Football stars visit Kingsland
West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble and Brighton & Hove Albion striker Bobby Zamora paid a surprise visit to Houghton Regis today to learn more about the Kingsland site and the local community by speaking to children as they formulate plans for a major regeneration scheme fronted by their Legacy Foundation.
The visit comes two months after CBC agreed a six-month exclusivity deal to work in partnership with the Foundation – a development company set up by the duo and former England captain Rio Ferdinand in 2015 – and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
Mark and Bobby visited the Kingsland campus to develop their understanding of the site’s key users. They met with young people from local schools, Houghton Regis Academy, Academy of Central Bedfordshire and Chiltern Special School, to listen to their thoughts and aspirations for the scheme and answer their questions before having a game of football.
Farewell Boleyn… Hello Kingsland
Speaking of his visit to Kingsland, said: “It was great to visit to show our support for a scheme we really believe in and an area that we really want to help make an even greater place to live. From the outset, when we created Legacy, we wanted to put sporting facilities and the educational facilities at the heart of the communities and when we met Central Bedfordshire Council they believed in that and fully believed in our scheme.”
Mark also told the children that captaining West Ham the night before in an historic 3-2 victory over Manchester United – the last ever match at the Irons’ 112-year-old Boleyn Ground – was his favourite moment as a footballer, calling it a “special” atmosphere.
Read more about the project on the Central Bedfordshire Council website.
From Central Bedfordshire Council
For more about the Kingsland project and to see exclusive photos of Mark and Bobby’s visit to Houghton Regis please follow Central Bedfordshire Council on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.