Lord Sebastian Coe officially opened a new Covair sports dome at Bangor University’s Maes Glas sports facility, marking a significant milestone for year-round sport in North Wales.
The £500,000 project, part-funded by an £80,000 contribution from Sport Wales through its Calls for Action programme, provides weatherproof indoor tennis and netball courts for students, schools, and the surrounding community. Lord Coe, then chairman of the British Olympics Association and figurehead of the 2012 London Olympics, watched local youngsters enjoy coaching sessions inside the dome during his visit.
The installation reflects the growing recognition among universities that reliable, year-round sporting facilities are essential for both student participation and community engagement. Rather than competing for limited sports hall time, tennis and netball programmes at Bangor now have a dedicated, purpose-built space designed around the specific requirements of each sport.
Graham Williams, North Regional Manager for Sport Wales, highlighted the broader ambitions behind the investment. Sport Wales made £1.5 million of additional funding available through the Calls for Action project in 2012, and the Bangor dome represents one of the most visible outcomes of that commitment. The facility was specifically designed to serve the university’s student population alongside schools and residents from the surrounding area, with particular emphasis on increasing participation among women and girls.
Lucy Murray-Williams, North West Wales Netball Development Officer, highlighted the practical difference the dome makes for growing grassroots netball in the region:
“The dome provides a much-needed space in which we can grow junior netball and ensure that we have space for clubs and schools to train in the future. Typically we have to compete with five-a-side football bookings in sports halls, but having our own dedicated space will make a massive difference to the next generation of netballers in North Wales.”
The dome forms part of a wider investment in Bangor University’s sporting infrastructure, which also includes a new two-storey gym, aerobics studio, upgraded changing facilities, and a new floor for the main sports hall.
For Covair, the Bangor installation demonstrates how dome technology can serve the education sector’s unique combination of needs: multi-sport flexibility, community access, budget efficiency, and the ability to deliver consistent sporting programmes regardless of the Welsh weather.
Covair is the UK’s most experienced provider of sports facility covering solutions, with over 40 years of expertise in air dome design, manufacture, and installation.
