Dignitaries with buckets and spades signalled the start of work on the new Dover Sea Sports Centre on Dover beach this morning. Representatives of the many partners who have collectively raised £2.5 million to build this exciting new project gathered to start digging the foundations.
The new centre will replace the basic sheds on the beach used by various sports organisations in Dover Harbour with a brand new building designed for the purpose. When completed next summer it will offer a bistro open to the public as well as showers, storage and training facilities for the member organisations. These include Dover Watersports Centre along with Dover Rowing Club, Dover Life Guard Club and Deal Tri.
The centre is being built by the Dover Sea Sports Development Trust which represents these sporting organisations together with Dover Town Council and the Harbour Board. Chairman of the Trust, Bill Fawcus thanked the very many individuals and bodies who had contributed to the successful fund-raising drive. These included Sport England, English Partnerships, East Kent Partnerships, SEEDA, Dover Harbour Board, Kent County Council, Dover District Council, the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, the Amateur Rowing Association, the Crown Estate, Dover Town Council, Churchill Hotel, Hammonds and London Fancy Box together with hundreds of individuals who had participated in fundraising events.
Janet Waghorn, Chief Executive of East Kent Partnerships had co-ordinated much of the public sector sponsorship and said: "This building marks the start of the extensive regeneration programme planned for Dover as well as an exciting new sporting facility for all to enjoy."
