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Great News as Grant Awarded for Pitch Improvements
Avon rugby club are delighted that they have been successful in being selected for a grant to undertake a comprehensive pitch maintenance programme
This grant from the Football Foundation will enable a targeted 6 year campaign to take place with incremental improvements to the playing surface each season.
Having been identified by the RFU as a suitable club with an agreed need to improve the playing surface on their 1st team pitch, Avon RFC were invited to carry out a thorough pitch inspection assessment via techniques provided by the Grounds Management Association. With advice from the RFU, Avon then completed a business plan as part of their application for funding through the Football Foundation. After scrutiny and consideration, the Football Foundation agreed to fund improvement works totalling £14,400 with Avon themselves contributing £7,200 from club funds.
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “The Football Foundation is working closely with our partners to transform the quality of grassroots sports facilities in England by delivering projects like this across the country. Good quality playing facilities have a transformative impact on physical and mental health and play an important role in bringing people together and strengthening local communities. This grant award to Avon RFC towards developing their pitch is fantastic news for the local community and will help give more people access to a great place to play rugby.”
Avon club spokesman Steve Bird said “The award of this grant is wonderful news for the club and we are very grateful to the Football Foundation for their financial support in enabling us to improve our playing facilities. Being situated next to the river, we generally experience severe flooding at least once a year which leaves a residue of silt and compacts the ground. This grant will enable us to carry out a series of improvements to our 1st team pitch across a 6 year period, including aeration, decompaction, re-seeding, weed treatment, fertilisation and various other types of renovation. We look forward to our facilities at Hicks Field being improved still further as we embark upon our Centenary next season.”