Wallingford Town AFC Facility Enhancement Project

Aim

We would like to improve the facilities at the club to support the safe return of football to our ground following the pandemic.

Wallingford Town AFC is a community football club, which has the objective of providing the best facilities to enable the men, women, boys and girls in the local Wallingford & Crowmarsh area, to enjoy the benefits of playing football.

We pride ourselves on the facilities we offer our players and visitors and the covid pandemic has impacted our fundraising ability to allow us to set aside funds to fix damaged and worn out parts of the ground. Wallingford Town AFC relies on generous donations from local partners and we depend on player registration fees to help the club to compete in the Oxford Youth, Thames Valley Women's, and the Hellenic Leagues.

We understand our importance for the local community and our facilities are used by other local football clubs such as Benson Lions Vets, Rotherfield United Vets, and Henley College enjoying the Hithercroft pitch for home games. We also provide a safe place for the young people from Wallingford, Crowmarsh, Cholsey & Brightwell to come and enjoy a social kick-about with friends.

The Wallingford Sports Park manages the Hithercroft site and has been very supportive in all our initiatives that the club has put forward but the loss of much-needed fundraising monies has meant we are in need of funds from local businesses and friends of the club.

We also benefit from 1st team match day income to cover the costs associated with officials however the pandemic has affected our ability to gain sponsorship and crowds were not permitted for games that we played in April & May 2021. We anticipate that there will be challenging times ahead for many local businesses that have been involved with the club and we hope that they will be able to re-build and thrive post-Covid.

The club committee, players, and volunteers worked hard to improve the facilities after lockdown measures were eased in the summer of 2020, we painted the changing rooms.....

and the perimeter pitch walls .....

and added new netting to the outside perimeter fencing....

and our new volunteer groundsman enjoyed improving the stadium pitch with the help of Football Foundation funding.

Also, the sun has shone on our ground too....

However, we have a number of areas of the ground that are in desperate need of enhancement and repairs and these repairs will help improve the match-day experience for all supporters, players, and guests of the club. 

The Projects YOU are helping to fund?

The funds raised through this crowdfunding initiative will go towards capital works as we exit this difficult Covid-19 period. The are many areas where we could benefit from Stadium Improvement Funding from Sport England however much of the work will need to do, sits outside of this pocket of funding.

With the halting of all sporting activities, the uncertainty for our local sponsors regarding their businesses and livelihoods plus the closure of our ground to spectators, we have lost significant income since the start of lockdown. We urgently need funds to keep basic services running and to prepare for the re-opening of our ground for football. This includes:

• Perimeter Fencing
• Boardroom & Main Stand Roof Repair
• Changing Room Refurbishment for our mens' and ladies teams
• Upgrade spectator standing area & walkways

Please let all your friends and families know about this CrowdFunder page, including the many former players, coaches, and supporters that no longer live in our area, but who enjoyed attending and playing at the Club over the years. 

YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL GO TOWARDS:

Perimeter Fencing- During the lockdown period in the early part of 2021, we discovered a number of young people gaining access to the stadium pitch and the security of the site were compromised. We currently have a chain-link fence that allows for easy access and we would like to improve the security and protection for the stadium pitch. We need to find a means to purchase materials to enhance the ground.

Main Stand Roof Repair - Our main stand is a popular area for supporters to congregate and enjoy meeting friends and cheering on the team. The roof of our stand has been damaged by the elements and the roofing structure is in desperate need of replacing. The stand requires a new roof and your donation will go towards the materials and expertise required to make the works possible. 

Due to its poor condition, we have leaks that cause damage to the seating and within the boardroom below. We love to display all our old club photos in the boardroom but we fear that they will be damaged by water ingress. The poor condition of the stand roof reduces the enjoyment for our supporters who are getting wet, even though they are undercover.

Changing Room Refurbishment- The changing rooms for home teams, visitors, and officials requires modernisation to help improve safety and our ability to maintain a hygienic environment for all users. We received a Sport England grant over 20 years ago and the changing rooms need to be enhanced to provide a more comfortable environment for our teams and opponents. We are looking to lay hardwearing flooring that will be easy to clean and provide a more attractive place for teams and officials to use. The changing facilities are cold and damp so we would like to refurbish the rooms to include easy to clean wall panels, ventilation and heating. We need to fund 30% of the costs if we are successful in receiving Football Stadia Improvement Funding so your donation will go a long way to helping us fund this project.

Upgrade spectator standing & walkways- We are very fortunate that the ground grading was sufficient, many years ago, to allow us to play at Step 5 of the non-league pyramid. Over the years, the club suffered from a number of relegations and resignations from important committee members and the club experienced some dark days.  However, a band of enthusiastic volunteers brought the club back into the non-league structure following an enjoyable time in the local leagues. The club would like to progress on and off the field and the stadium pitch allows all four sides of the ground to be accessed however we need to improve the walkways for our supporters and modernise the surroundings. Your donation to this project will go towards tarmacking the walkways around the ground.

Important facts about our club: 

• Any profits made within the club are reinvested into the club and used towards improving our facilities.
• All our players pay a registration fee to join the club.
• Our club is a key partner and involved with exciting developments within the sports park
• We have over 100 local active players within our club

WE WANT TO RECOGNISE YOUR DONATION

-If you donate over £20.00, you will be entered into a draw to win a Season Ticket which will allow you free entry to all Wallingford Town FC home games (excluding FA Vase)

* If your donation is over £50.00, your family or business name will feature in our matchday programme. Please make sure you include your name/business with any donation 

** If your donation is over £100.00, your family or business name will feature in our matchday programme, a plaque which will be placed on the wall of the main stand to highlight your contribution, so please make sure you include your name with any donation 

*** If your donation is over £250.00, your family or company name will be displayed in our matchday programme, a plaque which will be placed on the wall of the main stand to highlight your contribution and you will receive free entry to 10 home games of your choice.

**** If your donation is over £500.00, your family or company name will be displayed in our matchday programme, a plaque which will be placed on the wall of the main stand to highlight your contribution, a large board will display your name or business pitchside and you will receive free entry to all home games.

**** If your donation is over £1000.00, your family or company name will be displayed in our matchday programme, a plaque which will be placed on the wall of the main stand to highlight your contribution, a board will be displayed by the pitch and you will receive free entry to all home games and you will gain free entry to all social events held by the football club.

We are so very grateful for all donations to our projects no matter how big or small.

Up the Wally

This project successfully funded on 19th September 2021