.jpg) Wakefield Trinity, as it used to be known, has a long and proud tradition in rugby league, and members of the squad were out in force for the opening on the day (as seen above). The club and its ground were also used in the film, “This Sporting Life” starring the late Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts. Chris Villiers (seen at left with Committee member, Mich Dearman), who plays the solicitor “Grayson Sinclair” in Emmerdale, has strong rugby connections, including Lawrence Dallaglio. On the day, Chris unveiled the plaque, spoke about his passion for sport and rugby in particular and spent time with the children that attend the Learning Zone. The successful afternoon finished off with Chris having a private Q&A session with the children – plenty of questions exploring the life of an actor on one of TV’s best loved soaps!
 The Yorkshire region of Wooden Spoon contributed £25,000 to provide the new Learning Zone, as part of the Playing for Success programme, with state-of-the-art ICT equipment. “Learning Zone” director, Mark Winder, spoke at the opening, saying “Many thanks to Wooden Spoon. The facility you have enabled us to buy is fantastic. The wow factor really shows that we value young people. We show them that as members of our community they are the future and that we are investing in their future and the community as a whole. It has meant that the Classroom is the best room in the stadium and the most unique learning experience in Wakefield”
Linda Dye from the LEA explained “The Learning Zone is a fabulous opportunity for young people to come along and take part in Study Support. The excitement on the young people’s faces, the fun they are having whilst they are learning, the sense of achievement they get, the looks on their faces. That can't be wrapped up. A large factor in this is the computer facilities provided by Wooden Spoon.”
A local teacher further explained the benefits she saw- “The children come in buzzing the next day after the Learning Zone. They are enthused and it has shown them how important learning is.” One of the students added his own approval - “the Learning Zone is the best thing I have been to. I wish I could come more often. The Learning Zone has made me more confident using computers. Before I came here I got really nervous when using computers. I used to start crying and never got anything done. Now I feel much more confident and like using computers -they are fun. The Learning Zone gives me something to look forward to; it is a good way to spend my spare time. Thank you for a wonderful time at the Learning Zone. The PCs were the best bit; it was good to learn more on them.”
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