Roller Barrier Boosts MUGA Fencing Security

MUGA facilities provide schools, colleges and communities with many useful benefits. In this post we look at what MUGAs are and consider the need for appropriate security precautions. What is a MUGA? The MUGA acronym stands for Multi Use Games Area. These are multi purpose facilities designed to enable people to enjoy a variety of sporting activities such as tennis, netball, basketball, football and more. These facilities are particularly useful to schools, sports clubs and communities as they are a cost effective way to make efficient use of limited space. A MUGA can be designed and implemented for almost any sport. Sport England, in partnership with the Sports and Play Construction Association (SPCA), has published useful guidelines for the design and construction of MUGAs, including multi-sport Synthetic Turf Pitches (STPs). Principle Types of MUGA and STP Guidance from Sport England defines and describes five principle types of MUGA or STP. The primary differences relate to the MUGA surface types and their suitability for various sports. Type 1 MUGA surfaces use open textured porous macadam, suitable for ball rebound sports with tennis as the priority. Other sports such as mini tennis, netball and basketball are secondary options for this type of MUGA and the surface is suitable for wheelchair sports. Type 2 MUGA surfaces are also suitable for ball rebound sports but in this case netball is the priority with secondary options including basketball, tennis and mini tennis along with wheelchair sports. Type 3 MUGA refers to polymeric surfaced areas where netball is the priority sport with tennis, mini tennis and basketball as secondary options. Wheelchair sports are supported by this type of MUGA. Type 4 MUGA surfaces are polymeric surfaced areas typically used for basketball, five-a-side football, general sports and recreational training and play. A polymeric surface is a rubber surface adapted for use as an all-weather sports surface. These surfaces have greater shock absorbency and lower surface friction which makes them unsuitable for tennis or netball. Type 5 MUGA surfaces are suitable for a wide range of sports including football, five-a-side football, hockey, athletics, rugby and more. They can be synthetic turf areas surfaced with a shockpad. Although a MUGA may appear to be a simple construction the specific requirements that apply to various sports means these facilities need to be designed and implemented by organisations with relevant knowledge and experience. Its also essential that proper quality control procedures are followed throughout the construction. Benefits of a MUGA MUGA facilities in schools, colleges and communities provide many benefits including significant savings. They require no maintenance, unlike natural grass sports fields that require grass-cutting, line painting, seeding and more. And they enable single areas to be used for a wide range of sports which further reduces the costs involved in maintaining multiple facilities. MUGAs are all-weather pitches enabling them to be used all year round. Artificial MUGA surfaces are free draining which means that, unlike standard grass pitches, they don’t flood or become muddy, slippery and hazardous. And they stand up to the rigours of constant use, unlike grass pitches that can be quickly worn and ruined by constant football. MUGA facilities also enable educational establishments to develop wider physical education programs offering a greater range of sports. The wider variety of sporting options means a greater number of students are engaged in valuable physical activity. Schools are also making money from their MUGA facilities by renting them out during the school holidays and other times when the facilities aren’t being used by students. MUGA facilities are often designed with input from young people regarding what they want. They generally include goals and clearly marked pitch areas that are attractive to youngsters who no longer need to use their pullovers as goal posts. Regular exercise is recognised as a significant benefit to mental health, helping people cope with depression, anxiety, stress and improving their sleep. And the social aspects of taking part in sports, along with meeting people at the MUGA facilities, provide additional mental health benefits. MUGA Examples MUGAs are versatile, space-saving, cost effective and varied. There are now many excellent examples of MUGAs of all types throughout the UK. A Manchester primary school commissioned and installed a MUGA to meet their needs for a running track along with the lines and pitch markings necessary to support football and basketball. The construction involved a 5mm rubber shock pad under the surface and line markings in various colours for the supported sports. Their new MUGA surface is now not only used during PE lessons but is also popular before school, during breaks and with a wide variety of after school clubs. Another school MUGA has enabled a specialist sports college to not only support the needs of their students but to also gain valuable additional income. Their MUGA pitch is now operating at around 90 to 95% capacity, compared to their pre-MUGA rate of around 50%. This is enabling the establishment to recover the cost of the MUGA over a period of just four to five years. And Bedford Borough Council has reported the success of their MUGA and outdoor gym installation. This included a premiership MUGA with open goal ends and a full body workout gym. Located in a community park, the installation site presented some challenges during construction. But the completed project has been recognised as a major success with equipment and facilities in regular use by people of all ages. This is all part of an effort to tackle obesity and promote general health and wellbeing in the local community. MUGA Vandalism Unfortunately, some MUGA facilities have suffered due to vandalism. In one case a MUGA was forced to be closed for over two months after equipment, fences and bins had been damaged. In another case, vandals set fire to the MUGA surface, causing significant damage. Sadly the facility was forced to close and the council were unsure as to when it would reopen to the public. The Need for MUGA Security Users of MUGA facilities are left devastated when they are no longer available due to mindless vandalism. This has prompted many to consider various security options including the installation of CCTV, security lighting and anti-climb measures. Fencing around MUGA pitches is vitally important. It serves to clearly designate playing areas, keeps balls within these spaces and protects neighbouring properties from stray balls. MUGA fencing also enables spectators and others to comfortably watch sports from safe positions. MUGA fencing is most commonly around 3 metres in height, which is high enough to keep most balls on the pitch. Important MUGA fencing considerations include the need for security and in some locations, keeping animals out. Gates to MUGA areas need to be at least 1.2m in width to allow wheelchair access and should always open outwards for the safety of players. Roller Barrier Provides Robust MUGA Protection Mesh fencing is most commonly used around MUGA pitches as this fulfils the ball retention and sports visibility requirements. But this form of fencing can attract unwanted climbers. The Insight Security Roller Barrier anti-climb system is an ideal solution to prevent climbers from scaling MUGA perimeter fences. Robustly attached to the top of the 3m MUGA fencing, Roller Barrier presents an unstable, rotating fence-top that can’t be gripped or climbed over. Importantly, unlike spiked anti climb barriers, Roller Barrier is entirely safe so even if someone attempts to climb over they will not injure themselves on the protective boundary. And Roller Barrier also looks neat and unthreatening - important features in MUGA facilities that are designed to be attractive and appealing. It is reported that since Roller Barrier was installed around the top of the MUGA perimeter fence (as shown) there have been no further unpermitted incursions into this MUGA facility. Useful Links Follow these links to find essential security solutions. Buy Roller Barrier here. High quality padlocks. Security chains and cables. Ground anchors. If you have any questions about Roller Barrier remember we are here to help.