Newly Refurbished Basketball Court Officially Reopened in Bridgend
Maesteg Welfare Park and Caedu Park have officially reopened their community basketball and netball courts today following extensive renovations, thanks to funding from the Sport Wales Court Collaboration Fund via Welsh Government Capital investment.
Three courts across Bridgend have been transformed as part of a collaborative £223,000 project involving Sport Wales, Wales Netball, Tennis Wales and Basketball Wales, with the works managed by Bridgend County Borough Council. The initiative aims to increase participation and widen access to sport for Welsh communities.
The investment comprised £167,250 from Sport Wales’ Court Collaboration Fund alongside £55,750 from Bridgend County Borough Council’s Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Fund.
Official Reopening Ceremony
The opening ceremony was attended by Jack Sargeant MS, Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership, Stephen Kinnock MP, Council Leader John Spanswick, Mayor of Maesteg Cllr Gavin Thomas, Deputy Mayor Cllr Paul Davies, and several local councillors.
Representing Basketball Wales were Head of Performance Ryan Chambers, Participation and Inclusion Officer Sam Gilbert, and COO Gavin Williams. Basketball Wales President Phil John also attended, together with the newly formed Maesteg Miners Basketball Club chair and committee members.
Representing Sport Wales at the event was Fay Benningwood, Relationship Manager for Basketball Wales and Wales Netball.
The event featured speeches, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and on-court activities for pupils from St Mary’s & St Patrick’s RC Primary School, delivered by Basketball Wales and Wales Netball.
About the Court Collaboration Scheme
Launched in 2022, the Court Collaboration Scheme brings together Sport Wales, Basketball Wales, Wales Netball, and Tennis Wales to revitalise community facilities and ensure inclusive access to sport.
The scheme focuses on:
- A shared commitment to help more people play sport in community settings.
- Joint use of facilities, enabling each sport to grow individually and collectively.
- Revitalising underused spaces to unlock community potential.
- Creating safe, inclusive courts with sustainable management and community programmes.
To achieve this, the scheme provides capital investment to regenerate multi-sport community court facilities that cater for at least two of the partner sports.
Voices from the Day
Cllr Paul Davies, Cabinet Member for Bridgend County Borough Council, said:
“We are thrilled to have worked in partnership with the Court Collaboration Scheme and delighted to announce that the basketball and netball courts at Caedu Park and Maesteg Welfare Park are now available to the community.”
Basketball Wales COO Gavin Williams added:
“It’s great to see such high-quality dedicated basketball courts in this beautiful park. I’d like to thank Louise Connolly from Bridgend Council for all her work on this and the other projects she has managed in the area. The results are fantastic!
The Sport Wales Court Collaboration Scheme is a great opportunity for local councils to utilise to help create new or upgrade existing courts or spaces across the whole of Wales, to benefit basketball netball and tennis. It will be wonderful to see a local player from the Maesteg area using these new facilities to practice and refine their skills, and one day become a Welsh international and Commonwealth athlete.
For more information on on the Sport Wales court Collaboration grant email – selaw.trops@truoc
A Boost for Local Basketball
As part of the celebration, it was announced that Maesteg Miners Basketball Club—a newly formed local team—has joined the South Wales Basketball League at under-14 level for the coming season. The club is actively seeking new players aged 11–13 (boys and girls).
Training takes place every Tuesday, 4:30–5:30 p.m. at Maesteg Leisure Centre. Interested players can contact Coach Ed Ellis at moc.liamg@sillenywde.
With the courts now reopened, residents across Bridgend will have more opportunities to pick up a ball, get on court, and aim high.
