New era for Hurlingham Park
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
19/11/2008
Hurlingham Park in Fulham is set for major investment after the council struck a deal for a international polo competition to be held for one week in June.
The agreement has seen World Polo Ltd, the sport's first franchise based polo tour, plough an initial £200,000 into the park so that it is continued to be enjoyed by the community the whole year round.
As well as being looked after by the council’s award-winning grounds maintenance contractor, Quadron, the grass area of the park will be renovated for the polo by the same company that look after Chelsea FC’s pitch.
In addition, a brand new long jump pit and shot put area will be built after the tournament and an enlarged grass athletics track will be installed. This means that schools and clubs who currently use the park will benefit from improved facilities the whole year round.
Cllr Paul Bristow, cabinet member for residents’ services, said: “This really is an excellent deal for residents who regularly use Hurlingham Park. We have negotiated hard with World Polo Ltd and are pleased that they have agreed to invest such a large sum of money on our park.
The competition has also received a warm welcome from residents. Caroline Scott, 60, of Hurlingham Road, said: “I think this is a terrific idea. People often see polo as an elitist sport but I think it will be really fun and it will make this area known for something.”
The council is also working to ensure that all clubs who may be inconvenienced during the week of polo are rehoused. There will also be no disruption to school sports days.
As part of the launch, H&F Council will be giving away 100 free tickets for local people and another 250 tickets at a discounted price of £15. Details on how you can claim you free or discounted tickets will be announced in the near future.
A special community event will also be held on Sunday June 7 where local people will be able to learn more about the sport of polo. More details on this will be announced soon.
Residents will be able to learn more about the polo festival and the major improvements set for the park at meeting to be held on Wednesday 26 November, from 6pm to 7.30pm at the Hurlingham Park pavilion. People are invited to talk to the organisers and ask questions. The meetings will be informal and people will be able to drop in throughout the evening. Information and fact sheets will be available to take away.
The competition will take place from Thursday June 4 to Saturday June 6, 2009. The event will feature a minimum of six teams, representing cities across the world such as London, Paris, New York, Sydney, Buenos Aries and Mumbai, in what is set to be an adrenaline-fuelled and action-packed contest.
