A £125,000 new games area has been handed over to the people of Addingham ready for its official opening next week.

Addingham Civic Society, which was behind the project to build the multi-use games area between Main Street and Stockinger Lane, has taken over the facilities from contractor Dobson Construction.

The area facility will be used in earnest for the first time next week, when Addingham Primary School uses it as a key part of its Sports Week.

A number of local sports clubs are helping to run coaching and ‘taster’ sessions during the week and it is hoped that every child at the school will get a chance to use the games area.

On Friday, June 28, the facility will be officially opened for the village to use by Keira Heckman, the Addingham Gala Queen.

Villagers are invited to come and help celebrate the completion of the biggest project Addingham Civic Society has ever undertaken, and one that the society believes will have an enormous beneficial impact on the village.

The opening ceremony takes place at 4pm.

Project manager Keith Appleyard said: “This gives the village a great opportunity to develop new sports like netball and basketball that up to now could not be played in the village, or indeed anywhere close by. We also look forward to touch rugby, dodge ball, short cricket, and lots of other exciting sports being played.”

The games area will be used by local sports groups and clubs for competitive matches like five-a-side football and for the coaching of village hopefuls, particularly youngsters.

Most of the time it will be available for anyone to use without charge, except when floodlighting is needed. The embryonic Addingham Sports Council will be taking charge of managing the facility in the near future and will be encouraging the formation of new sports groups who can make use of the facility.

The games area has been principally funded by grants from Yorventure through funds generated by Yorwaste, and from landfill tax distributor Wren, with contributions from several national and local charities together with local businesses and residents.

The civic society previously created a new play area for children in the village, also securing outside funding.