sport.

‘Knowing what we have, who its owned and operated by, how and when it’s used and by who is a critical part of the Commission’s wider facilities workstream,’ said Steve Sharman, the GSC’s Relationship Director leading the project.

‘We are aiming to provide a comprehensive library of facilities so we can clearly see where there may be gaps and where improvements can be made or where certain facilities could be used more effectively and more efficiently or by different groups at different times,’ said Steve.

The research work is being carried out by Amy Fallaize who is excited to be out and about meeting those who are responsible for the island’s sports venues.

‘We are really lucky with all the facilities we’ve got for such a small island,’ said Amy.

‘There are lots in private ownership as well as sports clubs, centres and States-owned sites, but if you add in all the church halls and community facilities used by sports and other physical activities, then the list is really impressive.

‘With just the few people I have spoken to so far, it’s amazing to see how much islanders care about their sports clubs, volunteering hours and hours of support in lots of ways.

‘As a player you don’t often think about how many people work so hard to keep the facility you use up and running and ready to go,’ said Amy.

During lockdown Amy focused on background research listing and mapping sites on a parish by parish basis and preparing a pre-questionnaire aimed at finding out details of the facility such as size, usage, age profile of users etc, before setting up face to face meetings with those involved in managing the facility.

‘I’m excited to get out and meet people in person,’ said Amy.

‘In my research so far I have spotted places I didn’t know existed and the ones I did already know about, now that I’ve visited them, I can see there’s much more that goes on than I realised.

‘It’s really positive that people are looking to improve and develop their facilities and have a good partnership with the Sports Commission and hopefully through this research we will have a clearer picture of what we have and maybe what we still need.’

Amy will be continuing to contact all Guernsey sports facilities in the coming weeks and she continues gathering all the information and data needed to inform the Commission’s final review.

‘We want to ensure that Guernsey’s vision for sport is underpinned by the best possible facilities that are accessible to all. Amy’s research will help us do that,’ said Steve.

‘We will aim to publish our findings later in the year and the Commission is looking forward to working more closely with sports organisations and those who own or manage sporting facilities to ensure that Guernsey remains well-served by its amenities both now and in the future.’