Local celebrity Thomas Turgoose has spoken out in praise of the new Play Zone in Grimsby’s Grant Thorold Park.
The multi-use games area was officially opened on Friday 25 April. The facility will give residents a space to play a range of sports including basketball to football, with a pitch size of approximately 30 by 20 metres, in built goals, hoops and line marking.
Operated by the nearby Shalom Youth Centre, access is granted via an online booking system to ensure fairness and safety.
Turgoose, who spent a lot of time at the Shalom Centre in his youth, was joined by members of the local community at the opening event.
He said: “I think it’s brilliant, this is the first time I’ve seen it in full flow and it’s just great. You have an idea of what these things might look like when they’re built and open, but this is amazing and is such a nice surface for the kids to play on.
“Speaking to the people who are using it, the kids absolutely love it which is, of course, the main aim.”
He added: “It’s somewhere they can feel safe and enjoy playing and that’s important. When I was their age, we had places to play, but nothing as good as this.
“For me, the whole idea of sports is it’s a great escapism, nothing else really matters and you can forget about what’s going in your life and just enjoy doing something different.”
The project is funded with 75% of the total cost from the Football Foundation. The remaining 25% comes from Safer Streets grant funding and NELC funding sources.
Part of the Gi Grimsby News team since 2020.