Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, welcomes news that Hinckley Rugby Football Club has been awarded a grant of £150,000 from the Government’s Community Ownership Fund.
The funding will go towards the club’s 3G Football Pitch Renovation Project after the previous pitch had reached the end of its life span and the surface needed to be replaced.
The artificial pitch is critical to enabling Hinckley Rugby Football Club’s (HRFC) Community Programme to support young, disabled, elderly and disadvantaged users participate in sports in a safe and accessible environment while providing health and wellbeing opportunities across the community.
The local MP wrote to Levelling Up Minister, Jacob Young, in November in support of the Club’s application and said “HRFC have a clear track record of delivering high quality and sustainable sporting opportunities to the local community. Therefore, I am pleased to write this letter in support of the Community Ownership Fund bid to refurbish the 3G pitches which risk being lost to the community.”
Highlights of Hinckley Rugby Football Club’s Community Programme include the ‘Let’s Get Moving’ public health initiative for older people and those with long term health conditions, free Summer Camp for local children and Hinckley Hares Walking Rugby which is a modified form of the traditional game for those who may not able to engage in the more physically demanding version.
This follows a recent announcement by the MP that grassroots sports facilities across Hinckley and Bosworth, including football and tennis clubs, have received £1,093,036 of Government funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme and Park Tennis Court Renovation Programme since 2021.
Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, said “That Hinckley Rugby Football Club has secured £150,000 for a new 3G pitch is great news for our community! The pitch can be used by football and rugby players of all generations, no matter the weather.
“Our area has so much sporting potential and this investment is another step towards achieving that!
“I’m pleased to see much needed facilities for our local sports teams, and that the Government is committed to investing in community provisions like these and promoting the importance of being active.”
John Tilley, Chair of Hinckley Rugby Football Club, said “This is really brilliant news, the £150,000 from the Community Ownership Fund will be a huge investment in our community which means we can guarantee football on a pitch at Hinckley Rugby Football Club for the next 20 years… at least!
“I welcome any long-term investment in local sports facilities and this Fund enables HRFC to continue our journey of supporting community sport while putting the club in a strong position for years to come.”
