Sport unity pays off

The toiling, paperwork and passion of local rugby league and football enthusiasts appears to have paid off.

Porirua City Council has granted the Porirua Synthetic Sports Field Trust $197,182 towards the $1.8 million cost to build an artificial turf at Ascot Park, as well as a $397,364 interest-free loan.

The partnership is still subject to the trust securing extra funding and business and management plans passing muster. Even so, the Porirua Vikings and Western Suburbs administrators can sleep a little easier, as council backing was not a fait accompli.

For a time it looked like the venture might be derailed as other sports clubs began weighing in with alternative sites for the turf and a frustrating ‘‘chicken and egg’’ funding scenario.

PCC wanted the trust to secure a decent share of funding before committing to the Shared Responsibility Scheme, while funding agencies needed to know if the project had the backing of the council before committing.

Thankfully the council blinked first. This venture is a perfect example of why the scheme exists. The clubs could not afford to pay for the artificial turf themselves or tap the required funding without council involvement but have displayed dogged commitment and a co-operative approach.

The turf would also fill an increasing community need for all-weather sports facilities. As the number of junior sports teams has surged, so have the number of games cancelled each season because of weather-affected parks.

What we like best about the project is that after four years of resolve from the Vikings – particularly president Bernie Wood – it wouldn’t even be their premier side who would get the most benefit from the turf.

Sure, it would be great for the big boys to train on but too hard on the body for full contact. It’s the young fellas who would thrive.

When a ground deteriorates because of high use, training during the week and bad weather, it is the juniors who have their weekend games canned so the pitch can be saved for the seniors.

This turf would allow 20 more football games to be played by young sportspeople each weekend.

Hopefully the remaining challenges are smoothly achieved and the venture can be considered not just a successful grassroots initiative, but a template of commitment and co-operation that other sports clubs can aspire to and emulate.