In 2019, Blaina RFC and Blaina Cricket Club took the bold decision to merge and take over the running of their sports ground in a Community Asset Transfer. The newly formed Blaina Community Sports Club. Five years on, Central Park Blaina is looking great. In addition to activities on the pitch, they also host many community activities and private functions. They provide employment for 4 staff members and make every effort to operate both efficiently and profitably.
The club felt it was now the right time to remodel their pavilion to enable them to make better use of the space.
Chris Adams of Blaina Community Sports Club said, ‘we only had one community space so when we were hosting events, there was no room for the clubs to gather together. The project involved combining the two existing cricket changing rooms into one and creating a separate lounge area. This means that whenever we host a private function, this new lounge area can be used by other visitors. It makes the club more sustainable and open for everyone.’
‘We are incredibly grateful to Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council. The £8,529.71 we received through their Social Enterprise Grant has enabled us to purchase a modular unit which we now use as changing rooms for our cricket teams. The cricket section has expanded greatly in the last year or so, to include 2nd and 3rd teams, plus age grade and ladies’ teams.’
‘This funding not only allowed the purchase of the unit, but also helped to fund the huge amount of work which was required to make the lounge a functioning space. We were also able to upgrade our kitchen facilities to include new oven and refrigerator, to a much higher commercial specification.’
Cllr John Morgan, Cabinet Member – Place & Regeneration and Economic Development said, ‘Blaina Community Sports Club are the perfect example of how working together can achieve great things. They have put so much work into renovating and expanding their ground and with some innovative ideas have come to a solution that benefits both clubs and the wider community. They are now the heartbeat in their local community, and it is great to see what a small amount of support can achieve.’
The Blaenau Gwent Social Enterprise Grant is funded by UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and managed by Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council. The grant aims to support the development of local social enterprises in Blaenau Gwent.
