Prenton RUFC strengthening their Community
Prenton is a suburb of Birkenhead on Merseyside where, over recent decades, local leisure facilities have been replaced by housing. Community hubs, such as the local youth club and community hall have been closed, leaving residents without anywhere to gather as a community. That’s why Prenton RUFC are intent on becoming the heartbeat of their community and giving everyone a base at the club.
They have already created an impressive community garden, with a huge amount of work from club volunteers and help from the local council's community fund. They have also completed and launched the Paul Lavelle Foundation Nature Trail, with support from a male domestic abuse and survivors charity.
The picnic area and nature trail are in memory of a local man Paul Lavelle, who sadly lost his life to his abusive partner. Both areas were created and are being maintained, to help with physical and mental wellbeing and to give the community a green space to enjoy. The Prenton club is now working with local primary schools on a tree nursery and the Probation Services are heavily involved in these ongoing projects.
As part of the goal to build and create an outdoor community space, the club has plans that have already been passed to build four new self-contained changing rooms for men and women and two referees rooms. This will allow for major internal works to include a new commercial kitchen, new ladies and gents toilets, accessible toilets, a gymnasium and a community space that can be used for a variety of events and group activities.
Prenton Rugby Club has a great deal of support, including community funds from local councillors, who share the club's vision of building something progressive for the local community to feel part of and to passionately build on. They are on a funding journey and the goal is to start targeting project work and more funding arrangements for next year. With RFU help and funding from partners, the club intends to level the current damp and inadequate and dated changing facilities, increasing the current footprint of the existing main hall, which can be split into two, giving a multi-purpose hall, with space for activities like Zumba, judo, keep fit and parent and baby classes.
Project manager Brian Elkerton says the aim is to offer a home to the local community, for residents to meet and make new friends, either for the over 60s at coffee mornings or a youth café and club, and also to provide a community shop. He says that many elderly people in the area enjoy little human contact, exacerbated by the pandemic, and feel a huge disconnect from their community. A local firm has agreed to sponsor a minibus to collect and drop off residents from throughout the area so that no one is excluded.
They already host a racing pigeon association, Tiny Tots Rugby and family boot camp classes but Prenton’s ambitions don’t stop there. After three years in planning, they are also working with nearby Birkenhead School to provide an extra pitch onsite for use by the club, school and local community. It’s hoped that permission for the overall project will be granted in the new year. At the same time, Wirral Heartbeat charity will be fitting out the gym for their use from 9am to noon and then made available for club members and residents at very affordable prices.
Brian Elkerton says it’s all coming together after lots of hard work and many meetings and exploring different avenues, despite the loss of takings during the pandemic.
“Next year looks very exciting for us,” Brian says. “Prenton’s members have been helping with fundraising like raffles, buying bricks for the new clubhouse, and still paying their subs, which means we are keeping our heads above water.
"We are lucky to have the support of local businesses and local councillors and, with the new facilities, we will be reinstating the women’s rugby team, Prenton is also host to an all-inclusive rugby team the Chester Centurions. We are a really diverse and open grassroots community club, but we believe that we can be more widely engaged and accessible with the much-needed improved facilities.”
Brian has also spoken on local radio stations’ broadcasts about Prenton’s Community Projects’ vision and journey. He continues to promote the club’s true aim of improving the facilities for players and members, family and friends, with a true connection to the local community.
Having met Brian at a Twickenham Mitsubishi Motors Volunteer Recognition black tie dinner, RFU Chief Executive Bill Sweeney, a former pupil at Birkenhead School, visited Prenton RFC and was very impressed by their plans.
“I was incredibly inspired by my visit to Prenton in August of this year,” he said. “This is an area that has suffered badly in recent times from a reduction in investment in local facilities and despite being surrounded by many other rugby clubs they decided to take matters into their own hands and do something to support their community.” said Bill.
“It’s a familiar part of the country for me and I’m sure that when their ambitions are realised, they really will be the heart and soul of the area. They have already made a tremendous start and are helping the health and wellbeing of local people at a time when it is very much needed. What they are doing is testament to their vision, commitment, and a passion to make things better”
