Member Article

Robert Kirkland lays ceremonial date stone at new Belper Meadows community sports club

Robert Kirkland, director of Bowmer & Kirkland, laid a ceremonial date stone at the Belper Meadows Community Sports Club new Club House.

The project, in partnership with Sport England, has been financed by a public fundraising campaign and grants from a number of bodies including Amber Valley Borough Council, Vaillant, Co-op, The Big Lottery, Derbyshire Environmental Trust and Belper Town Council.

The scheme will provide new sports facilities for the community club, which encourages people of all ages to get involved in tennis, cricket, bowls and hockey.

The new facilities will include new changing rooms and toilets, a clubroom and disabled access in a building adjacent to the bowls, tennis and hockey playing surfaces. This will replace the former wooden pavilion, which was more than 100 years old. The 2018 date stone, which was laid above the front door of the new pavilion, was donated by Amber Pre-Cast and marks the completion of phase one of the project. This involved the construction of a two-storey building and the fit out of the lower storey for immediate use. Phase two will include the fit-out of the upper storey. Guests had the chance to look at the progress of the new Club House, which will include a spectacular balcony that will overlook all four sporting areas. The project is being led by Derby-based contractors Carter Construction and leading project managers, cost consultants and building surveyors Armsons.

Commenting on the project, Wendy Morris, BMCSC committee member and project manager from Belper Meadows Community Sports Club, said:

“Members at Belper Meadows have been working hard for many years to create this much needed new building. We are thrilled that we are finally able to provide 21st century support facilities for all the activities we have available to the Community here at the Club.”

Robert Kirkland, director of Bowmer & Kirkland, who sponsor the men’s Belper hockey club, added:

“It gives me great pleasure to lay the date stone and I would like to wish Belper Meadows Community Sports Club every success in the future.”

Sally Walters, director at Armsons said:

“We are delighted to be working on this fantastic scheme with Carter Construction and the rest of the team.

“It’s really rewarding to be involved in a local project that will provide sports facilities for people of all ages and we’re looking forward to celebrating the completion of the project.”

Roger Carter, managing director of Carter Construction, added:

“Following many years of developing the project, we’re pleased to have been able to design and build a workable scheme, given the constraints of the World Heritage site and the river flood plain.

“We’re proud of how the project is coming together and we hope Belper Meadows Community Sports Club will be equally happy with the finished product, which we hope will stand for another 100 years.”

A multi-sport, volunteer-run amateur club, Belper Meadows Community Sports Club exists to provide facilities for sport for all in the local community and is totally self-funded.

Last year the club launched a ‘Buy a Brick’ scheme - which provides the chance to purchase a virtual brick to help with the construction of the new facilities.

Fundraising is ongoing to help contribute towards the internal fit out of the building and any other donations or fundraising ideas are welcome. To get involved in the fundraising campaign, visit the club’s JustGiving page at: www.justgiving.com/belpermeadows-communitysportsclub

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Donna Hill .