Keswick Rugby Club has been given a £300,000 boost by the Government.
The club’s £1.9 million Big Build project to replace its clubhouse is among seven community assets in the North West to share in £2.4 million-worth of cash from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Community Ownership Fund.
Across the UK, the department has announced £33.5m today to save more than 80 projects.
Keswick Rugby Club was awarded the cash so it can make it more suitable for its teams and protect against future flooding.
Since it was built in 1958, the clubhouse has been flooded many times, but in recent years things have moved onto a different level with bigger, more frequent floods occurring in 1985, 2005, 2009 and 2015.
After the 2015 flood, an insurance pay out was received but since then flood insurance has no longer been available.
It was designed to accommodate a single team of senior men; now there are 18 different teams catering for a range of ages and genders so players have simply outgrown the dated building.
Women’s and junior rugby have seen a huge growth in recent years, and now represent a majority of the club’s 650 present membership, with this expected to grow to over 1,000 members by 2030.
The club is a vibrant, well used community hub, which boasts an impressive history dating back to its founding in 1879.
Currently the club has strong links throughout the community including Keswick schools, Keswick Lions as well as serving as a vibrant hub for the local community and a platform for various events, sports, and gatherings, fostering connections and community engagement across the region.
Tim Green, Keswick Rugby Club president, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled with today’s news on so many levels. Firstly, I’m delighted for the small team who worked tirelessly completing the grant application process and today all their hard work has paid off.
“Secondly, this is amazing news for our rugby club membership; our new clubhouse facility will be fit for purpose to facilitate boys, girls, women’s and men’s rugby without the constant threat of flooding.
“Finally I believe that this is great for our local community. The rugby club is used by so many people away from the sport and we will continue to make the space available for local user groups.
“Whilst much of the money for our Big Build has been raised by our members the truth is that it would not have been viable to commence the construction phase without being awarded the £300,000 from the Community Ownership Fund and for that we’re hugely grateful.
“This now leaves us with £115,000 to raise to achieve our Big Build project target.”
To find out more about making a donation to Keswick Rugby Club Big Build Project, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/p3r4e-krufc-the-big-build
Jacob Young, Minister for Levelling Up, said: “We know how much these vital community assets mean to people across the country. They are an important lifeline for people young and old, and they’re the beating heart of our towns, cities and villages.
“That’s why we’re stepping in to protect them with a major rescue package, so we stop these great establishments closing or being lost forever and ensure that they continue to sit at the heart of our beloved communities.”
Cooke’s Studio, a vibrant cultural centre on Abbey Street in Barrow supports around 15,000 disadvantaged people. It is run by Signal Film and Media and £910,000 will help with renovations to make it a community-led art centre.
Mr Young is due to visit Cooke’s Studio today and also visited the Roxy Cinema in Ulverston this week, where he saw how £300,000 funding announced in an earlier round of the fund is being used to renovate and restore the historic building.
The funding is preserving it for future generations and making it more accessible to the local community. He also met with the Roxy Collective, the local group responsible for the building.
