Austin Friars to develop Carlisle's first Padel court

Austin Friars, based at Etterby Scaur, is set to begin development of four new facilities – including the city's first purpose-built padel facility, a 3G pitch, an art and design centre, and a food technology department.

Chris Hattam, Headmaster at Austin Friars, said on the school's website that he hopes that making sports like padel locally accessible will inspire a new generation of athletes.

He said: "We are thrilled to have been granted the opportunity to pursue such exciting developments which will not only benefit the pupils of Austin Friars, but also allow us to engage with the city and wider community as a whole.

"We are deeply thankful to those who have contributed towards these projects and look forward to seeing their real-world impact on lives both young and old.

"Offering support to the community is a core responsibility of our School, and we will strive to provide access to these new facilities which will continue to be developed as time goes on."

In regards to the new football pitch development, Craig Lewis, Football Development Manager at Cumberland FA, said: "Cumberland FA is delighted to be working with Austin Friars and The Football Foundation to develop a 3G Pitch project on site. The school has enormous potential to become a thriving Community Hub for local Grassroots Sport including Football, Rugby, American Football and more.

"Having met with School staff, it’s very clear there is a strong determination to offer its facilities to the Community it serves, with the addition of a 3G Pitch only enhancing that offer further.

"We are now eager to progress to the next stages of Community Engagement to ensure the project is reflective of the school and wider community needs whilst ensuring we satisfy the requirements of the Football Foundation.

"We look forward to working with Austin Friars School going forward to provide a high-quality facility for Grassroots Football in Carlisle to enjoy."