Barry Hitchcock receives MBE
06 January 2010
Surrey Sports Park would like to congratulate Barry Hitchcock for becoming an MBE in the New Year Honours List, for services to sport and to higher education.
Barry Hitchcock retired from his role as Director of Sport at the University of Surrey last summer after 29 years with the institution.
Barry’s long-held drive and ambition to create a new, world-class sports facility at the University of Surrey is due to come to fruition early this year, with the opening of Surrey Sports Park.
His devotion to sport is well document. He led and inspired a department of over 30 full time and 100 part time staff and volunteers to work beyond their brief, providing and developing opportunities, facilities and raising the profile of sport at the University of Surrey and in the region.
Enjoying a national profile in sport Barry received two national awards from the British Universities and Colleges Sport Association for services to higher education; as Chair for four years and for his contribution to the amalgamation of the Polytechnics and University Sport in the 1990s. He also gained an award from Guildford Borough Council – the Mayor’s Award for his contribution to local Harmony.
Through his work with the British Universities Sports Association (BUSA), his connections locally with Guildford Borough Council, Surrey County Council and further afield, with Sport England and the National Olympic Committee, Barry’s influence has had huge impact.
Commenting on Barry’s achievement, Surrey Sports Park, Chief Executive, Jason Harborow said: “I am delighted that Barry has been recognised for all his effort and dedication to University sport."
Notes to Editors
About Surrey Sports Park
The Surrey Sports Park is due to open early in 2010 and will house some of the most up to date sports facilities in the country. As well as the swimming pool facilities, there will be glass backed squash courts with 2 show courts for 180 spectators, eight outdoor floodlit tennis courts, two new floodlit artificial grass pitches including one 3rd generation, a 120 station health and fitness suite and a 12m high Climbing Centre with unique bouldering facility. The 250 seat Starbucks Coffee House will be the first Starbucks in Europe to be housed within a multi-sports facility.
Not only will the Surrey Sports Park facilitate able bodied sporting excellence, it will also provide first rate facilities and access for disabled athletes and selection as an official training venue for the Paralympic Games in 2012 has emphasised its top rate provision for disability sport. For more information visit www.surreysportspark.co.uk.
About The University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is one of the UK’s leading professional, scientific and technological universities with a world class research profile and a reputation for excellence in teaching and research. Ground-breaking research at the University is bringing direct benefit to all spheres of life – helping industry to maintain its competitive edge and creating improvements in the areas of health, medicine, space science, the environment, communications, defence and social policy. Programmes in science and technology have gained widespread recognition and it also boasts flourishing programmes in dance and music, social sciences, management and languages and law. In addition to the campus on 150 hectares just outside Guildford, Surrey, the University also owns and runs the Surrey Research Park, which provides facilities for 140 companies employing 2,700 staff.
The Sunday Times names Surrey as ‘The University for Jobs' which underlines the University’s growing reputation for providing high quality, relevant degrees.
