Development and Funding

1
Development and Funding
Kirkby Lonsdale Rugby Union Football Club
Community Amateur Sports Club Reg No
03694 Incorporated under the Industrial and
Provident Societies Act 1965 Reg No 46R
2
Agenda

• Kirkby Lonsdale RUFC some background info on
  Club.
• Proposition what we are looking for
• Outline of Current Developments identified by
  the Club
• Pitches
• Changing / Showering
• Buildings
• Phases and Timescales
• The Bob Geldof Plea

3
Some Background

• Kirkby Lonsdale is a small market town with a
  resident population of about 2000, generally at
  the greyer end of the scale, nestled between the
  Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.
• Its geographical position in the South East
  corner of Cumbria means that it draws its players
  and support, both young and old, from Cumbria,
  Lancashire and North Yorkshire.
• Kirkby Lonsdale RUFC is a Community based Club
  with an extensive Mini, Youth and Colts set up,
  providing access to a lifetime of Rugby for all
  ages, from Under 7 to Over 70.
• With three senior sides, an Under 19s squad
  of over 20 and in excess of 250 players pitching
  in on a Sunday for the Mini, Youth and Colts,
  facilities are stretched even before any visiting
  sides arrive.
• Aside from Rugby, the Club hosts the towns
  Bonfire Night is heavily involved in the
  Victorian Fair, the Lunesdale Agricultural Show
  and promotes and supports a variety of Charities
  eg. North West Air Ambulance and Motor Neurone
  Disease.
• The Club provides a base for the towns Brass
  Band to practice twice a week and the pitches are
  used for the KL Rounders Team, along with holiday
  sports clubs with South Lakeland District Council
• The Clubhouse is used by the KL Hockey and
  Cricket Clubs for social events and the Club
  provides access to its website to a number of
  sports to help the information flow.

Problem The existing facilities were not
designed to cope with current needs
4
Some Further Background

• The Senior Club has recovered to three teams
  following Foot and Mouth and re-engaged a vibrant
  semi-vets squad.
• 2004 KLRUFC was the first Club in Cumbria
  to hit the Seal of Approval Started to
  develop Club website
• 2005 Continued development signed off the
  SoA Level 2 Developed another 4 youth pitches
  to a standard in need of additional work to
  be fully playable. Developed additional car
  parking for a further 60 cars to help cope with
  demand Awarded the Northern Regions
  Volunteer Award
• 2006 Re-negotiated long lease on site
  Extended the area to provide for long term
  development of additional pitches and facilities
  Community Amateur Sports Club status as this
  accurately reflects what we as a Club are about.
• 2007 Seal of Approval, Level 3 one of only
  20 Clubs in the Country Link with Sale Sharks
  as a feeder club and base for their Training
  Camps Full Development Plan presented to RFU
  for major funding to improve facilities and
  accepted as priority

We recognise that self-help is option one
5
Mini, Youth and Colts Background

• This has grown hugely over the past five years
  and outgrown the available playing and changing
  facilities
• Over 270 members aged from 7 to Under 16, with
  a further 30 members under 19.
• 30 Volunteer coaches, all Level 1, 5 Coaches
  at Level 2 and one almost a full Level 3
• Club Seal of Approval Levels 1,2 and 3 was
  driven by the MYC to make sure of the Child
  Protection Policies and ensure that the
  Club is a safe environment for our children.
• Much greater involvement with County Rugby,
  providing a suitable, safe venue, coaches and
  most of the members of the district squad
• Partnership with the RFU, South Lakeland
  District Council and Baliol School to fund a
  three year Community Sports Coach to develop
  Rugby within Schools both in South Lakeland and
  cross the arbitrary borders of adjacent
  Lancashire and North Yorkshire. He is now our
  School Liaison Officer.
• Developing Girls Rugby started 2005 but lack
  of facilities cause a problem coaches and
  players available and keen.
• With more than 10 home teams, and bearing in
  mind they are children, parents need to be
  accommodated as well, so facilities are
  stretched, even before visiting sides and their
  parents arrive

6
The Proposition
We are not looking to build on an individuals
optimistic vision with estimated future visitor
or member numbers but on historical facts and
what we know to be the current position. We have
to bridge the gap between the facilities that
were adequate at the time and provide for our
current and on-going needs.
There are three main areas that we are concerned
with
7
Development Mini, Youth and Colts Pitches

• Current situation
• Training of 11 MYC sides some with 30 in age
  group
• Weekly MYC matches on 2 of the pitches on
  average
• Training has to go on to secondary land
• Cleared and flattened further 4 pitch areas but
  too many stones
• Regular stone-picking sessions but not solution

• What the solution is
• Initial Phase to get the 4 new mini and youth
  into play
• 2000 tons of graded topsoil or re-turfing
• Levelling
• Re-seeding
• Flatten the Colts pitch properly, re-turf and
  bring that into play

• What this means
• Overuse of 1st Team Pitch
• Overuse of 2nd Team and Training Pitch
• Never any chance for the pitches to recover from
  use
• Minimal use of the area that has been prepared in
  readiness for proper pitches.

8
Development Pitch Improvements

• Current situation
• Training of 11 MYC sides some with 30 in age
  group
• Weekly MYC matches on 2 of the pitches on
  average
• Additional use by school
• Overuse of 1st Team Pitch
• Overuse of 2nd Team and Training Pitch
• Basically sound but five holes that need filling
• Need Planning to agree to move lighting to switch
  pitch

• What the solution is
• Take the strain off the main pitches by
  developing the other pitches
• Strip back topsoil of 2nd pitch, fill in and
  level off
• Ideally re-turf whole pitch
• Look to switch main pitches

• What this means
• Never any chance for the pitches to recover from
  use
• Never any chance to develop or improve current
  assets
• Potential for wrecked pitches for the following
  weekend
• Wasted effort and resources
• Permanent patch up

9
Development Changing / Shower Facilities

• Current situation
• 5 Changing Rooms and One Communal Shower one
  used for storage currently
• All changing rooms outside of RFU Guidelines
• No separate ladies changing facilities
• No separate ladies shower
• Completely swamped by Mini/Youth 11 age groups
  sometimes 300 children playing even with teams
  playing away

• What the solution is
• Re-development of existing changing and showering
  facilities
• An additional 6 changing rooms up to RFU standard
  with integral showers
• 2 designated Female changing facilities with a
  further two that could be sectioned off to be
  male or female depending on need.
• One smaller designated refs
• Cable upgrade for power

• What this means
• Logistic problems when 3 senior sides playing
• Lack of facilities for referees
• No facilities for women therefore hampering the
  development of Womens Rugby
• Logistics on a Sunday depending on MYC matches
• Dirty children in the Clubhouse or buses and
  associated cleaning costs

10
Development Toilet Facilities

• Current situation
• Men - 4 Urinals and two loos
• Ladies - 2 loos
• 1 Disabled Facility
• Gents forms part of the passageway between Club
  and Changing rooms
• Ladies is small and runs off same passageway
• Awkward access for disabled facility due
  narrowness of passageway

• What the solution is
• Variety of options depending on additional
  changing rooms and shower facilities.
• Enlarge and refurbish Ladies
• Move disabled loo to current gents, and block off
• Make part of current showers into Gents with
  access through to changing
• Options drawn up based between Ideal or Make Do
  and based on funding

• What this means
• Little privacy with Mens loos
• No access to Ladies Loos even if we could
  segregate a changing room for Womens Rugby
• Insufficient for the numbers that are being coped
  with, both players and visitors.

11
Development Catering Facilities

• Current situation
• Functional kitchen in limited floorspace
• Very limited work surface
• All areas prep, cooking and serving, too close
  to each other
• Feeds upwards of 300 on busy match days plus
  bacon butties, teas coffees etc.
• Functions have limited facilities to work with
• Only possible venue for 10m that can cater for
  more than 80 people.

• What the solution is
• Extend the bar cellar towards the gym, freeing up
  space for kitchen extension
• Re-configure workspace for food prep and wash
  area
• Convection Ovens and underspace chill cabinets
• Two catering grills and frying area
• Rework Bin area and build a Patio / BBQ area at
  the back of the clubhouse directly outside the
  kitchen

• What this means
• Very much, make do with what is there parents
  and volunteer grumblings about lack of
  facilities.
• Concern about HSA and general food hygiene
• With 4 people in the galley, very cramped
• Frequent reason for non-booking

12
Development Lighting

• Current situation
• Training lights erected 10 years ago
• Increasing maintenance problems
• Cabling currently used at capacity, no facility
  to provide additional power to Clubhouse
• Cabling pipeline laid two years ago and available
  for the higher spec needed when possible.

• What the solution is
• Refurbish existing lighting system
• Add additional higher spec cabling with secondary
  impact on power supply to Clubhouse
• Additional Safety Lighting on Car Park area
• Better lights with reduced footprint and less
  pollution

• What this means
• Regular fusing of lights
• Increasing costs in repairs and maintenance of
  existing facilities
• Inability to put all lights on for training
• Evening games are on the cusp

13
Development Stand Facilities

• Current situation
• Dilapidated Stand that has all but been
  condemned.
• Unusable
• Unsafe
• 200 yards from Clubhouse
• Cut into hill with no pathway access to stand
• No disabled access
• Maximum capacity used to be 75, now, nil.

• What the solution is
• Demolish existing Stand and rebuild, relocated
  nearer to Clubhouse one option
• Develop new wide pathway to the stand suitable
  for wheelchair access
• Designate Disabled Parking at end of new pathway
  to allow for easy access
• Rebuild with greater capacity to cope with County
  fixtures

• What this means
• No Stand Facilities at all for anyone
• No wheelchair access to be able to watch Rugby
• Exclusion of many past players and local support
  from the retired population in Kirkby Lonsdale
  and the surrounding areas.
• Venue unsuitable for a number of events both
  rugby and community based

14
Development Sports Barn

• Current situation
• Otherwise unused and unusable empty space
• Lack of general Community facilities in area for
  both sport and social use
• Interest in concept shown by Brass Band, Cubs,
  Cricket, Tennis, Football, Basketball, Table
  Tennis, Bowls, the Agricultural Show, local
  schools and as a base for a Community Radio
  Station.
• Rugby Club is the only site locally that has the
  facility to expand to encompass the needs of the
  community.

• What the solution is
• Building a Sports Barn attached to the clubhouse
• Additional rooms to provide Club office, storage
  and separate room for the Radio Station
• Consult with other interested parties to see what
  input is possible
• Pull together with SLDC
• Develop plan before full bid

• What this means
• A variety of unsuitable places being used by wide
  cross section of our community making do
• Additional parking difficulties in town centre
• Club not maximising its potential to improve
  social facilities
• Latent criticism of hoarding limited resources
• Some missed training sessions due weather or
  pitch problems

15
Phases
16
The Bob Geldof Plea
Or What he might have said had he been under
less stress.

• So, where do we go from here?
• What support can be mustered?
• Can the wallet be opened or the cheque
  signed?

We simply cannot eat enough bacon butties to do
these improvements without help

• What grants are available from the RFU
  towards development?
• Please advise where else we should be looking
  for funds and assistance