An Olympic Gold medallist and two Leyton Orient youth system products have opened a new pavilion and sports centre at Ive Farm Sports Ground in East London.
Hockey midfielder Helen Richardson-Walsh MBE opened the Feel Good Too sports centre alongside Orient defender Sam Ling, goalkeeper Charlie Grainger and ribbon cutter Clare Coghill, the leader of Waltham Forest Council.
Richardson-Walsh won gold at the 2016 Rio Games after converting a penalty in the dramatic shootout win over defending Olympic and current world champions Holland.
The £11m scheme in Leyton, masterminded by the main contractor Willmott Dixon is now the new home of the Leyton Orient FC Academy, which has moved from the Score Centre, which will now be redeveloped for housing by Taylor Wimpey.
The Feel Good Too Centre includes two floodlit all-weather pitches, a 60m running track, six volleyball courts, a fitness trail, 40 growing beds and a pavilion with changing rooms and a café.
Access to the pavilion is via three swing gates, and three huge architectural tracked sliding gates, the largest of the 4.5m wide, clad with 358 fencings, forming part of the building walls.
The innovative scheme was designed by Fifth Studio Architects, supplied by steel fencing manufacturer Zaun Ltd and installed by Zaun subsidiary Binns Fencing.
Councillor Coghill said: “This is a great new facility in Leyton that will act as a sports hub for the whole borough, as well as a place where residents can come along to keep fit, take part in sports and make new friends in the local community.”
