COLCHESTER’S community stadium has attracted 200,000 visits in its first year.

The Weston Homes Community Stadium, which celebrated its first anniversary last week, is used for weddings, comedy nights and conferences, as well as for staging Colchester United’s matches.

About 150,000 seats were sold last season for U’s games, as well as one-off matches including those featuring England Ladies and Under-19s teams.

A further 17,000 visited the stadium with subsidised tickets, either watching football at a reduced rate or benefiting from an offer to use the facilities “at cost”.

More than 18,000 visits were made by people who enjoyed free five-a-side sessions, education and community activities, and health screenings through the Colchester United Community Sports Trust.

Meanwhile, thousands more enjoyed comedy nights, Christmas parties and weddings, or took part in conferences and business meetings.

U’s supporters say the numbers prove it is a stadium aimed at serving the whole community, not just U’s fans.

Dave Murthwaite, chairman of the Community Stadium Company, said: “About 200,000 people have used the stadium in one way or another, seven days a week.

“Of these, 36,000 have done so free of charge or at a concessionary rate.

“This is a great example that the Weston Homes Community Stadium is so much more than a football stadium.”

The coming years will see a community cafe and a creche with a sporting theme set up at the stadium.

Tony Barton, chairman of the stadium’s stakeholders’ group, said he wanted to see more and more people using it in the coming years.

He said: “The first year of any new organisation is going to be tough but this, our first year, has seen an achievement for the community beyond our expectations.

“The stakeholder group is best described as the voice of conscience to remind the stadium company board there is an expectation of community access to the stadium. In all fairness to the board, they have delivered for Colchester.

“The stadium is an excellent facility and we look forward to building on the success of the first year and getting even more community involvement in the next 12 months.”