Rotary dinner and donation boost pitch project by £9000
W3ST is set to get shower and changing rooms
More than £9000 has been raised for the W3ST Whiteshawgate 3G Sports Trust project thanks to a special sportsmans’ dinner and a generous £3000 donation from Strathaven Rotary Club.
The dinner was held at the Strathaven Hotel on Friday, March 3, and came just over a year since the official public funding appeal was launched at the first W3ST dinner, to build Strathaven’s first full-size, multipurpose, all-weather, floodlit pitch.
Former professional footballer and Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith, comedian Joe Camay and veteran after-dinner speaker and Strathaven resident Robbie Glen were guests at the evening just under a fortnight ago.
W3ST, a partnership between Strathaven Rugby Club and amateur football club Strathaven Dynamo, the people of Strathaven, local businesses and charitable organisations, has seen the new facility completed, with the first training sessions and games starting on the pitch back in February.
However, fundraising needs to continue in order to help build necessary additional changing rooms and shower facilities for the pitch, and the latest dinner provided a timely boost for the campaign.
Margaret CF Morton DL, president of Strathaven Rotary Club, said: “The W3ST dinner was a super night and it was great to see everyone and the great support from all who attended.
“In my role as president of Strathaven Rotary, I am one of the Trustees in relation to the Strathaven Youth Fund. The monies mentioned on the night are the final donations from this.
“Many years ago in Strathaven the Rotary Club and Round Table were both the driving forces in raising a huge amount of money over many years.
“Their aims and objectives were to get a swimming pool for the town, which I can say was no mean feat – what a challenge.
“We, the present Rotary Club and Round Table, and the town of Strathaven and the villages around us, must at this time give a huge vote of thanks to all who participated in any way in achieving this fabulous goal – hard work and great determination from all those over many years.”
Gordon Smith said: “W3ST ran the night really well and I’m delighted to help a very good cause as I respect totally what you’re doing for the kids in your area.”
Grant Law from W3ST said: “It only seems like yesterday that we were launching the appeal just over a year ago, and here we are now with the pitch completed.
“Everyone involved has put in a fantastic effort over those 12 months and yet it still continues as we see with the excellent amount raised from the auction at the dinner and a superb donation of £3000 from the Strathaven Rotary Club. We can’t thank them enough for their continued support.”
Strathaven Rugby Club president Garry Tough commented: “We are delighted that the whole Strathaven community sees the merit in what W3ST have been trying to achieve over the last year or so.
“They have been brilliant, and through the efforts of everyone we now have a state-of-the-art sports facility that will grace our town for generations to come.
“What is even more encouraging is the continuing support for the appeal to build the changing rooms, and the money raised from the dinner and especially the tremendous donation from the Rotary Club has left us speechless. Thanks to you all.”