A new 3G sports pitch has been opened at a secondary school.

The new facility at Testwood School in Totton was officially opened on Friday, March 7, by GB Paralympic gold medallist Aaron Phipps MBE, a former student of the school.

New Forest District Council (NFDC) contributed £120,000 towards the pitch, which will be used by the school and the wider community.

Councillor Dan Poole, portfolio holder for community, safety, and wellbeing, said: "We are delighted to have been able to work in partnership with the school to ensure that we have such fantastic facilities that support future community participation.

"We continue to work with the school and the partner clubs to ensure that the development plan outcomes are achieved, including seeing more girls playing football, cricket, and rugby.

"Not only have we supported financially through the £100,000 in community infrastructure levy (CIL) funding and a further £20,000 through our community grants programme, we will continue to work with the school to manage the facility and ensure that it is financially self-sustaining so that it will continue to be a community asset for many years to come."

Tim Webber, headteacher at Testwood School, said: "We are extremely grateful to New Forest District Council and our local partner sporting organisations for their investment and collaboration in this fantastic project.

"This facility will benefit both our students and the wider community, ensuring sport remains a central and fulfilling part of people’s lives."

More information on CIL funding and community grants can be found on NFDC’s website.