Construction of the UK’s largest sports hall is approaching completion, with a topping out ceremony held at the new Mayesbrook Park Sports Arena in Dagenham, east London.

VIPs from Barking and Dagenham Council, as well as the developer SportHouse, the contractor Morgan Sindall and members of the design and engineering team gathered to celebrate the milestone.

The arena has been designed by LRK Associates and features a 5,000m² sports hall, a 1,000m² gymnasium and changing facilities. It is expected to be delivered on time and to budget.

“A topping out is akin to a ship naming ceremony, an age-old ritual designed to shield the ship from harm,” said Peter Jacobs, Morgan Sindall managing director. “In our case, the ceremony is about making sure athletes have a facility that offers the very best for their training needs and that Mayesbrook itself allows for many more athletes to flourish in the future.”

The British Olympic legend Daley Thompson launched the project back in May 2011, having trained at the old Mayesbrook sports club during his illustrious career. He said: “I hope young athletes from Barking and Dagenham will take advantage of the new facilities. Maybe some of them will even make it onto the Olympic podium one day.”

Mike Stimson, owner of SportHouse, said: “This is an exciting project and will leave a lasting legacy that creates opportunities for the local community, the wider community and young, aspiring sports people.”

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