Funding The Project
On the face of it, the introduction of a new all-weather artificial pitch, along with new changing rooms and an expansion of the current clubhouse, might not seem like a huge groundbreaking development.
However, the investment required to achieve everything in Our Centenary Vision is estimated to surpass £4m. That's a big deal in the history of a club that began with a group of ex-school mates back in 1930.
We don't have an owner, and we aren't a private business that's out there to make a profit. The Old Brodleians Rugby Club is a Community Amateur Sport Club (CASC). That means we're a not-for-profit organisation that is run by a committee of volunteers for the benefit others. That benefit is to provide accessible sporting pursuits to local men, women and children.
We certainly don't have the reserves in our accounts to make all of this happen. Therefore, the majority of the funding required to make these ambitions a reality will come from the sale of one of our rugby pitches. We're hoping further funding will be supported through local, regional and national grants and match funding schemes.
The "pitch across the road"
The rugby club is very fortune to own over 25 acres of land comprising of pitches, car parks, the main building, vehicle routes and under-utilised spaces. 22 acres of the grounds lies to the west of Denholmegate Road – the main route linking Hipperholme crossroad and Shelf roundabout.
To the east of Denholmegate Road is one rugby pitch, running parallel with the main road and behind the houses along the nearby Northedge Lane. This is the pitch we are looking to sell.
Out of all the playing surfaces at the club, this pitch is used the least. The main reason for this is, out of the 20 rugby teams we have at the club, 16 are junior teams and, where possible, we try to keep our children and youth sides from having to cross the busy road.
Over the year's we have received numerous approaches from interested parties looking to purchase the land. We believe, with outline planning for housing, the club can maximise the value of the area and invest all proceeds into remaining 22 acres.
The first step is to obtain Planning Permission, which is a very expensive process to undertake. So far almost 100 club members have been that impressed and excited by the ambitions that they've stepped forward to help fund the submission.
Further funding support
The sale of the pitch will provide adequate facility enhancements for our current members and some of the external partners that make use of the site.
We have a clear understanding of the ever-increasing demand for leisure facilities in the area. With additional funding support we know the site can offer even more community benefits.
Usage demand has never been greater due to behaviour changes in participation, increased membership numbers and the external clubs and groups we welcome here.
In the early days, we only had a handful of men turning out and, at the most, they might train once a week. Previously, our junior teams might have only met every Sunday morning to play or train.
Nowadays, there's multiple training sessions per week for both Senior and Junior teams and we're proud to say we're home to Ladies and girls teams. That means we need a higher quality standard of pitches, additional floodlights, and changing facilities for both sexes.
Additional funding through grant applications will help us deliver more opportunities for all.
