Patio Cover for WPRFC

WE NEED YOUR HELP

We are going al fresco…..we are building a full length patio cover to increase our usable covered space by a massive 100M² that will happen…..with your help.

As we come out of the UK’s enforced Covid-19 lockdown, the number of members coming to the Club in the evenings has been both gratifying and humbling. Attendance numbers in the week have been fantastic and this is set to increase during the summer months. The camaraderie our Club is well known for has extended to support the community in coping with the effects of the pandemic, both physical and psychological. It is also very warming to see the attendance from members of the community at our affiliated clubs throughout the week.

In order to better serve our community, and maintain a more comfortable and usable social space, we have reached the conclusion that we need to increase our usable covered space to accommodate our community. We are embarking on this major project to erect a cover and enhance our patio area with TV viewing, additional seating and tables, lighting and potentially, heating for the cold winter months. This will become a major Club users’ asset.

This is a major project for the Club and will enhance the facilities for decades to come, but such investments require suitable and sustainable funding.

For the patio cover, we have elected to go with a powder coated steel frame structure that will outlive most of us and will require little or no maintenance.  It’s strong, durable, and weather resistant and has been designed to be aesthetically appealing, whilst remaining practical.

We are aiming to have this structure up and complete by the middle of the summer 2021, but we need to raise funds to achieve this. In order to help with the funding, the labour to erect the structure has been kindly donated by members and friends of the Club.

Unfortunately, we have received news that we do not qualify for matched funding from Sport England and we are entirely dependent on our own fundraising. But you know the Combe Spirit, we strive on!

We also have a number of sponsorship panels that you can see in the design imagery, which we are also selling to willing sponsors at £500 per panel for 3 years.

We will do other fund-raising events during the year so if any members have any good ideas, bring it on….watch this space.  We want to recognise those individuals and sponsors who are supporting this initiative and the intention is to place a plaque inside the structure that acknowledges your contribution.

This is the start of some major clubhouse upgrades over the coming months.  Any extra funds we are lucky enough to raise will go towards other improvements, all of which are designed to benefit you…..our valued members.

If we put our minds to this, we’ll achieve our objectives very quickly.  We already have donations from Baselayer, the WPRFC Academy 2012/13 and National Colts Plate winners of that season, who were formed from the Stormers and Vikings of that period and who have very kindly donated their excess funds to the project, as well as WPRFC Girls Rugby that was active a few seasons back and they too have donated their legacy funds to this project.  So our starting position is fantastic with £4,000 raised immediately.

We are well on the way and your help is essential.  Help the club get what it needs to survive and thrive.  It’s your club.

Thank you.