Ponds Forge to make £230k investment in new HD scoreboard

As part of a £230k investment, a state-of-the-art, HD scoreboard is being fitted at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield.

Supplied by Swiss Timing, the Daktronics board will be installed in the Olympic-sized swimming pool at Ponds Forge ahead of the start of the regional and national competitions season in March.

The 35m2 board, which is environmentally friendly to run, will have a video playback facility for use at major aquatics events.

Ponds Forge is run by SIV, which is part of the not-for-profit Sheffield City Trust (SCT) whose primary objective is to improve the health and wellbeing of Sheffield people.

Richard Apps, general manager of Ponds Forge, said: “Daktronics is a world leader in the supply of scoreboards and this investment will offer the ever-increasing number of aquatics events with a world-class scoring solution and video play back facility. The new scoreboard will also be more environmentally friendly to run, reducing energy costs.

“The upgrade is part of SIV’s not-for-profit objective of continual investment in facilities. It also demonstrates Ponds Forge’s commitment to hosting local, regional, national and international events, which help attract more than one million visitors to Sheffield each year and help bring in over £10m of economic impact to the local economy.”

Ponds Forge International Sports Centre provides Sheffield with a wide range of facilities for sport, leisure and entertainment.

Among these include a 50m competition pool with seating for 2,600 spectators and 25m diving pool and a new-look Fitness Unlimited gym, which has recently undergone a major refurbishment.

In June, top divers including Tom Daley will be competing for Rio 2016 places at the 2016 British Diving Championships at Ponds Forge.

Councillor Sioned-mair Richards, cabinet member for neighbourhoods at Sheffield City Council, said: “Ponds Forge is one of the city’s most prestigious sports facilities and is an excellent city centre venue, for everyone from children learning to swim through to Olympic-level athletes. I am delighted that the facilities there will be enhanced.”

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