Sporting professionals open QAC's fully accessible sports centre

On Tuesday 13th January 2015, we were thrilled to be opening the doors to our new £1.4 million sports hall which will enable accessible sports to be played by our students and the wider community. England Women’s Cricketer Tammy Beaumont, and Ateeq Javid of Warwickshire County Cricket club joined us, along with the WBA mascots, to formally open the Bradbury Sports Centre.

Following two years of extensive fundraising, the sports hall development will provide all students with regular and consistent access to a sports facility designed with people with disabilities in mind. It will enable all students to participate in inclusive sports activities including wheelchair basketball, rugby and cricket.

The opening ceremony was followed by a variety of sports demonstrations to visitors including Boccia, Judo, Dodgeball and a range of wheelchair sports.

This particular project was made possible from the support of a number of organisations who donated to the project. Birmingham Royal Institution for the Blind (brib), Bradbury Foundation, The Clothworkers’ Foundation, The Connie & Albert Taylor Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation and The Beatrice Laing Trust were among the many Trusts & Foundations who supported our efforts. Local companies and supporters also got involved, taking part in events and activities as part of QAC’s fundraising efforts.

Hugh Williams, QAC Principal comments “This facility will make a significant difference to the lives of our students, as they will all now be able to participate in fully inclusive sports. We support almost two hundred students at Queen Alexandra College, all of whom are unique with their own strengths and abilities. The Bradbury Sports Centre will enable these individuals to access sport on a level that previously may not have been available to them, and will help them to build valuable skills as well as improve mobility and fitness levels. We were thrilled that Tammy Beaumont and Ateeq Javid were able to take time out of their busy schedules to join us today and this only added to the occasion”.