From transforming decades-old changing rooms to installing heating in club buildings and everything inbetween, 91 projects are benefitting from Sport England’s £6 million Inspired Facilities fund.
THE WIRE GYMNASTICS CLUB
Sessions have resembled skiing classes during the winter, with members braving their heating-free building on a Warrington business park.
Coaches have taught in freezing temperatures wearing multiple jumpers, a scarf and gloves, while the girls they teach have been wrapped up warm.
“It ends up ridiculously cold, into the minuses,” says head coach and club founder Emma Doherty.
“It’s dangerous in some respects because the cold can make you more prone to injury.”
The chilly indoor air meant the club was going to be forced to close its doors to its babies’ gymnastics group this winter, but not anymore thanks to £20,000 from our Inspired Facilities fund.
They are just days away from finally getting a heating system installed, and the money will also go towards installing a foam pit for the budding gymnasts.
Emma adds: “To have heating in the gym will mean we can continue to offer sessions for all, from pre-school to our squad gymnasts all through the year.
“It will also mean we can continue to develop our programme with local school.”
ISLINGTON BOAT CLUB
For 45 years, Islington Boat Club has been giving young inner city children in London the chance to ride kayaks, canoes, sailing boats, powerboats and narrowboats.
As well as having its own youth club for nine to 19-year-olds, it holds school sessions and works with children who attend behavioural units.
But its 35-year-old changing rooms are no longer fit for purpose, lacking the accessibility, space and lighting that’s needed.
“It’s very dark [in the changing rooms] at the moment and not very welcoming,” says club director Leo Collier.
“It has an old 1980s venting system that doesn’t work.”
The club has been awarded £29,138 towards the revamp.
Leo adds: “It will make a huge difference and make it so much more welcoming.”
GOSFORTH LAWN TENNIS CLUB
Demand is high for three of the club’s tennis courts during the day, because at night it’s pitch black.
Without floodlights, the club has'nt met demand in the winter, when schoolchildren can only play once it’s dark during the school week.
But the green light has now been given to install floodlights, and £48,204 of Inspired Facilities funding will help make it happen.
The money will also help pay for electric heating to be installed in the clubhouse.
Club secretary Ros Johnson says the funding will help it keep talented young junior players and attract new members that may choose to go elsewhere.
SHALBOURNE RECREATION GROUND
The sports ground in Wiltshire is desperately in need of a new pavilion – with its existing one no longer adequate and becoming an “increasingly dangerous structure”.
It is home to successful cricket and football teams, as well as petanque and croquet clubs.
With the help of £75,000 of funding, the new pavilion will have new changing rooms for team and individual sports, as well as shower areas for men and women, catering facilities and a large multi-purpose area for dining, indoor classes and table tennis.
WESTMINSTER BOATING BASE
The changing rooms have been described as “embarrassing” by Westminster Boating Base director Hugh O’Byrne.
The independent young person’s charity, which teaches dinghy sailing, powerboating, kayaking and canoeing in central London, will use £33,985 of funding to help drag the 40-year-old rooms into the 21st century, including having disabled facilities on the ground floor.
Hugh adds: "We’ve got to rip everything out and start again. We can’t put a band aid on it anymore.
"It will be something we can be proud. It will make things better for everybody and help bring in new members."
Transform
Sport England Property Director Charles Johnston says: "The Inspired Facilities Fund has had a huge impact on grassroots sport across the country.
"Since 2011, we’ve invested £102 million into more than 1,920 projects to improve and refurbish sports clubs and transform non-sporting venues into vibrant community sports clubs.
"It’s great to see these latest projects join the long list of successful clubs to benefit from National Lottery funding."