Westcroft Judo Club will officially unveil its new £500,000 judo club based at Carshalton Boys Sport College this Saturday.

The new facility, an extension to the schools existing indoor sports facility, boasts a 10m x 12m contest area on a sprung floor and a minor spectator area. It was made possible by funding through the Community Club Development Programme (CCDP), which is an innovative collaboration between the the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Sport England and 16 National Governing Bodies.

The programme aims to bring with it flexibility to encourage creative approaches to enhancing club facilities and increasing participation by members of the local community -particularly those who are traditionally underrepresented in sports participation.

The club was identified by British Judo in 2004 as a judo club that needed significant improvement, and because of this it was presented as part of the Association’s submission for funding.

“Westcroft Judo Club met the criteria for the funding, as amongst other things, it had the potential to create a sustainable and viable sports club infrastructure. It could also link into schools and provide support and pathways for talented individuals, as well as meet the needs of the local community,” explains Mark Beecher, British Judo’s Development Director.

“It has taken four years from application to this point, and the club have worked with us to create a fantastic facility, which will be an asset to the entire Community.”

What was once a small club set up in 1996, on a squash court in a leisure centre, the club now boasts over 300 license holders with five players on the England squads. One of which was 2007 Youth Olympian, Kerry Ford.

Present at the opening will be Chairman of the British Judo Association, Densign White and the London Borough of Sutton’s, Head of Construction and Procurement, Paul Algeo.

The official opening ceremony will take place at 1.15pm with speeches, including words from British Judo Chairman Densign White and Westcroft Judo Club’s Andy Ede.

The opening will also be marked with a judo sessions for the members run by Densign White, a three times Olympian and World medallist.

Senior club coach, Andrew Ede, a former international himself said, “This is a fantastic opportunity to move forward, ensuring that Westcroft Judo Club is here for many years to come.

“Before this, we were spread across various venues. By bringing it all together now, we have made judo available to the wider community. Thank you to all who have been involved.”

Densign White, Chairman of the British Judo Association said, “The new venue is a credit to Westcroft Judo Club. The facility will be invaluable for the entire spectrum of judo player – from our grass roots participants’ right through to athletes competing internationally.”

“A club such as this also no doubt helps to attract and retain new participants into our sport.”

Charles Johnston, Director of Property at Sport England, said, "The new hall at Carshalton Boys College provides a high quality judo facility for participants of Westcroft Judo Club, the school and the local community. We are confident that it will become an important site for people wanting to make sport a regular part of their lives."

The club welcomes new members and details of club sessions times can be found on the club’s website www.westcroftjudo.com.

Anyone interested in attending a judo class can call Senior Club Coach Andy Ede on 0845 0560241.