HAMBROOK Sports Club has launched a £100,000 appeal to raise funds to transform its pavilion.
The club, based on Moorend Road overlooking Whiteshill Common, wants to turn the current pavilion, built by members in the 1960s, into a modern, accessible building including: separate changing rooms for male and female home and away teams; a separate changing room for referees; step-free access to changing rooms; accessible toilets; a lift to an extended upstairs function room; a balcony for spectators to watch matches safely; a rainwater harvesting system for flushing toilets; solar panels and a battery to generate energy, and an air source heat pump; a new roof and upgraded insulation; a green roof for pollinating insects and eaves with nesting space for a local colony of rare house martins.
Sports club chair Naomi Bowler said: “The goal for this project is to increase the club’s capacity to meet the needs of a growing population, particularly our amazing female cricket and football teams, and to finally make the club inclusive for people with additional accessibility needs.
“It’s going to deliver a sustainable building, with plans for renewable energy, including solar panels, an air source heat pump, and rainwater harvesting to flush toilets and help manage storm water flooding.
“Our hope for the future of the club is to deliver a building that can provide even more opportunities to play sport and enjoy social and wellbeing activities for our surrounding communities.”
The non-profit club, which is run by volunteers, offers cricket, football, skittles, fitness and other activities.
It has applied for funding paid to South Gloucestershire Council by housing developers who have built in the area, as well as the Football Association, Gloucestershire Cricket Board, National Lottery Movement Fund, Bristol and Wessex Water, and the West of England Combined Authority Green Community Buildings Grant.
Naomi said: “Some of these funders operate on a ‘match funding’ basis, meaning they will only match what we can raise ourselves.”
The club has launched an online donation page on the Crowdfunder platform, with a target of £100,000, which can be found at tinyurl.com/5erpkzpa.
It is asking its 400 members and other supporters to organise sponsored events, and is asking businesses with sponsorship programmes to get in touch.
Details of fundraising events already being planned can be found on the club website at hambrooksportsclub.co.uk and on its Facebook page.
The club is also calling on experienced tradespeople and those with project management experience to share their skills, and for residents to support the project when it applies for planning permission.
Anyone who can help can call Naomi on 0789 144 6060 or email officialhambrooksportsclub@gmail.com.