You may have noticed major works going on behind Lowfield School since July 2011. This development is called U-Mix, and will become a state of the art sports and play facility and create a new park for both young people and the wider community. Work is scheduled for completion in May, with an opening event to be held in July to coincide with Olympic celebrations.
Public consultation has been going on throughout the project, including extensive work by Urban Mixtures. This is a group of young people who have been trained to consult with their peers to make sure the facility will meet their needs and fire their imaginations. Football Unites Racism Divides (FURD) are the major voluntary sector organisation who will deliver programmes on the U-Mix site, which will also become their new base. Other local and city-wide organisations who have helped channel public input into shaping the centre include Parks and Countryside, Sheffield Futures, Lowfield Primary School, Sharrow Forum, South Yorkshire Police, the Madina Masjid Mosque, the Roshni Women’s Group, St Wilfred’s Centre, and the Mathews Medical Centre.
So what has all that input helped create? U-Mix and Lowfield Park will include the following fusion of inspiring facilities: Flood Lit Synthetic Sports Pitch; Adventure Play; Community Garden; Open Grassed Area with Seating; Dance Studio; Multi Gym; Performing Arts Space; Activity Hall; Changing Rooms; and a Resources Library and IT Suite. Wow! There will also be training opportunities, especially for young people not in education, employment or training (so called ‘NEETs’). Money for U-Mix has come from MyPlace (Big Lottery), the Football Foundation, Playbuilder and Sheffield City Council Capital Funds.
Watch out for the opening in July, and grab your part of the U-Mix fun. For more information, contact Ian Blakemore of Sheffield City Council on ian.blakemore@sheffield.gov.uk
The Lowfield U-Mix site will also become the first UK ‘Field Lab’ for innovation in urban outdoor physical activity, through an EU funded project called ProFit. The project will provide dynamic sports and play facilities with a focus on Fun in Outdoor Exercise. Alan Williams, ProFit Project Officer says ‘Members of the local community have been involved in a User Needs Workshops to look at how we create a fun and stimulating environment based around novel outdoor exercise equipment. We want to make Sheffield the most innovative active city in the UK.’
If you would like further information on ProFit please contact Alan Williams on 0114 2736218 or
alan.williams@sheffield.gov.uk
IT'S HAPPENING IN HEELEY! 
Posted on April 2, 2012 by aphrakitee
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