Chipping Sodbury riding to be ready for Lloyd
Lloyd Williams was a fine front row player at Chipping Sodbury RFC where his sons Matt and Ed have followed in his stud marks. Matt, like dad is a front row, Ed plays second row and recently Lloyd’s little grandson Jack toddled along to the club’s pre-school group.
The Lloyd family are very much a part of the club and their local community and everyone was devastated when Lloyd was involved in a motorbike accident and could no longer walk.
His rugby club had wheelchair access, accessible toilets but what they didn’t have was a path to and alongside the first team pitch and Lloyd’s importance to the club galvanised them into action.
“Lloyd has been a great player and supporter, always there for us and the most likeable and sociable of club members,” said Jon Nutt, chairman of mini and youth rugby.
“His family are one of the best known and loved and we really wanted to improve our facilities so that Lloyd could get pitch side and enjoy the rugby.”
The club is based in a recreational area called The Ridings and so they have worked with the Trust to make improvements for all. But improving access costs money so 15 cyclists made up of players and their families got on their bikes and rode 108 miles. Starting from the Ridings, the team cycled to Gloucester rugby stadium, across to the Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate, on to Bath Rugby and back to their home ground.
Their fundraising efforts, currently at almost £3,000, will improve accessibility for people with disabilities via a safe footpath from the car park and clubhouse to the senior pitch and access across the bottom of the pitch.
This will allow Lloyd, a second generation club member with children playing and coaching at the club and a supporter at every home game, to watch his team as his recovery continues. In the future he’ll be able to watch his grandchildren playing, making it four generations involved with the club. It will also allow anyone from the local community better access to the ridings.
