Our Vision
As a rugby club, we're now in our 95th year and our playing numbers are at an all-time high.
We're so grateful for the committees and members that have built this highly respected and much-loved community hub over the past nine decades. Our current volunteers have a strong connection to what's gone before, and our understanding of what shaped our first 100 years is something we hold dear.
Our Centenary Vision is all about the next 100 years.
It's about how we'll carry that same ethos into our second century, building an even stronger role within our Hipperholme community whilst raising the standards further around what's considered to be a great grassroots sports club.
At the heart of our ambitions lies four priority areas:
Ensuring fit-for-purpose facilities
Providing better playing surfaces
Creating increased access
All sustainably delivered
Fit-for-purpose Facilities
When our changing rooms were originally built, they met the requirements for the time. Nowadays, with additional users and changes in behaviours and expectations, they are now nowhere near where we need them to be.
The drafty, stone floored corridors, with tight changing spaces and communal toilets and showers are not suitable for a modern provision.
They were also designed at a time when participation was predominantly male only. They are now a long way away from where we need to be for our ladies and girls' teams.
Critically our changing rooms no longer meet the recommended standards set by rugby's governing body (the RFU), do not comply with the Sport England Accessible Sports' Facilities guidance and are not inline with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requirements.
Inclusivity is at the heart of our efforts in redesigning our spaces. We look to incorporate accessible changing rooms and restrooms, along with level access and accessible route throughout.
Better playing surfaces
Work on our playing surfaces is relentless and with the acreage we look after; it's an endless endeavour.
Wetter winters, drier summers and the increase in participation leads to further deterioration of the spaces we have on offer. The easiest thing to do would be to reduce the usage on the pitches but, clearly, this is at loggerheads with the ambition to create more opportunities for all.
Investment is essential to improve all our grass playing surfaces and a central feature of our vision will be the introduction of a brand new artificial all-weather pitch.
All-weather pitch
Despite the number of pitches here at the club, we currently hire external facilities when the playing fields become heavy over the winter months.
We know, from having to book such facilities, that there's a huge demand for all-weather pitches in the area. Therefore, a new floodlit AGP (Artificial Grass Pitch) would vastly improve our offering to members, prevent our teams from transiting across town to other sites, as well as become a facility open for others to book.
Increased community access
Our fields are already regularly used by Hipperholme Grammar School, Northowram Football Club, and Calderdale Flag Football Club. There's also our Calderdale School's connection through hosting the district Cross Country events. Recently we have even launched our own ParkRun-style activity on Saturday mornings.
We're extremely keen to keep all these community sports partnerships going here at Woodhead Park but, to maintain the quality of the playing areas, restrictions are in place and the surfaces are monitored and managed.
If this Vision becomes a reality, not only can we guarantee the continuation of current activities, but it will improve the standards and we'll be able to offer even more bookable spaces for local clubs, groups and schools, like the ones mentioned above.
Our clubhouse is also already popular with community groups such as Overgate Hospice (for their monthly drop-in sessions), BabySensory classes, Brighouse Junior Football Club socials occasions and annually for events like Christmas Fairs, charity nights and school proms.
We only have one function room at the moment, which means we turn bookings away, but the ambition is to offer more internal spaces through a redeveloped clubhouse.
Sustainable delivery
"Sustainability" is a bit of a buzz word at the moment but we're not just ticking boxes here. Above all else we're talking about financial sustainability. The new site features must follow a model that ensures they cover the cost of all operating costs, wear and tear and future upgrades.
We must not lose focus on the key income streams and opportunities that will pay to maintain the quality of the facilities for years to come.
Over recent decades the clubhouse bar has been an essential source of income. However, consumer behaviours are changing, particularly around drinking. Therefore, our business model needs to evolve with the times. Greater options around bookable spaces, be that out on the pitches or inside in the newly extended clubhouse building, will be created through these ambitions.
Greener solutions
Some sustainable options are also good for the environment. For years now our biomass boiler has been an efficient option for the club. Building on that approach we will be looking at the opportunity a new big flat clubhouse roof gives us when it comes to rainwater harvesting and solar panels.
