White Horse Contractors are on the Ball

White Horse Contractors is positioned to provide expert consultation and self-delivered construction of sports facilities. Understanding the requirements of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) projects and providing specialist input, White Horse Contractors is up to date with all legislation and industry recommendations, such as the FA's 'Football Facilities in Schools' document.

As suppliers of artificial and natural sports turf solutions, White Horse Contractors is aware of the need to deliver high standards for sports facilities in schools. Football is one area in which grass roots development is key. The FA has its own set of criteria for ensuring schools and communities have the best surfaces on which to play, and facilities to use.

By investing in specialist state of the art plant, White Horse Contractors provides professional pitch development based on the needs of individual school sites. As the FA's document states: "Each school has its own constraints and challenges," and it is this area that White Horse Contractors specialises in, from the planning and designing stages through pitch construction and ongoing maintenance.

Although targets can vary between schools, the fundamental needs are generally the same when looking at sports pitch construction. As experts in this area, White Horse Contractors provides a professional design service, meeting the FA's guidelines. For example, the layout and location of a sports pitch should appeal to local community users, as well as school pupils, encouraging its use by all local residents, without encroaching on school areas solely dedicated for student use.

Turf quality plays a big part in the longevity of a sports pitch. The FA, together with the Institute of Groundsmanship and Sport England has devised the Performance Quality Standard (PQS) for natural grass pitches, providing a recommended minimum quality standard for the construction and maintenance of pitches. White Horse Contractors ensures good design and construction practice is employed to meet site specific carrying and usage capacities.

Robert Donald, Managing Director of White Horse Contractors is confident that BSF programmes benefit from the company's expertise, commenting: "We work closely with schools and major building contractors on all sports turf projects to help develop a pitch suitable and appropriate for their needs. By staying abreast of all industry guidance, such as The Football Association's 'Football Facilities in Schools' recommendations, we can make sure that PQS levels are met whilst considering the needs of students and the local community alike."

For further information on White Horse Contractors visit www.whitehorsecontractors.co.uk