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One of Bahrain’s leading schools is splashing out in the region of BD400,000 on covering its open-air swimming pool and providing more facilities for community activities.
International middle-distance runner and former professional footballer Gareth Holloway has joined St Christopher’s School as academy director to spearhead the initiative.
At the start of the summer holidays work commenced on the construction of the building after Poulliades Construction Company (PCC) was successful in its competitive tender following a process of due diligence by the school’s board of governors.
Principal Ed Goodwin said: “With the completion of this exciting project we will have one fully-serviced, six-lane covered pool at Saar and an eight-lane open-air pool at Isa Town giving us by far the best swimming facilities of any school in Bahrain. In addition, the new activity spaces will allow us to increase and strengthen the large number of activities we provide for our own pupils, parents and the wider community.”
This new structure is of a similar design to the other school buildings on the Saar site and will match it in appearance, as PCC recently built the infants school. As well as the pool, inside will be an office and three gym/activity rooms over two-storeys.
The pool will have a heater and chiller to maintain a satisfactory water temperature and the building will be connected to the school’s whole-site air conditioning system. The entire project is scheduled for completion by January 2013.
In a letter to parents this week, Mr Goodwin added: “This exciting new building will allow swimming to occur year-round and the scheduling of events will no longer be determined by the weather. But that’s not all, in addition to the pool project, a storage facility is being converted into changing rooms/showers and toilet facilities that can be accessed directly from the sports field.”
Mr Goodwin added: “The second storey of this building will contain yet another activities space. There will be an elevated link between this space and the new pool building. These developments will not only help us to develop our day-to-day PE, sports and extra-curricular programmes, but will also lead to an increase in the range of activities that can be offered to our students and the community in the early evenings, weekends and, perhaps, school holidays.”
Mr Holloway, a 42-year-old father-of-two, who arrived in Bahrain last week, says he is ‘excited’ by the challenge of overseeing the development of such activities.
He told GulfWeekly: “As a former Head of PE, I have several years’ experience of working in different schools in England and Wales.
“My sporting experience extends back to my days as a former Great Britain international endurance athlete.”
He also has extensive playing and coaching experience in many sports – on the football front the former Cardiff City apprentice played in the Welsh League and was also a minor counties cricket player.
“I believe in sport for all,” added Mr Holloway who holds an honors degree in recreation and leisure management and sport development, “and my industry experience extends to managing the day-to-day operations of leisure and activity centres at Cardiff Athletics Stadium and Cardiff Harbour Authority.
“I am very much looking forward to working and living on this lovely island.”
