Football & Cricket Club finishes clubhouse refit thanks to HS2 funding

Stockton Football and Cricket Club in Warwickshire has revealed its new facilities which were supported by a £10,000 grant from HS2 Ltd.

The renovation, with design and planning undertaken by Kier, will support the significant rise in interest shown by women’s and girls’ teams wanting to compete in local sports including football, cricket, netball, baseball and pétanque.

The clubhouse extension includes two separate team changing rooms to host home and away teams, officials changing rooms, showers, accessible toilets, kit and equipment storage and an alternative access for wheelchair users to use the clubhouse.

The new changing rooms, which opened for use last year, have already had a huge impact on all teams, particularly supporting a rise in Netball teams using the club. The changing facilities are fully inclusive, offering wheelchair access, disabled toilets and baby changing facilities.

Rick Musson, Football Manager at Stockton FCCC, said: “We are pleased to report that not only have we had positive feedback on our facilities from our visiting teams, but a number have wanted to use our facilities as their home ground. It’s a resounding vote of support for the club, the wider community, as well as our legacy to the next generation.”

Cathy Elliott, Independent Chair of the HS2 Funds said: “It is great to hear that Warwickshire residents are taking full advantage the new facilities funded through HS2’s Community & Environment Fund.

“Stockton FCCC have successfully delivered a series of clubhouse upgrades which mean the club can continue offering modern facilities for the local community to use, and I’m glad we could play a part in helping to deliver the project.”

Looking to the future, Stockton FCCC hopes to convert the area at the rear of the clubhouse into additional car parking spaces to meet the increased popularity of the local facility.

The club also hosts a range of off-pitch events across the year including the Stockton Beer Festival, Scarecrow Trail, and the Christmas Wish Tree. A team of 20 committee members manage the day-to-day running of the building and the upkeep of the pitches, courts, and hedges to provide the teams with a range of well-maintained facilities.

The HS2 Funds opened to applicants and are made up by the Community and Environment fund (CEF) and Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF). They are still available to local communities and businesses that can demonstrate that they are disrupted by the construction of Britain’s new high speed railway between London and the West Midlands, with over 200 projects on Phase One between the West Midlands and London already receiving funding.

Photo credit: HS2 Ltd

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