Loreto Convent School: Kusuma Sports Hall
Gibraltar’s community benefits from state-of-the-art space for sports, music and drama
The Kusuma Sports Hall at Loreto Convent School has much more to offer than your average school gym. As well as dedicated spaces to play netball, football, hockey, rounders, badminton and tag rugby, it has a modern stage area with a high-tech lighting and sound system – perfect for music and drama performances.
At both ends of the building there are ‘living walls’ (vertical gardens) plus a gardening area with an organic fruit and vegetable plot where pupils can learn about nature and food. The hall houses six purpose built classrooms, three of which are dedicated to the Loreto pre-school and nursery pupils. There’s also an outside covered area where they can play.
We contributed a grant of £450,000 for the hall, which was officially opened in December 2017 by Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo.
- For every £1 the school raised towards the sports hall, the Kusuma Trust Gibraltar donated £2, to a maximum of £450,000.
- The Kusuma Sports Hall was opened by the Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo, on 7 December 2017.
- Since opening the hall has hosted events for the whole school community and the public, including fitness classes, a summer school and music festival.
More than 460 students, 60 staff and many more members of the community are benefitting from the space, which is available for public, charitable or social groups outside of school hours and during the holidays. It’s already hosted fitness classes, a summer music festival and summer school for Loreto pupils and the public. The award-winning Gibraltar Gym Squad, which includes Loreto pupils, has trained extensively in the hall.
The Kusuma Sports Hall was built as part of the school’s major improvement works. Founded in 1845, the independent junior school caters for boys and girls from nursery to 12 years old, preparing them for the local comprehensive schools and for entrance examinations to schools in Britain.
“The wonderful Kusuma Sports Hall has transformed the sporting life of our school. As an all-year-round facility, it provides space for all Loreto children to enjoy and develop their sporting skills and fitness levels – so important in today’s world. It also has the first living wall in Gibraltar and has influenced the new government schools, which are now installing living walls in their new schools.”
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