Work on a new sports’ pavilion at St Mary’s Primary School Timsbury costing £210,000 is progressing well despite problems with the weather and builders Rigg Construction Ltd are confident that it will be up and running in May. The exciting venture has been made possible thanks to a joint initiative between the school, the village cricket club and the football club and through a generous grant from the ECB.
The facility will remain in the ownership of the School who have made a significant investment in terms of financial commitment and have agreed to lease the building to the two respective clubs for a period of 21 years. This arrangement will provide for a number of generations of children to have the opportunity of playing sport at the field as well as for the adults of the cricket team. All three parties have emphasised that it will not become a clubhouse for either club and no profit making bar will be installed.
The community project has become a reality largely due to the grant of £157,500 from the ECB. A joint fundraising committee has been set up by the football and cricket clubs to come up with a number of initiatives to help the club raise money to complete the funding of the project.
One of the principal schemes is a plan to invite individuals or organisations to become Foundation Members of the Pavilion. In return for a fixed donation contributions to the project will be recognised for the lifetime of the Pavilion via a dedicated board erected in the Pavilion, exhibiting plaques containing the names of those who have taken part.
The first person to sign up as a Foundation Member is villager Barry Ettle whose sons both attended the school and who has an active interest in sport in Timsbury.
He said, “I see this as a great opportunity to get involved in a unique community project. I hope that many more will appreciate the great benefits for the young in the village and will come forward to give financial help to the venture”.
Sue Heal, Headteacher of St Mary’s said, “The school community is absolutely delighted at the prospect of having a pavilion on our sports field. The new building will provide 21st century facilities for school and community sport and is testimony to what can be achieved with strong community cohesion, based on a common vision and purpose. Governors at the school are extremely grateful to the England and Wales Cricket Board, who has wholeheartedly supported the project. This assistance and financial backing has expedited the project and means that the new pavilion will be open for the forthcoming cricket season.”
Anyone interested in receiving details of the Foundation Membership scheme should email iettle@hotmail.com or ring 07921863346.
Report by Malcolm Tucker
(September)
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