Budding sports stars at Thornton Grammar School are to have state-of-the-art facilities after it clinched a £367,000 lottery award - the first school in the district to win major funding.

The cash will be used to rip up a 20-year-old all-weather pitch and replace it with a brand new artificial turf complete with changing rooms and floodlighting.

"All the children, staff and students are chuffed to bits about this," said John McGinnis, finance manager at the school.

"It represents 18 months hard work by a lot of people."

The award will go most of the way to paying for the new £610,000 facility with another £193,000 being met by the School's Funding Agency and the rest from Bradford Hockey Club and the council.

Work is set to begin as early as next week with completion expected in January.

The whole community will benefit from the new artificial turf, said head teacher John Weir.

"This is not only a significant advance for the school, but also provides outstanding facilities for the wider community."

The turf will be used by students during school hours - but when the final bell goes, community groups will be able to book and use it.

Bradford Hockey Club - partners in the bid - will make the facility as their new headquarters and will train and play their league fixtures on the new site.

President of the club Doug Akroyd said: "This is fantastic news for our club.

"It will give us a new permanent home and superb facilities for our members. We're looking forward to developing our training and junior coaching and working closely with the school to improve and promote hockey in the district."

The other main use is Bradford City Women's FC, who will also train and play there.

Coun Derek Kettlewell, chairman of the council's sports and recreation sub-committee, said he was delighted about the award which will enable them to further develop their partnership with the school.

The new facilities would play a key element in the council's sports development programme," he said, "Bradford Council worked closely with the school and the Sports Council on the application to replace the outdated pitch with a modern floodlit, artificial turf pitch and to refurbish and extend the existing changing facilities."

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