Pavilion team’s 2020 vision
THE team behind a project to bring a new sports and community pavilion to Ashbourne’s recreation ground have thanked the public for its support and say they are on track to start work on the new building in 2020.
The Ashbourne Sports and Community Partnership has been rustling up support through a successful “Sponsor a Brick Campaign”.
This has been combined with a crowdfunding initiative, which has seen £7,000 flowing in from the public - close to the target of £10,000.
The success of the fund-raising campaign has helped the partnership with its work finding other sources of funding for the £600,000 project and a host of organisations are discussing grants.
Among these, Sport England has stated that, in principle, it is interested in the project and requires further information to assess whether they can offer financial support. The partnership says other national sporting agencies have been discussing potential funding and members have been working closely with Derbyshire Dales District Council to develop a local strategy for investment in football in Ashbourne, with the new Pavilion potentially being a major beneficiary of new investment.
The authority, which owns and manages the recreation ground and the existing pavilion, has pledged £70,000 towards a replacement building.
Other grants that have already been secured include an offer of £10,000 from Developing and Empowering Resources in Communities - an organisation that helps new and innovative community owned social enterprises. A further recent grant has been pledged from the Duke of Devonshire Trust for £4,500 to erect a memorial for Ashbourne residents that died in the Second World War.
This will carry forward the war memorial ethos of the Memorial Pavilion into the new Pavilion in the Park. As the project currently stands, in just 18 months the partnership has secured or has nearly secured more than a third of the funding it needs and work has started on a development programme which is due to start next October.
The partnership’s chairman John Lake said: “It has been an exciting year for the Ashbourne Sport and Community Partnership in designing the new Pavilion in the Park and seeing the wonderful support of the people of Ashbourne for this important project.
“The partnership is expanding with more local sports clubs agreeing to join us in our venture to bring new investment and first class sporting facilities to Ashbourne.
“The support of local people, businesses, schools and other community organisations is critical to making the Pavilion in the Park a reality and hopefully you will have seen the posters around shops in Ashbourne giving everyone the opportunity to contribute further to the project through our Crowdfunder initiative at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/sponsor-a-brick
“We still have a long way to go but with the continued support of the Ashbourne community I am confident we can deliver this project in 2020.”
Progress will be updated at www.argscp.org.uk and on twitter @ARGSCP and Facebook @Ashbournepavilion.
The support of people, businesses, schools and the community is critical to making the Pavilion a reality. John Lake