In recent years The Government has recognised that village halls, community centres and other charities that provide space and facilities for community services and activities can make an enormous difference to the well-being of their communities. It’s a sentiment borne out by a recent flooring upgrade for a much-coveted youth club and community centre in Nailsworth, in the heart of Gloucestershire.
The Nailsworth youth club and its associated community centre are based in a building that has a venerable history dating back to the 1880’s. Initially, a congregational school room attached to the local Chapel, it has become a sports and community hall for the youth club serving Nailsworth and the surrounding area. Today the club, established in 1960, is as busy as ever, opening four evenings per week serving a mixed range of ages from the wider community.
A recent refurbishment, due to the failure of the old Victorian timber floor in the sports hall, saw international flooring specialist Gerflor supply 104m2 of its world-renowned Taraflex® vinyl sports flooring to deliver the performance, looks and future proofing the youth club required. The Nailsworth Youth Club and Community Centre sports hall is used for a variety of functions including table tennis, meetings and events, therefore the choice of Gerflor’s Taraflex® Multi Use provided the perfect flooring solution to enable a host of the club’s activities and functions.
The Taraflex® ranges have been used by the largest international sports federations (volleyball, handball, badminton, table tennis) for decades. Through partnerships with these federations Gerflor has been present at the Summer Olympic Games since 1976. It’s an Olympic pedigree stretching back over an incredible 43 years.
Speaking on behalf of Nailsworth Youth Club, Committee Member and Project Manager for the refurbishment Malcolm Saville commented, “the wooden floor finish was becoming unstable and there were other issues with heating and lighting that could benefit from upgrading as part of an overall project.” Malcolm Saville went on to add, “the Gerflor Taraflex® Multi Use flooring was chosen after research and a visit from the company. The range of surfaces available, the quality of advice and information provided in the comprehensive brochure were all factors helping the Committee to choose Gerflor. The Taraflex® Multi Use solution is ideal for a number of activities including indoor football, table tennis, Zumba and Yoga.”
Taraflex® Multi-use is a P1 category sports flooring designed with both sport and non-sport use in mind, making it ideal for multi-purpose areas including school halls, youth clubs and community centres. It protects players with 25 to 35% of shock absorption, yet it’s tough enough to protect itself against non-sport demands often found in community centres such as the movement of tables and chairs. Taraflex® Multi-use is available in 5 wood-effect and 2 concrete-effect designs.
Malcolm Saville also said, “Gerflor had already been recommended by others within our close network, and our line marking company, Biddle told us that we had chosen the best floor for our required needs.” On performance and functionality, he also commented, “the new floor provides a forgiving surface for those who fall on it but is strong enough to withstand impact from heavy items like the weight of competition standard tables for table tennis, chairs for meetings and social activities.”
The fitting of the new Taraflex® Multi Use flooring was the responsibility of Bristol-based Rudge Brothers & James (RBJ Contracts) who have been supplying and installing commercially for over 45 years.
John Redford Contracts Manager, RBJ Contracts said, “Gerflor products are very easy to work with and as a company they provide timed deliveries which is critical because of site constraints.” John Redford went on to further comment by saying, “we received a thank you e-mail from the end user confirming they were very pleased with the floor at the hand over stage. We would certainly specify Gerflor products again.”
Several club and community members made comments ranging from,” the new floor surface is awesome to play football on”, through to “Just the right amount of grip and slide for basket ballers”, together with “a superb surface for Zumba, and much preferred to the original oak floor, thank you.”
Malcolm Saville concluded by saying, “the new floor has great appeal to our various user groups, and this means that we are the number one choice of local venues for a wide range of activities. I would certainly recommend the Gerflor Taraflex® Multi Use flooring to others.”
A final testament that sums up the Nailsworth Youth Club installation was from Tracy Young, Youth Club Leader who simply stated, “the Taraflex® Multi Use surface has improved the safety of our young people, and they are absolutely delighted”.