‘To improve the quality of life for the deprived community of Horton Grange, Bradford through the provision of sports facilities, integrated with a healthy living centre, located in the heart of the community, targeted and programmed to meet local needs.'

To deliver this project, KKP managed an extensive consultation process with the community, assessed its feasibility and produced the  ‘Making the Case’ document for the scheme. This included the business, management and sports development plans to extend and develop community sports facilities at the Grange Interlink Community Centre, Horton Grange, Bradford in conjunction with a Healthy Living Centre.

The document detailed the benefits and positive outcomes that follow the joint provision of sports facilities along with a Healthy Living Centre. It also described the programmes that will be put into place to ensure that services and opportunities offered reach all sections of the community. It included capital estimates, outlines the business planning that supports the proposal and describes the demand upon which it is predicated.

Horton Grange is an area of extreme deprivation. The two wards which make up this community – Little Horton and University are ranked 42nd and 104th respectively in the National Index of Local Deprivation 2000. There are, even in the wider context of Bradford, very high levels of residual and long-term unemployment and crime, limited opportunities, low income levels, poor health, poor housing and low aspiration levels in the community that will be served by the new facilities.

The application, prepared by KKP, was submitted by Grange Interlink Community Centre working in partnership with a group of organisations that include:

• Bradford City Primary Care Trust
• Bradford Sport Action Zone
• Manningham and Girlington SRB4
• Bradford College
• Bradford MDC
• West Yorkshire Police
• Horton Grange Partnership

Proposed new facilities included sports hall, fitness suite and meeting rooms and outdoors included floodlit ‘street corner’ informal activity areas, tarmac surfaces with basketball hoops and football goals etc.

The local communities of Horton Grange celebrated as the ‘seven year dream’ finally became a reality when the new Grange Interlink Community Centre opened on 4th April 2005.