New £1 million sports clubhouse in Snitterfield

A NEW £1 million sports club in Snitterfield officially opened on Saturday (19th October) offering three tennis courts, a bowling green and football – and plans for further expansion.

The clubhouse, which can seat 130 people for functions, also has new changing rooms, disabled access, baby changing facilities and a modern kitchen, all of which have replaced the old clubhouse built in the 1950s.

The Snitterfield Sports Club project has been ten years in the making. However, after years of planning the turnaround has been quick with work starting on the new clubhouse in September last year.

Emma McConnell, sports club chair, said: “We had plenty of fundraising events, generous donations, support from local businesses, Christmas bazaars, discos, race nights and we also received grants. Pat Elliott was the previous chair of the sports club who worked tirelessly to get the project through planning; he had been working on this for around five years before he passed the baton to myself following a successful grant of planning.”

Club members often pitched in to help the old sports club get through another season, but in reality it needed at least £350,000 to refurbish it.

“The repairs got out of control and we simply couldn’t afford to undertake them properly,” said Emma. “Various options were discussed over the years, but it was finally decided to enter into an agreement with Avon Homes who have built us the wonderful £1m A-rated building in return for the plot that the old building sits on where they are about to start construction of nine, two- and three-bedroom houses.”

The project also benefited from the drive and ambition of a volunteer development committee which included Mark Donald who offered his expertise in planning and property development.

Emma added: “I also volunteered my expertise in marketing and communications as we needed to keep members and neighbours informed along the way.

“Julian Straker, treasurer and trustee, oversaw the sports club’s expenditure of the project. Lee Niblett, bar manager, was heavily involved to ensure the bar fit was completed exactly as it needed to be and Dawn Lodge was the quantity surveyor on the project. Caitlin and Neil Davis worked hard behind the scenes to help secure grant funding.”

The project was also part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Looking to the future, the club wants to have two padel tennis courts at the site.

Saturday’s launch included an open day and live music in the evening.