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The education-focused Babcock Esports Arena has opened at a new venue known as The Hub at Foulston Park in Plymouth.
The esports facility is the result of a partnership between City College Plymouth and Argyle Community Trust, the official charity for Plymouth Argyle Football Club, who play in the English Championship (and beat Liverpool in the FA Cup this season).
The Babcock Esports Arena will provide gaming, education and career development opportunities in esports and gaming, and feature an esports academy.
Gamers will have access to 20 gaming stations equipped with the latest technology following the official opening on Monday March 17th 2025. It comes after The Hub opened recently:
The facility will support British Esports-approved BTEC qualifications in esports. The Academy will deliver BTEC Esports courses, alongside Level 1 and Level 2 Esports Leadership Awards, with plans to introduce Level 4 and Level 5 courses in the future.
“The facility will offer a unique opportunity for young people to enjoy pay-and-play recreational gaming, gain qualifications and essential digital skills and even pursue pathways to international and Olympic-level esports competition,” according to a press release.
The development of the Babcock Esports Arena has been supported by industry consultants Strategic Esports Group and Yoyotech, which has supplied and sponsored the high-performance gaming equipment.
Gareth Harries, Head of Education at Argyle Community Trust, said: “The launch of the Argyle Community Trust and City College Plymouth Esports Academy marks the beginning of a new era for students passionate about gaming, technology and digital innovation.
“Esports is more than just competitive gaming – it’s a global industry that demands teamwork, strategic thinking and leadership. The Academy will equip students with the skills, knowledge and qualifications needed to thrive in this dynamic sector, whether as professional players, content creators, event managers or industry leaders.”
Liam Stevens, Curriculum Lead for Public Services, Sport, Health & Fitness at City College Plymouth, also said:
“Esports in the South West is entering an exciting new era. The collaboration between City College Plymouth and the Argyle Community Trust will equip students with the essential skills for success in both esports and the wider digital industry. Beyond personal development, esports develops key competencies that open doors to careers in playing, coaching, broadcasting, event management and content creation.”
Liam Stevens, City College Plymouth
Mark Lovell, Chief Executive Officer at Argyle Community Trust, added: “The esports facility at The Hub at Foulston Park represents a major step forward in our mission to provide innovative, engaging and inclusive opportunities for young people in Plymouth.
“We are proud to be delivering a facility that will inspire and empower young people, helping them build skills for the future and access exciting new career pathways.”
“This groundbreaking intiative has the potential to transform the esports landscape in Plymouth and the wider region. As the learning destination of choice, City College Plymouth is uniquely positioned to drive this forward.”
Kalam Neale, Head of Education at British Esports Federation, commented: “It’s amazing to see the continued growth of esports in education through the introduction of new programmes and facilities like these. We hope this will be the start of an exciting journey for students, exposing them to a range of future career opportunities in a growing industry which they are incredibly passionate about.”
The news comes after British Esports launched new esports coaching and safeguarding courses. See more esports education news on Esports News UK here.
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Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
