Operator chosen for Hove beach sports centre

An operator has been chosen for a beach sports centre set to open on Hove seafront next summer.

Yellowave, which already has a centre on Brighton seafront, has been chosen to run the new facilities by Brighton & Hove City Council.

The site, part of the multi-million pound Hove Beach Park project, will include three sand courts and a five-a-side beach soccer pitch.

Director of Yellowave Katie Mintram said: "We are thrilled to be able to bring beach sports to Hove."

Co-director Spencer Mintram said "as born and bred locals living in Hove, this site is even more special to us".

Hove Beach Park is due to be finished next year, although some sections are already open for public use.

Yellowave, which opened its Brighton site in 2007, offers all state schools 10 hours of free use of courts in the off peak season, an initiative it has confirmed it will also offer in Hove.

"Working with the schools that we attended as kids, to get more young people taking part in sand sports, life-saving and beach education is something we feel delighted to be able to deliver," said Mr Mintram.

The Hove centre will open as part of the Kingsway to the Sea project which aims to regenerate underused spaces in West Hove.

Yellowave Brighton was recently selected as a National Beach Volleyball Development Centre by the UK governing body Volleyball England.

Both the Brighton and Hove centres will offer a space for students to train as part of a new volleyball academy offered by Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College.

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