RSJ Recycling Green Power

Aim

We aim to run this 50 years old club on green power by putting solar panels on the clubhouse roof. Can you help us to help the environment!

Hello, I'm Shane - manager/coach/committee member at Rawmarsh St Josephs JFC - a junior football club based in Rotherham, that's committed to reducing the energy we use to run this 50 years old charter standard community run club.

Community

The club is fully reliant on volunteers in all areas - running teams coaching sessions, developing the club and identifying areas of improvement that benefit the community. Over the past few years we have made strong links with the community, providing a home for:

• Social Eyes FC x 2 disability teams ( mixed )
• Upper Hough cricket club ( 3rd team ) a flying club that consists of an older mixed group, helping to combat loneliness
• The local dog handlers from the prison services

So our club makes a big impact in this underfunded community... 

We offer anyone connected to the club the chance to educate themselves with a clear pathway for young adults to achieve FA level 1 or become a qualified referee paid by the club. 

The Club 

We are a charter standard club with fun and development at its heart!

All coaches are FA level 1 minimum. We have over 250 boys and girls places in teams 7s to 18s + Junior Josephs training sessions for 4 to 6 years mixed groups. 

The club was 50 years old in 2020 and although we didn't get to celebrate together, with the restrictions in place at the time, we did have a commemorative badge made (below on the left). However, we have gone back to using the original badge as it better reflects the area/community we live in (below on the right).

What we have achieved so far

In a bid to become a more sustainable club, we successfully raised money to purchase some IBCs (intermediate bulk containers) so we could collect rain water from the clubhouse roof, then store it to be put on the pitches when needed. This helps to save energy and water.

We have also raised money for the new heating system with an energy efficient boiler. Now we need to power it with solar panels. 

Benefits for everyone 

We want to continue trying to reduce the club's impact on the environment and we want to share the benefits that energy sustainability can offer with the community.

The clubhouse is perfectly situated to gain maximum benefit from day-long sun. So, with solar panels in place, we'll be able to store power for our new energy efficient boiler and our energy bills will reduce. We'll then be able to offer up the use of our club facilities to more local sports clubs/organisations, without incurring extra costs to our own club. Most sports clubs look to undertake their activities during daylight hours but with energy prices being at their peak during the day, we are currently limited in how much of that cost we can absorb, without passing it on. With solar panels, we wouldn't incur those extra energy costs for daytime use, meaning we can open it up for more regular use without worrying about a huge energy bill! And an added bonus is that the players can use the changing rooms before/after games in a much more comfortable environment!

We also want to provide more community projects the chance of using the clubhouse free of charge - be it for meetings or just a brew.

And let's not forget - with the cost of energy on the increase, investing in solar power now will help towards securing the future of the club for many generations to come.

Why we need your help

As a non-profit organisation, we have limited funding opportunities. We have sought out grants for this project but have been unsuccessful in finding any available.

But we are determined to make our club as sustainable as possible - both environmentally and financially. And so we decided to turn to crowdfunding, with a little help from the M&S Energy Community Fund.

M&S Energy Community Fund Competition

M&S Energy are looking to support ten projects that aim to install renewable technology within a community setting. And we've been lucky enough to be chosen as one of those ten projects!

We're in with a chance of receiving up to £5,000 match funding subject to hitting the below milestones, with at least 30 supporters!

All we need to do is raise £5,000 from the crowd and they'll match it. But even if we only reach the first milestone of £1,000 raised, we'll still receive £1,000, giving us £2,000 towards the cost of installing solar panels. That's a huge bonus for our little club!

So let's see if we can do it! Let's make our club sustainable and available to many.

I hope you can help RSJ help the environment #oneclub.

Please donate what you can and help spread the word about our project.

Thank you so much.

This project successfully funded on 29th December 2021