Photo credit to Jon Matthews.
East Retford Rugby Club are celebrating a £100,000 grant from Bassetlaw District Council that will help to modernise their facilities and grow the game in our district.
The Council’s £100,000 Club Changer grant will give East Retford Rugby Club the impetus to start development on a new clubhouse at their Ordsall Road ground, in addition to attracting more adults and children from the surrounding areas to play rugby.
Having received the money earlier this year, the grant has kick-started the project, enabling the rugby club to secure planning permission, appoint architects and begin clearing and preparing the site for development and groundworks.
East Retford’s current clubhouse and facilities date back to the late 1970s and, as a collection of recycled post-war prefab buildings, has come to the end of its useful life.
As part of the four-year project, the club will build a new clubhouse that includes changing rooms, shower areas, a bar and social area and equipment storage to be used by the rugby club and other sporting clubs based in the area.
It will also include a Changing Spaces to increase accessibility and inclusivity at the club, in addition to a children’s play area to encourage and foster membership for players with young families.
Cllr Julie Leigh, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods at Bassetlaw District Council said: “We’re really happy to give East Retford Rugby Club £100,000 to help with their development plans for a new clubhouse and better facilities.
“This is already a successful club with a thriving junior section. We want to help them become even more successful and promote the physical and mental benefits that sporting activities can have on the health and wellbeing of people of all ages.”
The new clubhouse will also incorporate a number of energy efficiency measure to reduce carbon emissions, including solar powered heating and batteries for power storage, and a rainwater catchment system.
Over the course of this year, the club will look to secure additional funding that will allow the project to develop.
Richard South, Club Development Officer, said: “This grant will really help the club and kick-start the project, as well as create a platform for future funding bids.
“Our junior teams currently have to get changed in their cars, so the improved facilities for our younger members will really make a difference, give them the space and facilities they need and help to expand our junior section.
“This will also give us the opportunity to increase participation and grow our sport in the wider area, bring more people down to the club and give the senior teams greater sustainability in the longer term, and attract other sports clubs to base themselves at the ground.”
The Ordsall Road Ground has previously been identified as a preferred option for the development of a ‘multi-sport, multi-pitch, sporting hub’ within the in the Council’s Local Plan.
Cllr Jo White, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration said: “As a council we want to see more investment into improving sporting facilities, like the plans here at East Retford Rugby Club, which is why Club Changer funding is so important to support grass roots sport in Retford and across Bassetlaw.
“The development of this club and its ambitions match our own vision to improve sporting facilities in our communities and support healthy active lifestyles for local communities.”
Bassetlaw District Council has previously provided Club Changer Grants to other sports clubs and associations including:
- Retford Athletics Club
- Rockware Sports and Social Club, Worksop
- Retford Gymnastics Club
- Wheatley Tennis Club
- Harworth and Bircotes Boxing Centre
- Worksop Cricket and Sports Club
- Retford Lawn Tennis Club
- Retford Amateur Boxing Club
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Last Updated on Friday, March 24, 2023