Founded in 1989, we provide football to the communities of Six Bells and Abertillery for all age groups from under 6s through to senior football. We currently have around 200 registered players throughout these age groups but aside from this we have many non playing members and supporters, making us one of the best followed teams in the region.
We consider ourselves to be a club that the community can be proud of, bringing people together, whilst improving physical and mental wellbeing.
The local community is at the forefront of what we do. We want to provide association football for as many people as possible, whilst providing facilities that give the community an opportunity to enjoy a high standard of football in comfort.
Our support is exceptional with attendances as high as 500 in recent seasons and our average attendance approximately 200. With an ever increasing cost of living, we want to continue to provide affordable entertainment on the doorstep of the community.
Away from the football, our facilities are used by multiple other groups, including:
> Running Clubs
> Childcare Groups
> Family Fundays
> MIND
> FAW
> Time2Talk
>Children's Parties
> Welsh fell runners
> Primary school sports days
> Private parties/functions
Our home ground, Cwm Nant-y-Groes, is the heart of our club and the community. Unfortunately we were forced to move away from the ground eight years ago, mainly due to the ground not being at the required standard to allow the club to progress. This was an extremely difficult decision but one we had no option but to do. Thankfully, through the hard work of our dedicated volunteers, we were able to move back to Cwm Nant-y-Groes three seasons ago by raising the standard of the facility to meet the requirements of our league.
We are always looking to improve both on and off the field, but in order for the club to continue progressing, we need to continue to improve our home. We now want to make the ground more comfortable for spectators and visiting teams but also make sustainability improvements to eventually operate at net zero (no carbon footprint).
The ground has many projects that we want to undertake but the three most significant ones are:
> Upgrading the seating from 100 covered seats to 250.
> Replacing our existing home and away dugouts.
> Install water tanks to harvest rainwater.
Seating
We currently have 100 covered seats at the ground but this is now proving to be inadequate due to recent success on the field and our active role within the community. Its important for our spectators to know that if they are coming to a game then they can watch in a comfortable setting. Some of our current seats do have a restricted view due to the design of our old stand, but an additional stand would offer unrestricted views of our fantastic ground. Away from the spectators needs, the increase in seating would allow the club to play Tier 2 football in wales consistently where 250 seats are the minimum required after your first season at the level.
The increase in seating would also have a significant financial benefit to the club, as it would encourage spectators to stay at the facility for longer (spending more money at the club) and allow us to increase sponsorship opportunities.
Dugouts
Our existing dugouts are old and damaged. One of our dugouts was recently damaged in a storm and whilst they are safe, over time the need to change them will become compulsory.
It is a minimum requirement to be able to sit 8 people within each dugout, something we can do but the space in them is very tight and the roof is also very low. Any expansion to dugouts need to consider 13 seats available which would again give us the opportunity to meet Tier 2 criteria every year and providing comfort for our visiting teams coaches and players.
Renewable Water Source
Environmental sustainability will be at the forefront of the clubs minds over the coming years. We want to have a positive impact by reducing our carbon footprint. Some ways we are doing this include but not limited to, encouraging our players to travel to games in groups rather than individually, collecting rain water at our ground to maintain the pitch rather than use running water, recycling and plans to install solar panels.
We want to take the next step on this by installing two large water tanks that will collect rain water throughput the year and allow us to then use this water to maintain the ground during summer months. We are currently on a water meter so the costs of doing this are significant but, the environmental impact overrides any financial impact. By harvesting rain water, it will stop us drawing from an already overused water system and reduce the demand on Dwr Cymru Welsh Water's network during long, dry periods.
There are three simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!