Willmott Dixon has begun work to deliver a new £1 million sport rehabilitation centre in Leicestershire.

The contractor is building the Get Busy Living Centre near Melton Mowbray with a number of local partners, many of which are offering their services, materials, time and expertise for free.

The facility, which is supported by the Matt Hampson Foundation, will help support those who have suffered catastrophic injury through sport and their families.

The project will see a derelict aircraft hangar on the Burrough Court Estate transformed into a modern rehabilitation facility.

Features include building an adapted access road linking the existing Twyford Road to the site of the centre, as well as the construction of a new structural frame based on the original footprint of the building. In addition, a mezzanine floor will be built, doubling the floor space and extending the length by one third.

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Matt Hampson, a former rugby player who suffered a life-changing accident during a training session in 2005, set up the Foundation to offer support and assistance to those who have had similar life-changing events.

He said: "It's an almost surreal day after years of talking about the centre to see work begin and the project officially underway. The centre will be so important and really change the lives of its beneficiaries, offering physical and mental support and rehabilitation after life-changing injuries.

"We are so grateful to our project partners and it was great to see many of them represented at our ground-breaking ceremony. This is a huge step forward for both the centre and for the Foundation as a whole, and we would not be here if it was not for their support and generosity."

The project partners include: Willmott Dixon, professional services firm MDA Consulting, architects Corporate Architecture, engineering consultants Couch Perry Wilkes, Salus and BSP Consulting, PR and marketing agency Cartwright Communications, mechanical and electrical design and build contractors Derry Building Services, earthmoving, ground engineering and restoration contractor, Barton Plant, and supplier, Peter Bennie, both part of The Bennie Group, and supplier GRS Roadstone Limited.

(LM/MH)