Invest in sustainability and growth at JC Codicote

Aim

Help us ensure the ongoing sustainability & growth of the JC via installation of air sourced heat pumps & refurbishment of the lounge bar.

About the JC

Since its opening in April 2015 the John Clements Sports & Community Centre (the "JC") continues to deliver on its purpose of providing a wide range of community sports, recreational and leisure opportunities and activities as well as awarding grants to aid the development of local sports clubs.

The Centre is named after a local teacher, John Clements, who died rescuing 35 school children in a hotel fire in northern Italy in 1976 and was subsequently awarded the George Cross.  The Centre is run by The John Clements Sports & Community Trust, a charity registered with the Charity Commission (Registered No: 1139009).  

April 2026 will mark the 50th anniversary of John’s death, as well as the 11th anniversary of the Centre opening in his name, making this an especially meaningful moment to invest in the future of a space that reflects his values and legacy.

12th April 2026 will mark the 50th anniversary of the death of John Clements

Today, the JC proudly hosts a wide range of thriving sports, exercise and community activities that John would undoubtedly have approved of:

• football from 7-year-olds to senior leagues
• tennis with 3 courts
• cricket (with the best kept wicket in Hertfordshire in 2025)
• social and competitive table tennis
• mini rugby
• darts
• Pilates
• circuits
• fitness classes
• yoga
• karate
• art classes

Alongside this, the JC provides a welcoming social space for the wider community, hosting weekly coffee mornings, Warm and Cool Places in winter and summer, Sky and TNT satellite TV and full internet access, facilities for children's and adult parties, christenings, weddings and wakes all the year round.  

The Centre is overseen by a committee of Trustees and supported by a dedicated team of volunteers.  The Trustees have  now developed a new plan to ensure the ongoing sustainability and growth of the JC.

Why We’re Crowdfunding

When the Centre was first built, the priority was to create a much-needed facility for local sport and community use  and it has served that purpose brilliantly. Ten years on, we now have the opportunity to take the next step to ensure its long-term sustainability and continued growth.

The recent completion of a beautiful first-floor extension, with balconies overlooking the tennis courts and playing fields, has highlighted just how much potential there is to further enhance the ground-floor bar and common room. As the Centre’s largest income-generating space, improving this area will help secure the future of the JC while also making it more appealing to a wider range of users.

Crowdfunding is particularly important because we have the opportunity to unlock matched funding of up to £7,500 from Sport England. This means every pound raised by our community will be doubled, bringing us significantly closer to our overall fundraising target as part of a wider programme of improvements.

How will we spend the money raised?

Increased sustainability and lower carbon emissions will come from replacing the existing oil fired boiler with air sourced heat pumps and linking these to 60 recently installed solar panels and 2 battery storage units to give estimated annual running cost savings of £4,000 on heating and hot water generation . 

Growth will come from refurbishing the largest income generator, the 11-year-old bar lounge and foyer, starting with  vinyl flooring to give better heat transfer for the underfloor heating – the flooring  will also be lighter in colour than the existing dark green carpeting, easier to maintain and allow a choice of lighter wall and ceiling colours. Softer furnishings will replace the existing rather austere tables and chairs - all in all creating a warmer, more welcoming atmosphere and a more aesthetically pleasing space which will attract more users and revenues.

These changes will help attract more people who may not currently be involved in sport, or who are new to the village, but are looking for a friendly and welcoming place to meet, socialise and enjoy village life. Whether it’s a quiet drink in the bar, cake and a cup of tea at the weekly Café, a summer evening on the terrace with family, or future events such as comedy nights and film screenings, our goal is to keep the John Clements Centre firmly at the heart of Codicote, now and for generations to come.

The existing lounge bar in need of refurbishment

The total project will cost an estimated £55,000 and appeals have been made to a range of funders who have supported in the past including Sport England.

Sport England have promised funding of £7500 provided a matching £7500 can be raised via Crowdfunder from a minimum of 25 local funders to give an important £15,000 contribution to the total project costs.

A range of rewards by way of participation in events and activities will be offeredu to local supporters in return for their generosity.

Inspiration for the new look

How can you play your part?

There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Make a pledge or select a Reward. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success! Keep checking back as more events to be added.

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. 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!

This project successfully funded on 11th May 2026