It's been a tough year for many so please support us but only if you're in the fortunate position to do so.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has created an uncertain landscape for grassroots sports clubs which is going to make it very challenging for them to survive - and like many other clubs, Old Brodleians is facing financial pressures with the on-going situation.
2020-21 should have been the club’s 90th anniversary season with a series of celebratory events to add to the rugby, festivals and our usual social programme. It should have also been the year in which the club welcomed our biggest facility improvement project since the building of the clubhouse in 2003.
However, with all our revenue streams significantly impacted since last March, we are reaching out for your support to help raise the funds to enable us to continue our Project90 improvements. This will allow us to meet the demands of our growing numbers as well as create further opportunities for the wider community we serve.
Based in Hipperholme Halifax, the Old Brods is an RFU Accredited grassroots amateur rugby club for males and females from the age of 3 years upwards. We're proud to say we have an outstanding group of volunteers running the club, coaching the players and managing the finances, facilities and welfare of all our members.
Throughout the season we have almost 400 people playing each week across our 20 teams.
Our new thriving women's section continues to go from strength to strength and our latest addition is the Brods Tots, aimed at 3, 4 and 5yrs, which has proved to be really popular. This is all in addition to the successful and established junior teams at every age grade - starting with our Under 6s, Under 7s.... running all the way up to our Under 18s.
Girls and boys play together until they are 12 at which point there is a gender split. Over recent seasons we've welcomed the brilliant introduction of our girls’ teams at Under 13s, Under 15s and Under 18s.
We have four adult teams which includes our Ladies XV, our men's 1st and 2nd XV's and the Beavers XV who are our evolving veterans’ side. Our 1st XV compete in North East One which is the sixth tier of English Rugby. This past season would have been our Ladies first season in the league structures and they're raring to get going come September (...fingers-crossed!).
Woodhead Park is also home to the successful Yorkshire Brodleians Netball Team and Brods Cycling Club. Northowram AFC play here and the local secondary school and Forrest School Nursery make great use of our facilities.
At the heart of the club is a real community ethos. Our volunteers chip-in to help every aspect of the club and the wider area. Our official club charity initiatives have raised money and awareness for local and regional causes like Overgate Hospice, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and AndysManClub. We regularly support charities events, like the Overgate Fashion Show and the Make A Wish! days by providing our clubhouse for free.
In recent years the clubhouse has become a regular home to the Brownies, Slimming World, First Aid Training and used as an Electoral Polling Station.
Organised by our members; Brodstock is our popular summer music festival which has grown to become Yorkshire's biggest annual fundraising gig. So far over £100k has been raised for our charities since we began in 2014.
Last year, in the club's 90th year, work began on a set of facility improvements that would benefit all of our current teams, the generations of rugby players to come as well as provide greater options for our events and community activities.
It's a massive capital investment scheme that's been talked about for a number of year's and it was great to see work finally start as we attempted to keep pace with the requirements of our growing membership.
When the work is completed the club will have an increased area of floodlit grass, increased car parking capacity on site and the creation of new access routes. Due to the pandemic's impact on the club's finances we now have to prioritise what we can and can't achieve with the project.
The funding available will depend on the type and number of floodlights we install and the level of investment into the new surfaces. The hope is that the new area will provide a brand new, full size, floodlit playing pitch. This will obviously increase the number of matches being played at any one time as well as open up new opportunities - like evening matches and the introduction of floodlit Touch Rugby.
Through PROJECT90 we’re inviting all members, teams and our friends to get behind this ambition by supporting our Crowdfunder.
- There's been no competitive rugby since March for our senior and age grade teams
- Nothing coming over the bar
- No matchday luncheons or dinners
- No social events
- No external booking to hire the Clubhouse
- Heavily reduced sponsorship income
- Heavily reduced membership income
- Cancelled President's Ball and other 90th anniversary celebrations
- Cancelled Family Fun Day/Social Sevens
- Cancelled Brodstock Music Festival 2020
Despite this, throughout 2020 and 2021 we've tried to keep spirits up through our social media activity via videos featuring Lockdown Workouts, 300 Club Draws, the "Tackle the Snowman" Challenge, "Pass the Toilet Roll" Challenge and hosting two Facebook Live "Lockdown Line Up" gigs which raised over £1500 for Overgate Hospice.
Please donate if you're in a position to do so. Don't forget to hit the Gift Aid option too if you're a UK tax payer!
Also make sure you check out the Rewards section of this page (running down the right-hand side) as we've gratefully received a number of items that you can collect once the club is open again, in return for your donation.
Massive thank you to all the people and businesses that have provided these Rewards.