Worksop sports ground lands £60,000 council grant for new clubhouse

Rockware Glass Sports and Social Club has secured the Club Changer grant to fund works at its Sandy Lane sports site, having proved that it can match the funding and win planning permission.

The new facility will provide dressing rooms for match officials, home and away teams, a meeting room and kitchen.

Chairman Andrew Wesley said: “Having this new clubhouse gives the club a future.

“It’s going to make a major difference to those who use this sports ground and means that Rockware will continue to be a home for community sport for generations to come.

“It always used to be an immaculate sports ground, but the current facilities are getting tired and beyond their usable life.”

He added: “The project has been going on for around 11 years. We hope this is the first step towards bringing the Rockware ground back to its former glory.

The council created the Club Changer fund to support development of multi-sports hubs following the Bassetlaw Games held in 2012 and 2016.

Grants are particularly focused on providing facilities for young people, women and girls, and people with disabilities, and capital projects which help clubs retain and grow their membership.

Coun Julie Leigh said: “It was really important to the council that we had a legacy from the Bassetlaw Games, and it’s amazing that seven years on, local sports clubs are still able to benefit.

“These new facilities will enable more people to participate in sports on the site and supports the council’s aim of getting more people, more active, more often.”

The Rockware ground is currently home to a cricket club, two men’s football teams, Worksop Town Juniors teams from under-sevens to under-16s, three junior school football teams, cubs and scouts teams as well as a weekly soccer school.

Over the last 12 months, the ground has been used by approximately 11,800 people.