SAPCA The Sports and Play Construction Association

We are delighted to announce the finalists for the SAPCA Awards 2025. From an extremely strong field of more than 40 entries, the judges have chosen a total of 13 finalists across the 6 categories. The finalists are: SAPCA Person of the Year 🏆 Louis Keeley, Senior Consultant, Labosport 🏆 Adam Collier, Head of Sales, Fordingbridge SAPCA Young Person of the Year 🏆Teddy Edwards, Project Co-ordinator, JHP Electrical Services Ltd 🏆 Ryan Latto, Field Technician, Sports Labs 🏆 Lewis Turnbull, Apprentice Electrician, Halliday Lighting Small Sports or Play Project of the Year (under £350k) 🏆 Portico Sport: Club de Padel – a four-court padel club development in Deansgate in the centre of Manchester 🏆 Jupiter Play & Leisure Ltd: Stanway Community Centre – an inclusive play area for Colchester City Council Large Sports or Play Project of the Year (over £350k) 🏆 Jupiter Play & Leisure Ltd: Minehead Butlins – Interactive play area 🏆 total-play Ltd: Bradford Park Avenue Cricket Ground – a 10-lane “cricket shield” 🏆 DYNAMIK Sport Surfaces: Coronation Square – Largest multi-sport sports flooring and acoustic walling project in the UK Sustainability Award 🏆 Herculan (Herculan Sports Floors): A new, 100% recycled indoor polyurethane sports floor solution 🏆 POLYTAN SPORTS SURFACES (UK) LTD (Polytan GmbH) / McArdle Sport Tec Ltd: Rekortan Gel GT – a non-porous athletics track surface Product of the Year 🏆 Polytan Sports UK / McArdle: Rekortan Gel GT – a non-porous athletics track surface 🏆 Carbon8Lighting / JB Corrie & Co Ltd (JB Corrie): Retractable Sports Play Lighting Tower Commenting on the finalists, Colin Corline, SAPCA’s Technical Lead (and member of the judging panel), said: “We want to thank all member companies that submitted entries for the SAPCA Awards 2025. We received more than 40 submissions and the panel had a tough task in picking the finalists from a very strong field." The winners will be announced at the SAPCA Awards Dinner on Thursday 27 February 2025 at Emirates Old Trafford, Lancashire Cricket Club in Manchester. SAPCA chief executive, Richard Shaw, added: “As in 2024, the SAPCA Awards 2025 will highlight the social value generated by the facilities our members create. This is important because, to make the case for increased funding for facilities, we need to show how our projects deliver outcomes in health, education and social cohesion. “The move to highlight the social value is part of a long-term strategy to grow the impact and recognition of the SAPCA Awards. While SAPCA’s core mission is focused on the technical standards and quality of construction projects, we also want to celebrate the positive impact that the facilities created by SAPCA members make in communities across the UK.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/dqnbrCFK #SAPCAAwards #sports #sportsconstruction

The home nation sports councils (Sport England, sportscotland, Sport NI and Sport Wales) – have now recognised pickleball as a sport. In addition, Sport England has recognised PickleballEngland as the national governing body in England. Invented in the USA in 1965, Pickleball combines elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis and is played both indoors and outdoors. In a statement, Sport England said: "“During a rigorous process, PickleballEngland demonstrated they met the strict criteria required to run and represent the sport, showing good governance as well as having established delivery mechanisms in place and plans to increase participation." Read more: https://lnkd.in/eiSbt8uP #pickleball #tennis #sport #racketsports

We held our SAPCA Sports Lighting Division meeting yesterday (16th December) in London. Primarily aimed at those involved in floodlighting – including consultants – the meeting was attended by a number of governing bodies, who discussed and consulted on their plans. These included England Netball, England and Great Britain Hockey and England Athletics. Discussions also included a SAPCA Code of Practice for sports lighting and how we should move forward with the division in general. Thanks for all those who attended – including Charlotte Malyon, Ed Hunt and Joanna Hawley. #SportsLighting #lighting #SAPCAQuality #sportsfacilities #floodlighting Richard Shaw, Colin Corline

SAPCA member, Notts Sport Ltd, has named Duncan Bennett as its new Chief Executive. At the same time, Andrew Earnshaw has moved from Export Director to Managing Director. “Duncan has consistently demonstrated outstanding skills, leadership qualities, and a commitment to excellence,” Notts Sport said in a statement. “He has played a vital role in delivering Fast Track Funding and ShockWave to the market and has shown exceptional professionalism throughout his time with Notts Sport. “We are confident that he will continue to thrive in this new position and contribute significantly to the team’s success, where he will be responsible for setting the organisation’s vision and strategy.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/gKGGtQWR #SportsSurfaces #SyntheticTurf #sport #sportspitch #turf

This year’s SAPCA The Sports and Play Construction Association Technical Meeting was a historic one, as it was the first one held outside Loughborough University since the event’s launch in November 2010. The new surroundings at the East Midlands Conference Centre, which is part of the University of Nottingham campus, provided a fresh look for the one of the sports facility construction industry’s most popular gatherings. With a record number of 223 delegates in attendance, the 2024 edition was kicked off by former Microsoft technology leader, Allister Frost. Frost delivered a thought-provoking keynote on the importance of having a future-ready mindset. This was followed by a comprehensive programme of seminars and sessions discussing technical updates and sustainability issues. “Since its launch in 2010, the SAPCA Technical Meeting has grown to become crucial date on the industry calendar, providing an unparalleled programme of seminars and workshops on the most important technical topics of the day,” says Colin Corline, SAPCA’s Technical Lead. “Networking is also a big part of the event and it was great to see so many colleagues from across the sports and play industry, representing national governing bodies of sport and other key sector organisations." Read more: https://bit.ly/3Vr9M0J

SAPCA member, Thorn Lighting, and Zumtobel UK – lighting brands of the Zumtobel Group – have announced a partnership with English Championship club, Sunderland AFC, to provide a comprehensive lighting upgrade at the club’s home venue, Stadium of Light. The project represents part of the club’s most significant investment in its stadium in over two decades and aligns with Sunderland AFC’s long-term sustainability goals, including its aim to become energy self-sufficient by 2028. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gDqKXmU8 #SportsLighting #Floodlighting #sport #Football

The latest issue of SportsNation is now out. Be sure to read a report from our recent Technical Meeting and also the thoughts of our CEO, Richard Shaw, on why decisions over the types of sports facilities do not need to be about choosing a winner between health outcomes and the environment. Read the issue here: https://lnkd.in/ezaMu-Eh #SportsNation #Sport #SportsConstruction Colin Corline, Tom Walker, John Challinor

A huge thank you to SAPCA members who have raised a total of £1,340 from tonight's raffle, at the Technical Meeting, for the Be More Laura Foundation. The foundation funds and supports research specific to Glioblastoma. Laura had begun her first term at Kings College University in London when she became ill, just six weeks into her first year. She was diagnosed with Diffuse Glioblastoma Multiforme, which is the most aggressive Stage 4 brain cancer. After gruelling treatments and bravely fighting the disease, Laura passed away on 22nd May 2023. Brain tumours receive only 2% of the money spent on cancer research - despite being the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40. 75% of this research is funded by charities. We are proud to support Be More Laura to drive more funding to this crucial area of care. ❤️ Read more about the foundation here: https://lnkd.in/eCgzWBDa

Great day at the SAPCA The Sports and Play Construction Association Technical meeting 🙌

After a super-quick turnaround, we're ready for the SAPCA Technical Meeting networking dinner.