It’s been a long time in the making, and while it didn’t actually come from the result of a competitive grant, there’s certainly been a lot of work done by many people over the years to finally bring about a multipurpose hall for Cleveland District State High School.
The aptly named ‘Paul Bancroft Centre’, in honour of long-time Executive Principal Paul Bancroft, is Cleveland’s long-awaited multipurpose teaching, sports, arts, performance and presentation space. At a cost of $6.6M (plus, plus) to build, fit out & finish-off, the hall delivers a magnificent venue for both school and community use.
Although not officially opened as yet, the space was a welcome relief for attendees at the recent end-of-year Awards and Graduation ceremonies and the first time that participating staff, students and their families have all been able to fit under the one roof to acknowledge student achievements. Fabulous retractable grandstand seating that hides away to nothing is currently being installed. From the start of next year, the hall will also be a great space for community partners, including Redlands United Football clubs and other sports and arts groups, who will use it out of school and on weekends for program delivery.
Multiple grant submissions and representations to elected representatives and Ministers over the years have helped to build the final case for the hall and bring it to reality. It really does demonstrate how significant infrastructure projects are a long-term initiative that requires planning, partnerships, positioning, persistence and of course passion, to finally achieve a result as good as this.
Congratulations to the whole Cleveland District SHS community who have been part of the journey.