Officials leading ambitious plans to raise £1.85 million to upgrade facilities at Keswick Rugby Club have taken another big stride towards getting the new development over the line.
Members of Keswick Town Council agreed at their September meeting to support a planning application to demolish the existing clubhouse and squash courts at the club’s Davidson Park ground.
They will be replaced with a new elevated clubhouse and the creation of additional car parking facilities.
Councillors also agreed to submit a letter of support towards a fundraising brochure that the club is producing to prop up their application for funds.
The meeting was addressed by club representatives Carrick Wharmby and Lucy King who spoke about how the new clubhouse and facilities will be of benefit to the whole town.
Carrick told councillors that the push towards a new elevated clubhouse was a response to recent flooding episodes that had seen various levels of water, from three foot to one inch, swamp the building causing major clean-up exercises.
He said the current facilities were also not good enough to accommodate the club’s growing rugby family that has seen it grow to 16 teams including the Falcons — a ladies’ team — which was formed in 2020 and now has enough players to support a second team.
‘’The only problem is that we have only got four changing rooms and one of them is not adequate,’’ said Carrick.
Lucy said the men could share showers along with the match officials but some women wanted more privacy, with individual cubicles. The new development would have six changing rooms with their own toilets and showers and the club would be able to access a Rugby Football Union (RFU) grant towards the cost.
Carrick said the current function room can only accommodate 80 seated people and pointed out that it was no longer big enough. He said the club has 150 senior players as well as supporters and their families.
“On Saturday we had a team from Middlesbrough coming over with their supporters and a team from Aspatria with their supporters. Both have a good following and they couldn’t fit in the rugby club,’’ said Carrick.
The planned function room would accommodate 150 people seated and has the capacity to allow for 315 if seated.
He said that in 2029 the club will have been in existence for 120 years and there had always been a plan to improve facilities ahead of the anniversary.
He said that the club has £500,000 that it is going to invest in the project and it is hoped to raise the rest of the cash through community bonds and by approaching individuals around the town who might be interested in supporting the club through a loan.
It was hoped to raise a further £600,000 through this method while the remainder will be raised through fundraising.
All those who have been linked with the rugby club in the past have been approached to contribute.
Lucy said that if the town did get a new clubhouse it would appeal to more young players attracted by the new “shiny” facility which would help contribute to a more active lifestyle through playing contact and touch rugby.
She said there would be a large indoor space that could be available for local community groups to use. There is a facility for indoor bowls and the potential for a community gym and classes such as fitness, mindfulness, arts and crafts and book clubs.
“It would be great if it was a nice community space for people to go to and appreciate,’’ said Lucy.
- An open session for Keswick residents to learn about The Big Build is to be held at the rugby club at 7pm on Friday October 13.
