Target reached!
If we were successful in raising extra funds, we would be looking at putting solar p...
Whitchurch RFC Clubhouse Upgrade.
Whitchurch, Shropshire, United Kingdom
Aim
Whitchurch RFC is stuck in the 80's. Help us make the clubhouse more attractive to the growing number of girls playing & wider community
Who are we?
Whitchurch RFC's primary purpose is the promotion of rugby football union throughout our local community. We currently provide our facilities and services to nearly 300 mini and junior players from the age of 6 to 16 and 60 senior players from 17 years of age up to 60+.
With the growing interest in the ladies game and them doing so well, we are attracting more girls playing the sport and have dedicated coaches building this with the support from local schools who also advocate for more girls in sports.
The club was founded in 1936 with the first game a win against Shrewsbury 20 - 6 on October 24th. 1936 and the club has come a long from changing in a shed by the school pitch. The highest level we played at was in the National League 2 North. This was achieved in the 1997/98 season under the captaincy of Stuart Bailey (his son is now first team hooker) The status of playing at this level ended in 2002 but was an incredible achievement as a truly amateur side of what people thought as as farmers sons.
Ladies rugby was introduced in 1992 spearheaded by Hannah Owen. Great friendships were forged that continue to this day. Although the ladies side sadly disbanded in 2005 we would dearly like to capitalise on the girls who are starting out on their rugby journey with WRFC and get a ladies team started in the near future. We have several lady coaches and mixed teams in mini and juniors and a dedicated girls only night training on a Tuesday where they coached in skills across their differing age groups.
Off the field we are in a strong position financially compared to many clubs but we don't have lots of spare cash to make the improvements that we need to make it more attractive to the wider community which ultimately brings in more revenue.
The only way this type of fundraising works is by a HUGE TEAM effort from everyone involved and or who have connections to the club.... WE NEED THIS SUPPORT AGAIN!
The 1st. team 2023/24 season playing in the Regional 2 North West League
On the 16th. March the 2nd. team after playing charity side "Flaming Unicorns" raising money for men's mental health awareness "Tough enough to Care" we raised over £1000.
The Colts
Just a few of the near 300 mini and junior players
Some of the Girls rugby team
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Why are we crowdfunding?
We are looking at raising £30,000 to fund the project to improve the clubhouse and make it more accessible to all but if we are lucky enough to raise more then we can make it even better for future generations. It has been looking tired for some time and with the influx of more female members and coaches we want to make it a more friendly and diverse area where people can spend time socialising. A survey was sent out to all members and some of the replies are below.
Post-covid we have found it tough financially as have many clubs and even though we did as much as we could in trying to bring people together with the 'biggest beer garden in the area' we are just starting to get back to pre-covid incomes on the bar and hosting events. Our club is run solely by people who give up their time, whether that be organising events, unblocking drains and minor repairs to coaching the mini and juniors teams come rain or shine. We believe that by getting more people to spend more time at the club it will inspire them to become volunteers to help the club move forward and secure it's future for generations to come.
Clubhouse Improvements – Summer 2024
At this stage we are intending to revitalise the clubhouse without making significant structural changes. Having considered various suggested options from members, and via the RFU advice we propose the following:
- Create a 'sense of arrival' and a warm and welcoming environment
- Revitalise the Club Room
- Provide a greater range of food & beverage options
The Current Clubhouse
The current clubhouse was constructed and opened in 1987 following a fire in the previous one and sadly not much money has been spent on it since - I think we have become blind to it's short comings. The clubhouse provides a very traditional rugby club social space, which is mainly geared towards vertical drinking. We know from feedback received from members and guests that some women find it unwelcoming. Such comments frequently suggest that the clubhouse is tired, cold, dark and male dominated. We aim to address these issues.
We can only imagine what it could look like with new flooring, better heating (we have too many people huddled around the 1 functioning heater in the winter), reupholstered seating with new tables and chairs, better lighting and painting throughout. We are also looking at making it bigger by converting some of the store room to allow more natural light and prevent the bottle neck when players are heading down to the function room for food. See plans below.
How we’ll spend the money raised
The money raised will pay for new clubhouse entrance to make it safer for everyone and better lighting on dark nights. The entrance hall will be tidied up and made to look more inviting. The flooring in the bar area will all be replaced as the carpets are engrained in soil from years of muddy shoes, the layout will change having more tables and chairs for a more socially engaging environment. Painting throughout to give a lighter brighter feel we'll be able to improve the lighting.
The proposed plans are below.
Community impact
It is difficult to quantify the value of our rugby club in our community especially now with the towns Civic Centre condemned due to RAAC.
On the surface it may seem that this is just a rugby club but it has a real effect on the lives of everyone involved and the wider community. Sport boosts your mood, concentration levels and sleeping habits. It reduces stress and depression and impacts positively on our mental health. It links to leadership traits but, most of all, it brings people and communities together.
We cannot be more emphatic about the last point. Many of us that are part of Whitchurch RFC will say that we are not just a rugby club, we are a family. In fact, for many of us, to be without our club would be unthinkable.
Our catchment area attracts people from all over North Shropshire and South Cheshire. It is a place where people from different backgrounds come together. It is a place where all are welcome; regardless of ethnicity, upbringing, gender, social status, religion or nationality.
This is made abundantly clear when you consider the diverse variety of sports teams that use out facilities from runners to the local football club and even pigeon fanciers!
Local Parkinson's Support Group meet on a monthly basis for a social get together. Judith Gosling, secretary said “We enjoy coming to the rugby club and is vital that these people meet on a regular basis for well being purposes, but some do find it difficult entering the with the broken concrete and lighting on dark days.”
2 Pilates clubs have 8 sessions a week to improve the well-being of local residents. Sharon Mullock, organiser says “The club would benefit from a good makeover and better heating”
Local old time dancing school for local residents to improve general health and well-being use the club every Tuesday.
Whitchurch Hockey Club men's and ladies' teams use the facilities for food after games. They have said that they would stay longer and socialise if facilities were improved.
Local running club, “The Whitchurch Whippits” use clubhouse twice a week for training.
The local football club juniors use the grounds and clubhouse for training 2 nights a week.
The local Young Farmers Club meet twice a month and is a valuable way for their members to socialise from a lonely working environment.
Annual use by local Rotary Club for prostate testing, Just this last week we had 950+ men over the age of 50 got tested.
Our clubhouse needs to be brought into the modern era to reflect the astonishing work the volunteers do on and off the field of play.
We want to ensure that we create an environment that is welcoming to all our members, supporters, families and other visitors and guests through a conducive, safe and enjoyable environment for all. Remember that whether you are a past player, past member, parent, player, or a supporter, it's your club that is in need of a bit of help. Please, please donate as much as you can and have a look at our pledges to purchase.
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How you can play your part
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 on our popular social media pages!
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!
This project successfully funded on 2nd May 2024