A NORTH Craven PE teacher has hit out at the lack of sporting facilities available for youngsters in the area.

Mark Glover, head of PE at Settle Middle School, says that at the very least there should be an astro-turf all weather pitch with floodlighting for local children to use after school and in the evenings all year round.

Ideally, he would like to see a purpose built sports hall on the land behind the middle school with the existing all weather pitch refurbished to include lighting.

He told the Herald: "We have good outdoor facilities, we have a small gym, which is fine at this time of year, but when it comes to the winter, it is dark at 3.15pm, and there are absolutely no facilities for football, rugby, hockey and so on. There's no astro-turf, there's no floodlighting, no sports hall big enough, so everything stops from October through to about January.

"There's nothing for the kids to do in an evening. That's why there are groups of kids wandering the streets, sitting on Settle Town Hall steps. If there was a sports hall or an astro pitch for them, they would use it."

Realistically, the only way for such facilities to be provided would be by some form of grant, probably from the National Lottery, said Mr Glover, and that means someone with the time and expertise to head up a bid, do the paperwork and get people together.

"We have rugby and football clubs who would use it, and there is a hockey club which meets on a Sunday morning. It needs someone with the time to do it. If you are full time working you don't have the time to fill in one of these bids, they are so complex," added Mr Glover.

There are 300 pupils at the middle school and a further 600 at Settle High School. Add to that members of local sports clubs and you have a large number of people who would be the core users of a new sports hall or astro-turf pitch, explained Mr Glover.

Every single week there are sports matches after school in Settle, but after autumn half term these have to stop because it is too dark.

As a result, the children are left in a position where their skills could be better, but the lack of facilities to practise is letting them down.

Mr Glover said: "At the moment the Government is saying that children need to get out more, play more sport.

"Also you get councils and so on complaining about vandalism and kids hanging around the streets. If there was somewhere they could go to do sports, the problem would be solved.

"You feel sorry for the kids because they have nothing to do. People are telling them they need to get out more, but they have nowhere to go."

Mr Glover would like to hear from anyone who feels they might be able to give the time and commitment to putting together a lottery bid for facilities, and anyone with an interest in getting an astro turf pitch and/or sports hall in Settle.

He can be contacted at Settle Middle School on 01729 823636.

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