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Memorial Games Area Opening Ceremony

Updated on
Parishioners and guests turned out in force
Parishioners and guests turned out in force

Extracted (by permission) from Lauren Howard’s Hampshire Chronicle report of the opening ceremony, with some minor updates.

MeGA plaque
The MeGA commemorative plaque

RESIDENTS in Compton and Shawford will no longer be confined to a simple kick about in the park on a Sunday afternoon.

After a competition to choose the best name, the new Memorial Games Area (MeGA) was officially opened last Friday (April 4) by a group of locals who had been volunteers at the London Olympic Games in 2012.

Children from the nearby schools and their parents joined with parish councillors and MP Steve Brine for the inauguration at the site, near to the Jubilee Pavilion, which has created new sports provisions for the entire community.

The development started in autumn of last year, funded by the Winchester City Council Open Space funding programme, and works were completed in February.

MeGA in Action
The MeGA in action on opening day

The Memorial Games Area consists of an all-weather terrain for the purpose of five-a-side football or basketball — said to be capable of handling even the heaviest of rain — with new pathways around the court, a seat and a spectator rail.

The nearby memorial walkway will have a map board similar to the one at the foot of Shawford Down.

An area to the north has been seeded with grass and wild flowers to create a natural wildlife habitat.



Full text of the Press Release by Una Stevens, Chairman of Compton and Shawford Parish Council
Compton and Shawford turned out in force to our Memorial Playing Field, for the official opening of the Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) at 4pm on Friday, 4th April, as these photos show. We were delighted that our MP, Steve Brine could attend, accompanied by his children, Emily and William, as we all appreciate that he has a very demanding schedule. Our two District Councillors, Councillors Jan Warwick and Mike Southgate were there to support us. The head-teachers of our local schools, All Saints’ Primary and Shepherds Down Special School were also present, on the last day of term, as was Stuart Dunbar-Dempsey, representing the Open Spaces Fund. As Olympic Volunteers from our Parish arrived, Councillor Southgate introduced them personally to Steve Brine, before they cut the ribbon, to open the MUGA.

Competition Results

As the Parish Council had decided that the acronym MUGA was not as attractive as it could be, a competition was launched to invite residents of all ages to provide an alternative name. The winner was Adrian Walmsley, whose suggestion was readily adopted and appears on the plaque, as The Memorial Games Area, dedicated to all those from our Parish who fought and died for their country. In the children’s section of the competition, Oliver and Isobel Sadler were the winners, their title being Percy’s Park and Geoffrey’s Games area, remembering two of the seventeen members of our Parish, who died in The First World War. Michael and Leon Grinevich were runners up. All the children were delighted to receive their respective free entries to Marwell Zoo.

Acknowledgements

On behalf of Compton and Shawford Parish Council, I would like to thank most sincerely the Open Spaces Fund for all its support, and Marwell Zoo for its very generous prizes. Our Sports Club ensured that a local ale, The Royal Green Jackets, from the Itchen Valley Brewery, was readily on tap, after the opening ceremony, confirming, as ever, our Hampshire roots. Finally, and most importantly, we must acknowledge the unstinting efforts of our Playing Fields Convenor, Councillor Myra Wilkinson, who has worked relentlessly to realise this project.