Combe Down Rugby Club has secured a massive £31,660 funding boost to help tackle improvements to its grounds and benefit the wider community and a local school.
Bath & North East Somerset Council, together with Bath City Forum, have made the money available for improvements that will generate strong community links with new and existing residents.
It will fund the installation of a new terram (matted plastic) footpath with guard rail and lighting bollards that will link the club’s ground to Mulberry Park Primary School Sports Pitch. Additionally, it will pay for a new boiler, improvements to changing rooms and the relining of the existing car park.
The money has been allocated from the council’s Bath Neighbourhood Portion of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), and it was allocated to the club by the forum, which advises on how best to spend CIL receipts for the benefit of local people.
John O’Shea, Combe Down RFC committee, said: “We’ve been working hard over the last few years to liaise with everyone involved in the new Mulberry Park development, including the school, the Hub and the developers, to ensure that Combe Down RFC is seen as an integral part of the new community, just as it has been part of the existing community for more than 100 years. Our thanks go to Cllr Bob Goodman for his encouragement and support of Combe Down RFC.
“Our particular thanks to Mulberry Park School for working closely with us and allowing us access to their stunning new all-weather pitch, which many of our players have enjoyed using for rugby training this season.”