A COMMUNITY hero from Southampton helped to kick-start construction work at the city's £80m new leisure complex.

Construction work has now started at WestQuay Watermark, which will boast a cinema, restaurants and public plaza.

And city man Mike Caws was on hand to officially start the work yesterday (Tues, March 17) after he won a competition launched by the Daily Echo, developer Hammerson and the city council to find a community hero to start the project.

The 44-year-old from Bitterne Park was chosen due to his dedication to helping dozens of young people in the city through football.

He runs Soccer School, a project at Cantell Academy that provides dozens of children with the opportunity to play football after school.

At yesterday's ceremony at the site, next to the WestQuay Shopping Centre, Mike said: “It's a safe environment to meet other children and integrate with children from different backgrounds.

“It's also about being part of a club as well, and it gives them that association.”

Mike was nominated for the award by friend Barbara Storey, and said: “The first I knew about it was when I had a phone call to say I'd won.

“It was quite a shock.”

Hammerson's development manager, Robin Dobson, praised Mike's “valuable and vital contributions” to Southampton, at the ceremony to mark the start of work.

Daily Echo: The latest designs for the £70m Watermark scheme

An artist's impression of WestQuay Watermark 

He said: "Breaking ground onsite is a significant milestone for us and the city and we are delighted we have been able to involve such a valuable member of the community in this pivotal moment of the development.”

The new complex is due to open late next year and will feature a public plaza running alongside the medieval city walls that will have a number of water features.

It will also have the first Showcase Cinema de Lux in the South and restaurants including names such as Wahaca, Zizzi's, Byron, Nando's and Five Guys.

A second phase, which requires detailed planning permission, will see a hotel, residential flats and a car park built at the site.

The project is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs, including 500 full-time posts at the complex.

Speaking yesterday, city council leader Simon Letts said: "This official groundbreaking makes the start of one of our major VIP projects all the more real.

“It will be exciting to watch what will be our city's leisure hub emerge at WestQuay Watermark over the coming months.”

“The public plaza will place this at the centre of the city's weekend offering and in the future the public realm will link through to Royal Pier.”