A Major Boost for Sport in Southwell
Dear Parents, Coaches, and Club Members,
I’m delighted to update you on the exciting progress of our transformative community project. Southwell City Football Club has submitted an application for a £1.7 million investment in our town’s sporting facilities through the development of a state-of-the-art 3G pitch at Brinkley. Whilst we’re still awaiting approval for the funding, we’re hopeful this project will proceed and wanted to share our vision with you.
A Community Asset for Everyone
This isn’t just about football – this facility will be a true community asset available for the whole town to use. The 3G pitch will be stadium-sized, accommodating a regulation 11-a-side football pitch or two 9-a-side pitches, ensuring we can cater for players of all ages and abilities. The pitch will be used for playing and training.
We’re particularly excited that this facility will allow us to continue our pan-disability football team project, reinforcing our commitment to making football available to everybody who wants to play.
We’re also keen to welcome other local teams and sports organisations who would like to use the new pitch and clubhouse facilities, and we look forward to collaborating with groups across the community.
This community facility will also enable us to open our clubhouse during the day, and we’re actively seeking local groups who would like to use the clubhouse space. We’ll be adding a kitchen to the clubhouse, allowing us to offer hot food and drinks to users. The clubhouse facilities will be available free of charge for community groups – we simply want you to come along and be part of this exciting project. The 3G pitch will be available for hire, and our aim is to make this as attractive as possible in terms of pricing for all users.
Funding and Timeline
The funding for this project would come primarily from Newark & Sherwood Council and the Football Foundation, with Southwell City Football Club also making a significant contribution. We’re also welcoming sponsors who would like to be part of this community initiative.
Our target is to submit the final application in October 2025, which would allow us to have the pitch ready for the beginning of the 2026 football season, subject to funding approval. It’s an ambitious timeline, but one that will deliver enormous benefits to our community if successful.
Partnership with Southwell Town Council
In order to secure the long-term future of this community project, we’re transitioning to become a limited company by guarantee – a non-profit organisation that will provide a secure and sound foundation for the football club and this facility. We’re working closely with Southwell Town Council as the landowner at Brinkley, encouraging them to be part of this application and to maintain the same supportive lease terms with our new organisation structure to ensure the project’s viability.
Their partnership is crucial to the project’s success, as it will allow us to reclaim VAT through the Council and ensure future rental costs remain as low as possible for community groups. We’ve enlisted a VAT specialist from the FA to support the Council with this process and guarantee we achieve the best value for money.
Given the importance of enhancing our town’s sporting infrastructure, we’re hopeful the Town Council will provide the timely support needed to meet our October deadline and deliver this significant investment for Southwell’s community.
Being Good Neighbours
As the facility will be located in the rural area of Brinkley, we’re committed to being excellent neighbours to local residents. We’re planning significant improvements to our car parking facilities to accommodate all users and ensure we take traffic off the road rather than adding to it. Minimising any impact on the local community is a top priority for us, and we’re working hard to ensure the facility enhances rather than disrupts the area.
We’re also committed to making this project as environmentally responsible as possible. Whilst most 3G pitches use rubber crumb for the playing surface, we’re exploring eco-friendly alternatives that could make us one of the first community projects in the country to choose a more sustainable option. We’re working hard to achieve this goal, though we want to be transparent that this remains subject to technical feasibility and funding considerations.
The success of this project depends on strong collaboration between all parties, and we’re hopeful that the Town Council will provide the support needed to make this vision a reality. This represents a vital opportunity to invest in quality sporting facilities for our community, and their partnership will be instrumental in delivering this significant investment for Southwell, should our funding application be successful.
Get Involved
If you’re interested in using the clubhouse facility during the day, would like to sponsor this community project, or if you’re a local sports organisation interested in using the 3G pitch, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.
We’re always looking for people who share our commitment to community-centered sport to join our hard-working committee and help us deliver this project. If you’d like to get involved, please get in touch. This is an opportunity for our entire community to come together and create something truly special.
We’ll keep you updated on our progress, and I look forward to celebrating this achievement with you all.
Yours in sport,
John Cunningham
Chairman, Southwell City Football Club
Email: [email protected]
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