HUDDERSFIELD’S Galpharm Stadium can claim to be a focal point of the community.
Thousands of people pass through the turnstiles to watch Town and the Giants play – while the venue has also been the setting for musical events ranging from rock concerts to classical evenings.
But the stadium is much more than that – with a range of initiatives designed to ensure that the complex and its two clubs play a major part in the life of the town.
The business community is well served by a range of facilities, including a banqueting suite, corporate boxes and The Collinge Room, this last named after the late stadium executive Kevin Collinge, which has recently been refurbished to provide state-of-the-art furnishings and the latest technology such as a plasma screen and projection equipment.
The stadium has also teamed up with Huddersfield University to support the Sports Business Generator, a new project designed to foster new businesses in the sports and tourism-related industries.
Stadium chiefs are also backing The Zone, an ambitious project run by the Sporting Pride Community rust which encourages children to adopt a healthier lifestyle through sport and safe play.
The Zone, based at St Andrew’s Road, includes a massive adventure playground made from more than 2,250 metres of steel. The structure – named Kid’s Zone – has capacity for 250 energetic youngsters and includes five slides, eight ball cannons and two ball juggling machines.
The Zone dovetails neatly with the Fans of the Future initiative being run by Huddersfield Town and Huddersfield Giants to attract young people to the two clubs.
