New outdoor squash courts unveiled in Birmingham to increase access and boost community engagement
Ark Victoria Academy together with England Squash has officially opened two brand new outdoor squash courts following funding from Sport England.
The courts were officially opened yesterday with top England squash stars in attendance, including Birmingham’s own Sarah-Jane Perry, one of England’s Commonwealth Games silver medallists.
Made possible by the investment from Sport England, the state-of-the-art courts are a collaboration between England Squash and Play Innovation. They aim to build on the community engagement work in Small Heath as part of the Birmingham 2022 legacy by providing permanent facilities for the local community to improve health and wellbeing.
Since the Games, Small Heath has been a priority area for England Squash. As one of the more deprived wards in the city, it faces challenges such as poorer health and lower activity levels within the community.
Ark Victoria Academy was selected for this initiative due to its strong ties to the local community and commitment to providing students with new opportunities.
The courts will serve the school’s 1,500 students and also be available to the wider local community. The school has already trained six teachers to lead squash sessions, along with 10 students who have become squash leaders.
Perry, a former world no.5, praised the initiative: “The new courts are top notch, and it's amazing to see so many young people gaining access to outdoor squash facilities. These courts highlight the important work being done by England Squash to drive awareness of the sport to new audiences. I’m hopeful this marks the beginning of a new wave of future squash stars from the area."
Joanna Rowbottom, Head of Partnerships and Communities at England Squash, said: "We’re excited to unveil these new courts at Ark Victoria Academy. Our goal is to bring squash to more people in spaces like schools, youth centres, and parks, and embed squash in the community.
“Our outdoor pop-up court activations in the Birmingham region have had a huge impact on raising awareness and sparking interest in the sport. These new permanent facilities help to build on that, providing an accessible place for people to play, significantly reducing the number of participation barriers that so many diverse communities continue to face.
“While squash is traditionally an indoor sport, making it visible and accessible outdoors is an important step in expanding its reach and growing interest. These courts are also conveniently situated near indoor squash facilities, making it easy for students and community members to take their game to the next level.”
Marco Boi, CEO at Play Innovation said: “We’ve been designing outdoor games and courts for 14 years now, so when the opportunity came to build more outdoor squash courts with England Squash, we were all in.
“These courts are a real game-changer - they show just how creative you can get when fitting squash into existing spaces. They’re obviously smaller than a full squash court, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned at Play Innovation, it’s that kids see things really big which means the court doesn’t have to be.
“We’re looking forward to working with England Squash on some further outdoor court projects - watch this space!”
Ela McSorley, Executive Principal at Ark Victoria Academy said: “We are so grateful for our new squash courts; they have been transformational, and both students and parents have loved using them. We are thankful to England Squash and Sport England for delivering these facilities for our school and the wider community.
“The launch event was a huge success, we were delighted to have squash royalty in attendance and loved getting involved in the action and inspiring our first cohort of squash leaders.”
Hannah Ahmed, a year 10 student, said: "The new squash courts have completely transformed our sports options at school. I had never even considered playing squash before, but now I love it! It’s fast, fun, and a great way to stay active.”
Yahye Abdulahi, also in year 10, added: "I didn’t know anything about squash before, but now I look forward to every session. It’s such a fun and fast sport, and I love that our school is giving us new opportunities like this.”
