£6m secured for Walsall sport and healthcare facilities

The University of Wolverhampton has secured nearly £6m in funding from the Office for Students (OfS) to invest in advances in sport and healthcare facilities at its Walsall Campus. 

The OfS is awarding £432m in capital funding to support investment in new buildings, facilities and equipment for universities and colleges across England. 

For the Walsall Campus, the University’s School of Allied Health and Midwifery (SAH) and the School of Sport (SoS) will be refurbished to create teaching facilities for strength and conditioning, injury assessment, injury prevention, diagnosis, prehabilitation and rehabilitation.  

Students studying for a variety of Undergraduate and Master’s degrees at Walsall Campus, including Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Podiatry as well as Exercise Science, Football Coaching and Performance and Strength and Conditioning, will benefit from the investment. 

Professor Damien Page, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing at the University, said: “Demand for our degree courses is high but our current facilities limit student numbers which is why securing this incredible amount of funding is an amazing achievement for the Faculty. 

“These refurbishments will enable us to increase student numbers on existing courses and expand our provision to Dietetics and Clinical Exercise Physiology, with the intention of enrolling many more students across these courses in the coming years”.

Susan Lapworth, chief executive of the OfS, said: “Investing in modern buildings and innovative equipment will help universities and colleges in England prepare students for their future careers. Modern laboratories and state of the art technology mean students learn with the best facilities. Our investment will also increase the provision of short courses that offer flexibility to boost the skills of the workforce. 

“Competition for funding was strong, with high quality applications from across the sector. The OfS-funded capital projects will ensure current and future students have a positive experience while studying expensive-to-deliver subjects that are strategically important to society. Taxpayers will feel these benefits too, as our investment will boost local and regional economies and support environmental sustainability.” 

The refurbishment project, due to start early in 2023, will overhaul existing facilities in the University’s Jerome K Jerome, William Penny Brookes and Sister Dora buildings at Walsall Campus.