Update - January 2024

Please see the bottom of the details for the latest update details, but the build is well underway.

We just wanted to say thank you to Mark Spier, Al McGill, Rob Curl, and the Beccs Ladies team for undertaking some further fundraising for the Build.

Rob Curl is doing the London to Brighton Bike Ride in June 2024!

London to Brighton Bike Ride 

The Beccs Ladies, bared themselves and produced The Beccs Ladies Naked Calendar to raise money for the Build.  Thank you Ladies!

Ladies Naked Calendar

Al McGill and co complete the Big Walk for the Big Build, walking 80k along the Pilgrims Way.

Big Walk for the Big Build

Mark Spier completed a coast to coast walk, raising over £1.5K in the process.  Please read his page and updates here

 Coast to Coast Walk

Several Beccs ladies ran the Big Half (for the Big Build) on the 3rd September and have already raised over £1.3K for the Build. Details are here.

Half Marathon 

Who are we?

To the players and supporters of the Club there is only one answer! Beccs.

Old Beccehamian Rugby Football Club (now known as Beccehamian RFC or Beccs) was formed on 18th July 1933 making this our 90th anniversary year. In 1973 Beccs formed one of the first mini sections in Kent, and then in 1999 a ladies team followed. More recently, along with the growth of women's rugby, our girls section has expanded rapidly to now have teams at all across all youth age groups.

Within our playing sections, we have 3 men's teams; a vets team; a ladies team, mini, junior, and academy sides, a developing girls section, and a walking rugby group, with over 500 members across all these playing sections, who are heartily supported by our associate membership.

What are we doing?

It has now become clear that with the growing success of the club at all levels, especially with the increased ladies and girls sections, that the current club house, built by the then members in 1973, requires additional facilities to cater for the demand and usage at the club house and thereby enhance our ability of providing equal opportunities, equality, and inclusivity to anyone wishing to use the clubhouse.

The proposed enhancements include:

• New and larger RFU compliant changing facilities enabling Beccs to cater for both the male and female changing independently and concurrently.
• New officials changing rooms enabling both male and female officials to also  change independently and concurrently.
• New disabled facilities, including a lift, to enable access all areas of the clubhouse.
• New facilities for physio / medical services.
• An extended function room, catering facilities, bar, and a rooftop terrace.

Beccehamian RFC is growing every year, building on 90 years of success as an inclusive, family oriented sports club. The new clubhouse will help us continue to be one of the finest, friendliest community orientated rugby clubs in Kent.

Planning permission has been granted, the build has started, now we need to make sure it happens.

Why are we Crowdfunding?

An ambitious project like this needs funds.  These will consist of grants, donations, crowdfunding and other fundraising activities. 

Crowdfunding in particular will raise awareness of the project not only within the club but also amongst the community. It will enable members and neighbours to get involved and similar to 1973 engage everyone to help towards building the  new facilities at the club.

Beccs Big Build Crowdfunding Summary

Beccehamian RFC launched a crowdfunding campaign in March 2023, to raise funds for their ambitious club house extension. 

We were approved by Sport England to receive £10,000 matched funding if we raised £10,000 in 8 weeks.  We met this target and secured the funding, however we still have a long way to go, and donations and further fundraising ideas are always welcome.  Please note this involved the offering of rewards, which, although you can see them on the right, you can no longer purchase them.

Please help the Beccs Big Build on this crowdfunding page, by donating money, or by creating your own Crowdfundraiser (see how to play your part below).

Thank you to everyone who has donated services and time to this cause.

How you can play your part

There are some simple ways to help us 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!

3. 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.

4. If you want to run your own fundraiser to support us, 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!

Club and Community impact

Beccehamian RFC is an open rugby club providing facilities for playing, training, and social activities for all genders and ages to play Rugby Union. The clubhouse is used for training, hosting matches, and various social activities for our membership, guests and visitors. Our aim is to give young players and adults the required skills, training, and knowledge to play rugby safely at the highest level they can, using the core values of: teamwork, discipline and respect. We aim to provide equal opportunities for all involved regardless of ability.

The clubhouse is also used by other local sporting organisations throughout the year and hired by 3rd parties to host events. External companies hire the facility to host rugby training camps and used by a number of local schools throughout the year with one local school running their school PE lessons at the club. BRFC also host charity fund raising events for good causes and our annual Mini rugby festival raises funds for the Christy Jordan Brain Tumour Research charity.

On completion, these new facilities will enable BRFC to co-host both male and female athletes concurrently, whether for rugby, for another sport, or for a school and thereby enable equal opportunities, equality and inclusivity which are no longer restricted by facility provisioning constraints. The installation of the disability lift will enable less able people access to 1st floor facilities (bar, hall and function room) and a new disability toilet will provide a suitable toileting facility.

January 2024 Update

The Build is now well underway and here is a summary of the progress to date.

• Scaffolding and build cover to enable extension work to continue with minimal impact from weather conditions.
• All main structural steel work for the ground and first floor completed.
• All below ground drainage activities completed.
• All ground floor block and beam flooring completed.
• Brick and block work for outer and internal walls completed up to ground floor ceilings.

In January, the plan is to complete the following.

• Terrace staircase installed.
• Ground floor ceiling / 1st floor flooring installation.
• Floor and ceiling insulation installed.
• Windows installed.
• Completion of brickwork.

How our project will be united by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games mission

In order to receive the Sport England grant, we need to ensure that our project is aligned with the Birmingham 2022 mission and vision. 

The Birmingham 2022 missions are;

• Bringing people together,
• Improving health and wellbeing,
• Helping the region to grow,
• Being a catalyst for change,
• Putting us on the map.

Beccehamian RFC believes that by undertaking this project, they will be able to fulfil the Birmingham 2022 mission statement. This project will put Beccehamian RFC on the map as the new facilities at both a sports and social/community level will bring people together.  As a direct result of this, health and well being will be improved for all stakeholders.

This project ensures that rugby at the club will thrive for both males and females, and be a welcome space to other members of the rugby and local community.  This project will especially be a catalyst to the female game, showing that Beccehamian RFC is inclusive and progressive.