To prevent another season of hiring external pitches or cancelling sessions altogether - we must install new drainage measures THIS SUMMER
by James Ogden in Halifax, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Right now, we're just hoping for a useable training area for all our teams, as a result of the additional drainage and sanding.
Any additional funding would go toward enhancing the pitch further so it was of the quality that matches could be played on it.
The Old Brods is a not-for-profit Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) dedicated to providing excellent facilities for rugby and promoting the sport's core values.
There's a team at almost every age grade, plus three senior men's teams and one ladies team. Over 350 girls and boys, from 3 years old, playing every week.
Our brilliant volunteers - from our committee to our team managers - are committed to providing the very best for the membership and the local area.
At the heart of the club's 2015-20 strategy was the creation of a brand new floodlit pitch. It was our biggest facilities undertaking since the clubhouse was built 21 years ago.
Little did we know, a world-wide pandemic was coming, prices for everything was about to rocket, and a cost of living crisis was on the cards.
The club's committee worked hard to make sure the aspiration stayed alive. Martin Smith led an unbelievable crusade to keep things moving and so many members stepped forward to help.
Three years ago, the Project90 fundraising campaign made sure work didn't stop, despite all club income streams grinding to a halt due to COVID-19 and the subsequent hike in all utility bills.
Our playing numbers are the highest they've been in our 93 year history. Due to the demand, the new floodlit pitch has been a necessary focal point for some time.
We now have a new playing field. It's flat, with grass, rugby posts and floodlights! On a bright, dry day, it's a sight to behold. But..... there is one huge issue to resolve; drainage
The slightest bit of rainfall and the pitch puddles. The compacted nature of the soil below is preventing the water from reaching the built-in drains and we've also been told more drains are required.
The experts (Grounds Management Association) have surveyed the pitch and prescribed a number of next steps. They include a series of new drainage channels and a program of sanding and verti-drainage (essentially aerating the ground beneath the grass line so surface water can find it's way to the drains).
Our PITCH PERFECT campaign is all about FINISHING THE JOB right.
To be frank, it's not even about "perfection". We just need a floodlit playable training surface so more people can be playing and training all-year round, radically reducing the amount of sessions getting cancelled, and allowing even more to get involved in sport .....and we're so close to all of that.
So far this winter, we've had to cancel countless matches, school's tournaments and training sessions. Sadly this will continue until the drainage issues are resolved.
There are four 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!
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!
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