Redbridge Sports and Leisure is set to embark on its next phase of development following a successful two-year fundraising campaign to build a new Olympic-standard sports hall.

The local leisure Trust has been awarded £250,000 from the London Marathon Trust towards the cost of a new 12 court indoor sports hall which will accommodate badminton and netball.

The grant forms part of the funding needed to complete the £6.3m project and will feature a 12-court badminton/3-court netball hall along with seating and viewing facilities, health & wellbeing studios and changing rooms, and represents the tenth capital development in the 38 year history of the Barkingside-based Charitable Trust.

The new hall is an ambitious project, and forms part of the wider facility which has been designated a Pre-Games Training Venue for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Centre also has aspirations to provide the games-time training requirements for several Olympic and Paralympic sports.

Most importantly the new sports hall represents the continued growth in facility provision offered for the local community by Redbridge Sports & Leisure, and it is hoped that the new hall will increase participation in sport within the borough, especially for key target groups such as young people of all abilities and disabled users.

Work is scheduled to start in August 2010 and be completed in the summer of 2011 ready for use by the newly accredited Redbridge Badminton Performance Academy and the Essex Metropolitan Netball League, along with a number of local sports clubs and individuals who will be keen to try out the new facilities.

Chief Executive Ken Leggate said "We are delighted to have received this generous award from the London Marathon Trust, which will add to the £2million we are able to contribute from our own resources."

The centre will work with local schools and community groups to help increase participation in sport and get people more active.

Chairman John Hill added "This award comes at a critical point, when we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop our facilities and attract some serious legacy benefit to Redbridge".

The London Marathon Charitable Trust receives the trading surplus generated by the London Marathon Limited and distributes it by way of grants to support community sports facilities and develop recreational projects. The amount raised each year runs into millions and is used to help hundreds of projects in London.