London Bridge businesses offer £60k boost to BOST sports garden

The cash from the Team London Bridge Building Bridges Fund will allow Bankside Open Spaces Trust to further develop the Marlborough Sports Garden in Union Street.

BOST was chosen from the 14 charities which applied for funding.

The sports garden – which has been taking shape since 2012 on the Marlborough Playground site – is not in the Team London Bridge area but is in the neighbouring Better Bankside business improvement district.

Available for everyone living and working in SE1, the sports garden it has a football pitch, sand court, basketball hoop, table tennis, patball wall and seating for those who just want to sit and relax.

The Building Bridges Fund will enable BOST to appoint a full time 'sports activator' who will develop and manage the range of activities available at the sports garden.

"Team London Bridge is delighted to be supporting BOST with our Building Bridges grant for the next three years," said Nigel Guy, chair of Building Bridges Task Group and owner of The Bridge Lounge on Tooley Street.

"Their ambitious programme to develop Marlborough Sports Garden into a year round asset for everyone in the local area really impressed our group members.

"We look forward to working alongside BOST and our BID members on the development of the sports garden itself and the programme of expanding sports participation into both residential and business communities locally.’

BOST director Paul Ely said: "Bankside Open Spaces Trust is delighted to have been awarded Building Bridges Funding by Team London Bridge to support the development of the Marlborough Sports Garden.

"BOST is seeking to create a unique facility at Marlborough and the TLB funding will enable us to ensure that the main beneficiaries are local residents and local businesses."