The Birmingham Mail reports on the state of Birmingham’s sports pitches:
http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2011/01/04/brum-s-sports-pitches-slated-again-97319-27927049/

From HRH Queen Elizabeth II’s Christmas Speech 2010 (emphasis ours):

… It is as important as ever to build communities and create harmony, and one of the most powerful ways of doing this is through sport and games.

During this past year of abundant sporting events, I have seen for myself just how important sport is in bringing people together from all backgrounds, from all walks of life and from all age groups.

In the parks of towns and cities, and on village greens up and down the country, countless thousands of people every week give up their time to participate in sport and exercise of all sorts, or simply encourage others to do so.

These kinds of activity are common throughout the world and play a part in providing a different perspective on life.

Apart from developing physical fitness, sport and games can also teach vital social skills.

None can be enjoyed without abiding by the rules, and no team can hope to succeed without co-operation between the players. This sort of positive team spirit can benefit communities, companies and enterprises of all kinds.

Could the ongoing wave of government spending cuts be the perfect opportunity for Kingsbridge to take on Holders Lane? Alun Thorne certainly thinks so. Writing in the Birmingham Post this week, Mr Thorne suggested that “Hundreds of libraries, care homes and leisure facilities in the West Midlands could be saved if they were placed in the hands of social enterprises” (Birmingham Post, November 15th 2010). The Kingsbridge Team agrees, and we believe that running the Holders Lane site as a social enterprise would be the perfect, cut-proof opportunity to breathe new life into a crumbling site, delivering the leisure facilities that local people in the area deserve.

Read the full article here.

If you’ve ever been to the Holders Lane site, you’ll know that one of the things that makes it extra special is the spectacular views over the city from the site.

I’ve just uncovered an article from October 2008 on this very subject, and I think the words are just as relevant now as they were then.

Birmingham Mail – What’s On – Days Out – A Walk In The Park: The Playing Fields at Holders Lane, Moseley.

Kingsbridge plans to make the most of this view, and the proposed new building, which would replace the crumbling ruin that currently stands on the site, incorporates a 1st floor gallery, with social spaces, that looks out over the site, and the landscape beyond – the perfect place to relax and unwind after a game!

I’m really excited to be welcoming you all to Kingsbridge Project’s new online home!

If you’ve been following Kingsbridge for some time, then thank you for your support and encouragement. We really believe that this project has a bright future and we’re looking forward to being able to share the journey with you through this website. If you’re new to Kingsbridge, or just want to know more, then please click on the ‘about’ tab at the top of the page to find out more.

New content on the way

We’re looking a bit bare at the moment, but we’ve got some fantastic content lined up that should be appearing over the course of the next few weeks, including a tour of the Holders Lane site where we hope to establish Kingsbridge, and interviews with some of the people involved in the project.

New design

Xander Ashwell of Xa Design has been chosen to design the visual elements of Kingsbridge Project, so watch this space for updates to follow the progress of our journey towards a logo for Kingsbridge.

I look forward to sharing our journey with you,

Stephen (Project Assistant)