WORK has begun on the Eden Valley's new £1.2 million Community Sports Hall at Appleby.

Despite wet weather, developers Lambert + Gill removed 1,200 tons of soil from the site next to Appleby Grammar School and brought in 570 tons of sub-base stone. With a maximum of 60 men on site at the height of the build, the steel work is expected to be up by December 6 and building work completed by August 18, 2006.

Fund-raising continues as the build progresses as the local community has so far raised £25,000 of the £60,000 needed for their share of the cost. The project, which will provide sporting and leisure facilities for the whole community in the Eden Valley, has also received New Opportunities Funding.

Fund-raising has been going on in the area since the launch of the project on June 16, 2001. Appleby Alliance has been a driving force behind the scheme, making applications for funding to make the dream become reality.

This week, members of the steering group committee for the Eden Community Sports Hall project viewed the site for themselves.

Chair of the committee and Appleby Grammar School's Assistant Head Teacher Keith Scott said: "It is the time to hand over the responsibility for taking the project forward to the developers and the management group, which will encompass representatives of all the different sports and interest groups."

Member of the steering group committee and Appleby Alliance, the former Appleby Grammar School teacher Eric Wooff, said: "The new community sports facility will benefit not only Appleby but all the surrounding towns, villages and hamlets in this part of the Eden Valley.

"The plans are a vision which has been created in response to consultation with those who would use the hall.

"The facilities will serve the 3,000 residents of Appleby and the rural area surrounding it, as far as Kirkby Stephen and Stainmore, Tebay, Kirkby Thore and the East Fellside villages. It will be a genuine community facility which will enable the development of a range of both sporting and fitness programmes that will benefit all age groups, all abilities, all year round, with special reserved provision for younger and older groups. It will create an opportunity for all members of the community to take part in sports at all levels.

"We hope the new management committee will have representatives from all different interested groups, such as Age Concern for example who have shown an interest in using the facility. It will provide a facility for a wide range of sporting groups and organisations, as well as a venue for other activities such as yoga.

"Provision of a site at the school creates a perfect link to the community, making the facility easy to access by all. It will create a pathway for young people into lifelong enjoyment and participation in sport."

The Grammar School is leasing the land for the building of the sports hall for a peppercorn rent for 25 years.

l A website is in place offering up to the minute information about the project and can be found at www.sportshall.org.uk. If you would like to make a donation, you can go online or make your cheque payable to Appleby & District Community Sports Hall and pay it in at the Cumberland Building Society at the town end of Bridge Street, or send it direct to: Nick Swinscoe c/o Appleby Town Council, The Moot Hall, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria CA16 6XE.