The first phase of an ambitious plan to revolutionise sporting provision at Oxford has been realised.
Iffley Road has been at the epicentre of sport at Oxford for over a century, and is perhaps most famous for being the venue where Sir Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile in 1954. But over time, increasing student numbers, growing sports clubs and limited resources have put the site's facilities under pressure. 'Although Oxford is a world-leading university, we were trailing behind in terms of sporting provision,' says Jon Roycroft, Director of Sport. 'We knew that things needed to change.'
In June 2018, Oxford celebrated the opening of the Acer Nethercott Sports Centre, a state-of-the-art facility incorporating a spacious four-court sports hall, refurbished café, changing rooms and the Gallie-Lewis-Dean Gym. More than 450 donors have committed a total of £4.3 million towards the building, which will play a key role in helping the University to increase participation in sport and exercise.
'When we first walked in we were blown away,' says Isabelle Cooper, a third-year geography student and Captain of the Oxford University Netball Club. 'It just feels so professional, and the floor is really great too!' Inlaid with hundreds of LED lights, the new glass floor illuminates at the touch of a button, enabling players to switch effortlessly between the line markings for different sports.
Before the Acer Nethercott Sports Centre was constructed, the University relied on just one modest hall space to serve more than 40 indoor clubs. 'Having two halls to choose from doubles our options,' explains Isabelle. 'Now we can train at better times, and we're no longer competing with every other club in order to get prime-time spots.'
By redeveloping the Iffley Road site, the University hopes to make a major contribution to the wellbeing of its students and staff, and the local community. 'Ultimately, we want to provide an inclusive and accessible home for all who wish to engage with sport,' explains Jon. 'And with the opening of the new sports centre, we're now one step closer towards realising this vision.'