Damilola Taylor Leisure Centre receives makeover

A Peckham leisure centre has been quipped with a state of the art artificial sports area as part of a makeover geared towards encouraging more local adults and children to participate in outdoor activities.

With the previous surface at the Damilola Taylor Centre having reached the end of its natural life, the London Borough of Southwark, which oversees the day-to-day management of the leisure centre, decided to invest in a new system to rejuvenate its sports offering in the local community.

Following a competitive tender issued by Bailey Garner Architects, leading manufacturer, TigerTurf UK Ltd was selected to produce a replacement surface, primarily for football use. The result was the successful installation of a TigerTurf Soccer Real 60XQ 3G surface, completed by leading sports surface contractors, Agripower.

Boasting FIFA 1 and 2 star accreditation; TigerTurf's Soccer Real 60XQ is a premier football product that meets the needs of professionals and the community alike. The third generation synthetic turf system has a 60mm pile height and comprises two unique profiled fibres; part-filled with rubber and sand which enhance the overall playing characteristics Thanks to the blend of two unique profiled fibres, the system is not only extremely durable, but also maintains the look of a luscious playing surface throughout its entire lifespan.

The Damilola Taylor Centre offers adults and children from the London Borough of Southwark the opportunity to play a number of sports, including Football, Badminton, and Basketball, as well as taking part in street dance sessions, trips and discussions. Thanks to the Centre's floodlit 7 a side area, the facility is also able to host sports leagues and tournaments during school holidays. With the new surface now in place, the Centre's management will also be able to increase the availability of the facility for casual hire to local sports clubs.

The refurbishment contract also included the installation of replacement fencing and pavements, to ensure the Centre is well-equipped to allow a greater number of local residents to make use of what was once a tired-looking facility.

Paul Langford, Managing Director at TigerTurf UK added: "With the community of Southwark relying on the Damilola Centre so heavily to give them access to sports facilities, a top quality playing surface is essential. We were keen to breathe a new lease of life into what had become a very tired-looking playing area, and our Soccer Real 60XQ system is the perfect match for players of all ages and abilities."

Mark Swatton, Project Manager at Agripower added: "Once again, the Agripower team worked quickly and efficiently to ensure the installation of the pitch was completed within a week, which meant the leisure centre could re-open its doors to the public as soon as possible."