Community Push to Revive Glenkens Sports MUGA

A community bid is being made to bring a sports pitch back to life. A steering group of Dalry Community Properties Trust is looking to take on the multi-use games area (MUGA) near the school. This would enable the use of the facility - which has been closed for over eight years due the growth of moss and algae on the surface - by local groups, schools, individuals and businesses.

Sarah Ade from the group said: “We have had a great response from the communities of the Glenkens to our shout-out asking who would use the MUGA. For a successful application for transfer of the space from D&G Council to community ownership we have to illustrate a strong case for community use and community benefit.

Members of the community along with some of the Dalry Secondary School basketball team in front of the Glenkens MUGA © Jim McEwan/The Galloway News

The feedback we have had will lend the application a lot of weight. There have been suggestions ranging from wheelchair basketball to walking football to tennis and ebike training. The space is really versatile, and the community are once again excited to be able make use of one of our key Glenkens assets.

"We have a really active group of young people who play basketball and it would be a brilliant place for them to practise. The school has a basketball team which would utilise the space, as well as using it for other sports."

Becca Nelson, the new Glenkens Asset Network Facilitator, said: "I'm delighted to see the groundswell of support for getting the MUGA back into use as a community facility, and am looking forward to supporting the team of volunteers in their efforts to achieve this."

Anyone who would like to comment on what the pitch could be used for should email glenkens-muga@outlook.com