Keep our pitch alive
DWYFOR Meirionnydd Member of Parliament Liz Saville Roberts is backing calls to help raise vital funds to upgrade the all-weather sports pitch at Parc Bodegroes, Efailnewydd, which has become too dangerous to use.
The all-weather pitch, which was constructed more than 20 years ago, has been unusable for the past two seasons, with problems including recurring waterlogging, surface water, extensive moss growth and broken floodlights.
The estimated cost of replacing the pitch and replacing the floodlights is around £240,000.
This has forced local sports teams, including the Pwllheli Women and Youth Hockey Club, to travel further afield to access similar facilities.
Concerns are being expressed as to the sustainability of this arrangement, with many voicing fears the situation will put off young people and women in particular from taking part in sports.
MP Liz said: “It’s vital that Pwllheli Hockey Club, with an active and burgeoning youth section, is able to continue to provide young people in Pen Llŷn with the means to develop their sports skills in a safe and sustainable environment. Raising a quarter of a million pounds is very challenging for a small club which relies on volunteers to survive.
“Through community fundraising and grant funding they have admirably raised £17,000, but this is a drop in a bucket. If a long-term solution isn’t forthcoming, there is a real risk that Llŷn will be without an all-weather pitch for the foreseeable future as the club will not be able to play or practise on the home ground during winter evenings without floodlit facilities.
“This is bad news for local sport and a barrier to develop young people’s interest in such activities.
“The current arrangement where those taking part in hockey games travel to Porthmadog’s all-weather pitch is unsustainable.
“Players and their families from Pen Llŷn cannot be expected to travel such distances.
“I have taken this matter up with both Hockey Wales and Cyngor Gwynedd to ascertain what sort of funding support is available to help the club secure the necessary funding to continue to use the allweather pitch.”
A Pwllheli Hockey Club spokesman said: “The problem with our pitch has affected this club for a long time and has now come to a breaking point.
“The state of the astro and the daunting prospect of raising so much money for a new one is really affecting the morale of our club.
“Our hockey club will be celebrating its 35th anniversary next year and it really is heart-breaking to think that hockey might no longer be part of the community here on the Llŷn.
“We as a club have such a strong history of top-class players (six of whom have played for Wales and another 20 for North Wales) and there is so much more young talent coming through in our ever growing junior section. We have to fight to keep this legacy alive.
“So many people on the Llŷn have benefited from the present pitch at some point in their lives, whether through school, colleges or various sports teams.
“Hockey itself is not only part of life’s routine for so many local women and girls it also offers many valuable skills for people in a rural area like ours.
“The loss of a community asset like this would be truly detrimental.”