Active Space For All

Aim

To raise funds to complete Phase 1 of our clubhouse transformation for the benefit of all members, supporters & the local community.

Who are we?

Old Laurentian RFC is an inclusive club run by solely by volunteers for the benefit of our community. It has been the beating heart of Rugby since 1919. Our clubhouse is where friendships are formed, players develop, families gather, and our community comes together. We currently provide opportunities for more than 72 adult players, 359 age-grade players and a further 117 additional members to benefit from the physical and mental health, social and developmental benefits that playing rugby and being part of the club can bring.  

In addition, the club provides a home for the wider community, including family functions, cricket team and ‘Sprogs and Logs’, which is an outdoor stay and play provision for children aged 0-7 years old. 

The club also hosts regular fitness and training camps during the school holidays, allowing all age-grade children from in and outside of the club to benefit from the professional skills they have to offer.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Right now, the clubhouse is in urgent need of improvement due to a prolonged period of underinvestment which has led to it no longer being fit for purpose, energy/cost efficient or welcoming to our members.

To improve the facility, we need to raise additional funds to achieve the quality of finish we desire, for the benefit of all.  We have been busy raising funds to support this project over the last year, and we are fortunate that Sport England have pledged £15,000 to the club on a conditional basis that we raise at least another £15,000 via this Crowdfunder with a minimum of 25 unique supporters.

We hope you'll support us and tell the world to get behind us.

How we'll spend the money raised

Phase 1 of our Clubhouse Transformation Plan creates a clubhouse to be proud of. Enabling everyone to enjoy the space inside and out, providing a welcoming and inclusive facility for all.  

The project includes:

• Create a more inclusive, family-friendly social space for all
• Remodel the internal clubhouse, including life-expired furnishings.  
• Replace electrics throughout 
• Give a fresh look with new energy efficient lighting, painting, flooring and upgraded shower facilities.
• Replace broken windows/ life expired to improve energy efficiency 
• Replace flooring throughout clubhouse and kitchen
• Build an outside bar and BBQ
• Revitalise the tired kitchen and enhance its use and offering 
• Replace external and internal doors to improve accessibility
• Create designated disabled parking bays
• AV system to support the new Sky/TNT packages
• Replace Fire Alarm System

Community impact

Our aim is to make the club a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone in the community; not just players, but families, volunteers, local schools, sponsors, and visiting teams who use our facilities every week.

By improving our clubhouse and infrastructure, we hope to attract more people to enjoy the game we all love. A more inclusive and engaging environment will help grow our membership and inspire more volunteers to get involved, strengthening our ability to deliver high-quality services to the local community.

Visiting teams, local groups, and individuals looking to host private events will also benefit from the improved facilities. As we continue to strengthen our partnerships within the local community, the upgraded clubhouse will enable us to host a wider range of events, supporting the growth of rugby and local community more broadly.

How can you play your part?

There are five 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! Any amount (small or large) would be greatly appreciated.

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!

4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!

5. Local Businesses. If you work for or know of a local business that might be able to help with a donation then please let us know, we can contact them directly. Some businesses offer community grants. We would appreciate any information from you regarding these and we can liaise with the company concerned.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made