Fete boosts Rudhams pavilion revamp bid

The Rudhams Playing Fields Association have adopted a do-it-yourself approach to improve their current facilities.

They are planning a complete refurbishment of their pavilion with new disabled facilities, both for the cricketers who use the playing field and the adjacent bowls green members, plus toilets and a kitchen.

At their fundraising summer fete on Saturday, association chairman, James Ringer, said that they were attempting to complete the first stage, an extension to accommodate new toilet facilities, by gift funding rather than crowd funding.

He said: "Longwater Gravel are giving us some concrete, a local digger hire company is going to dig the footings for us and we've been offered some local help who are going to do the labour."

The next stage will be to revamp the pavilion changing facilities and put in a new kitchen, for which officials hope to apply for grants.

Mr Ringer said: "We've got planning permission in at the moment and hopefully we'll have a decision by August."

So far the association has raised around £12,000 but running costs, such as the necessary purchase of a new tractor, are competing with the costs of improving the facilities.

Mr Ringer said it was difficult to quantify how much they would need to raise to top up hoped-for lottery funding.

The fete itself opened under dark skies but the weather brightened and brought out a large crowd.

Side shows and stalls surrounded a centre ring where the Hempton Dog Training Group held their dog show.

In addition local shepherd Ed Odell, wowed the crowd with a sheep show involving nine varieties of sheep both rare and commercial. The show was a mixture of fun and education.

Mr Ringer said: "The fete is our only fundraising event of the year apart from our raffle."