Local football club funds new dugout thanks to Community Chest grant

Local football club, AFC Broseley is celebrating after building a new dugout - made possible after the club was awarded £500 as part of Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing’s (STAR Housing) Community Chest grant.

The new brick built dugout with an eco grass roof is one of two at the club’s ground Birch Meadow Park in Broseley, a public recreational facility that is also used by a running club and Broseley Youth FC.

AFC Broseley has two local teams which play at different levels – one for those who like to play football with their friends and one for those who play competitively. It has over 50 players aged from 16 to 50.

Mark Garbett, chairman of AFC Broseley and a Trustee of the park, said:

“We’re making improvements to the ground in order to meet the regulations of the new league we wish to join, and part of this will include putting in a couple of covered seating areas that will serve as dugouts for football teams and a nice sheltered place to sit for people using the park, such as dog walkers.

“The existing dugouts were dilapidated and too small for the new league, so we thought it’d be nice to have a permanent feature for the whole community in the park to use, with comfortable fold-down seats so people can sit and look out over the park and keep out of the rain.

“I contacted STAR Housing to see if they’d be able to help and it’s awesome that they came back to us with their generous donation. We have named one of the dugouts the ‘STAR Housing dugout’!

“We’re only a small club so donations like this are great for us – we’d like to say a big thank you to STAR Housing for helping us out.”

Community Chest is a fund of up to £750, which has been set aside by STAR Housing to help community-based projects in the Bridgnorth and Oswestry areas.

Ann Maltby, STAR Housing’s Area Panel Member and Tenant Board Member, said:

“We are committed to supporting our local community groups where we have housing so we were pleased to be able to fund this important work which benefits so many.

“We hope everyone enjoys using the new facilities at the ground, and of course we wish AFC Broseley all the best for the new season ahead.”

Further information

We have a budget set aside each financial year for community-based projects in areas where we have housing stock.

You can apply for funding up to a maximum of £750 by simply completing an application form.

Examples of eligible projects include: Educational workshops, setting up a residents group, leaflet drops, training and/or diversionary activities.

Your project should fall under at least one of the following categories:

• Safer - such as extra security lighting
• Greener - such as planting of shrubs/plants
• Cleaner - such as litter bins/removal of graffiti
• United - such as projects that encourage better relations between neighbours

We will not fund:

• Activities promoting a particular religious or political belief.
• Any project that is the responsibility of a statutory body.
• Any projects that do not have a strong and relevant connection to STAR Housing communities or its customers.
• Any profit making projects.
• Any projects that are already complete.
• We will not make a contribution of any more than £750 per application.

Who can apply?

Anyone from a community group, or an individual who lives within the Shropshire Council boundary.

To find out more or to apply for funding for your project, please click here.