Good news!  The Foundation for the Sports & Arts have awarded the Club a grant of £25,000 as part our Phase 3 of the New Ground Development – the new pavilion.  We learned our application had been successful on the opening day of the History Festival but have now received written confirmation.  Our sincere thanks to the Board of the FSA for awarding us such a generous sum – all those hours spent filling in grant application forms have finally been proved worth it!

Those of you at the History Festival will have seen the plans and model of the proposed new pavilion, as designed by Alun Jones of Dow Jones Architects, London.  Dow Jones were awarded Architects of the Year last year in the refurbishment category, and Alun has certainly come up with a wonderful design.  As mentioned before, it is estimated that the entire project will cost no more than £100,00.  With just under £30,000 now in the bank we have a wonderful platform from which to push on with our fundraising.

A word of caution, however.  Although support has already been expressed by the Chairman of Bowerchalke Parish Council, Roderick Fisher, we do still need to reapply for planning; the reality is that we are still some way from seeing this wonderful new design emerge at Butts Field.  Nonetheless, we have already all achieved so much, and I have no doubt that we will be able to complete this Third Phase of the New Ground Development in the not too distant future.