MUGA To Open This Week

We are now able to provide details on how to use the new Stapleford Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA). In the next few days we will finalise the electrical work so the gate and lights work in tandem with the booking system. We will provide notice of an official opening day soon. We hope to finish work late this week (25th).

The first point to note with the new MUGA is that all access will be processed through an online booking system, which also has an app you can download onto your phone. Our friends at the Tennis Club have allowed everyone to book the MUGA via their ‘ClubSpark’ system – whether you end up being a member of the Tennis Club or not. The booking system is key because it will process any payments required, provide you with an access code for the gate and turn on the lights if they are required for the time of your booking. Note that the lights will be seasonally adjusted, coming on late in the summer and earlier in the winter. The courts are open from 8am to 9:30pm every day of the week. People arriving by car should use the Pavilion Car Park. There are bike racks nearer the MUGA itself.

The second key point about the MUGA is in the “M” for multi. We now have the capacity to host tennis, 5-aside football, netball and even groups wanting to “shoot hoops” using the basketball hoop. In conjunction with the Tennis Club we have agreed a weekly schedule that will stay in place for 1 year but will be subject to review after that, once we determine actual usage, etc.

We have two courts:

Court 1 can host Tennis, Football or Basketball.

Court 2 is capable of hosting Tennis or Netball.

There is a dividing net down the middle so balls should not escape into the other court and disrupt their play. The booking system will know what sport is possible when and you will see sports greyed out when it is not their day. We have made it such that tennis is playable on at least one court every day.  In addition, Football is also possible on Wednesday and Netball on Thursday. There will be no intra-day changing of courts capabilities as we simply do not have the person-power. Below is a table showing the weekly schedule:

When booking a court please go to:

WWW.clubspark.lta.org.uk/StaplefordTennisClub/Booking

or download the app “Booker” by Sportslabs Technology Ltd. Just select the date you want to play and then the time/duration. The application will then take you through the simple steps to complete your booking. Pay to Play is available up to seven days in advance.

Note that Tennis Club Members do not have to pay for any Tennis play but would need to pay if booking for Netball or Football/Basketball. Everyone needs to book courts to gain access to the facility. Non-Tennis Club members can simply use a social media account like Google to login and can book via the “Guest” facility.

For Pay to Play Tennis we will charge you £1.25 per half-hour, although there is a minimum booking period of 1 hour and a maximum of 2 hours. This will allow people to book the length of time that suits them but not to tie up courts for too long. For the other team sports the charge is £5 per half-hour with the same time limitations. All these charges will be in place for year 1 but the Parish Council retains the right to adjust as it sees fit. The aim is to cover ongoing costs and ensure we keep aside a sum for the maintenance and renewal of the facility at a later date. Please note that booking regular recurring periods for Football, Netball or Basketball (by clubs or associations) should be emailed to Cllr McPhater and the Clerk so they can be processed separately.

After booking you will get an email with your PIN code. This code is unique to your session and shouldn’t be shared. Please only let you and your fellow players in when playing. Do not allow anyone else access to the courts as everyone should have their own code and those codes are recorded and monitored so we know who is on the courts at any given time. The main gate has a key-pad. Simply enter the four-digit code and firmly push open the gate. On leaving, please pause and ensure the gate properly closes behind you to keep the facility safe. If you notice any untoward activity please let our clerk know at clerk@staplefordparishcouncil.gov.uk or, in extreme cases of vandalism or anti-social behaviour, just call the police as usual.

This has been a significant investment in our community using funds allocated to us via S106 payments from developers. We have taken those funds and created a real asset for the village. We hope it is something you can look to use and enjoy.