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Brief History of Niagara
| Her Royal Highness
The Princess Mary Viscount Lascelles officially opened Niagara
Recreation Ground and Pavilion on Thursday 23rd August, 1928.
A fitting ceremony to mark over two years hard work and effort
by the City of Sheffield Police Recreation Society to acquire
the land, lay out the grounds and build the Pavilion.
The City of Sheffield Police Watch Committee
purchased the land, a former Victorian tip, from the Duke of Norfolk,
with a supplementary Exchequer Grant of £3,700. A National
Police Fund Gant of £1,000 to the Recreation Society enabled
the laying out of the grounds. |
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The National Police
Fund was set up in 1926 in appreciation of the demands placed
on Police Forces during the General Strike, the aim of the fund
being ‘The general welfare and benefit of members of police
forces of Great Britain by the provision of recreational and other
facilities calculated to promote their efficiency, for educational
grants for policemen and their dependants and for the support
of charities for the benefit of such persons being necessitous’.
The Fund is still in existence today and makes, on application,
an annual grant to the South Yorkshire Police Sports & Social
Club.
In 1926 the Chief Constable of
The City of Sheffield Police and President of the then Police
Recreation Society was Capt. P. J. Sillitoe (later famous for
his role in policing the Sheffield Gang Wars). The 673 members
of the Recreation Society paid a weekly subscription of 2d (old
pence) per week.
The pavilion at Niagara cost
£2,530 to build. The money was borrowed from a bank byway
of a long-term loan, but although full use of the grounds and
pavilion were made to raise addition funds, by the early 1930’s
all of the Societies subscriptions were being used to service
the loan. |
As the driving
force behind the provision of the grounds and facilities for the
welfare of his officers and their families The Chief Constable
approached the Home Secretary of the day and it was agreed the
loan would be settled by the Home Office and the building, in
addition to the land, would pass to the ownership of the Watch
Committee. To this day the grounds and buildings are owned and
maintained by the Police Authority. The Sports & Social Club
holding a long-term licence to share the premises.
Throughout the years good use has been made of the facilities
which include, or have included, outdoor terraces, running &
athletics track, large children’s play area (now police
dog training centre) football, hockey, rugby & cricket pitches,
bowling green, tennis courts and garden. In its day a popular
addition was the indoor games room built close to the pavilion.
As the sporting and recreational needs of the membership have
changed so the pavilion and grounds have evolved.
Over the years Official Parades, Police Athletic Association Championships,
Families Days, Sports Days, Competition Finals, Coaching Days
and The Star Walk have all been staged at the ground, whilst the
Pavilion has developed into a modern Conference & Leisure
Centre with a licensed bar. |
Niagara Falls in Sheffield |
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The autumn of 1980 marked the
opening of the Registered Club and employment of a full time steward.
Two further extensions financed by loans followed. The Official
opening conducted by Mr. G.H. Moores, Chairman South Yorkshire
Police Authority took place on Wednesday 8th September, 1982.
Full social and banqueting facilities were now available.
1994/1995 saw a major work, creating
a reception area, redesigned members bar, refurbished and upgraded
Niagara Suite to provide modern audio/visual systems to create
a multifunctional facility for social events and conferences,
positioning the Club to meet the changing demands and expectations
of the membership. |
Rising customer expectations,
advances in technology and a drive towards quality of service
and customer satisfaction created the need to refurbish the Niagara
Suite in 2003. With additional work to upgrade utility services,
install air conditioning, enable disabled access, provide additional
office facilities and create a slick, professional reception service
being carried out in 2004.
It seems appropriate to
conclude this brief journey through history with a quote from
a letter written on the 22nd February, 1929, by the proud President
of The City of Sheffield Police Recreation Society Capt. Percy
Sillito, Chief Constable to Lieutenant – General Sir Thomas
Scott, K.C.B.,C.B.,D.S.O. ‘Without any undue egotism, if
there is a better equipped all-round Police Sports Ground in this
Country anywhere, then I should like to see it…..’ |
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