Exciting times for Bangor RF&CC with facility upgrade proposed at Upritchard Park Clubhouse
Bangor Rugby Football and Cricket Club has embarked on an exciting stage of the Club’s journey with a planning application recently submitted for significant works to upgrade the Clubhouse with the addition of 2 new self-contained female changing rooms and a series of other improvements. This facility upgrade has been identified as a key priority by the Club’s Management Committee to sustain the tremendous growth in participation in both sports at the Club in recent years.
Bangor RF&CC prides itself on excellent participation levels. The rugby section fields 4 senior teams, and 4 youth teams, from U12 to U18, and one of the largest mini rugby sections in the province with close to 200 children playing regularly. In addition, they share in running the combined North Down Women’s Rugby team with Ards and Donaghadee Rugby Clubs. The cricket section has 6 men’s and a women’s senior team whilst the youth section is thriving with over 175 children participating and playing competitive cricket in 8 teams at U11, U13, U15 and U17 level and an U11 girls’ team.
Commenting on this news, Club Chairman Mark Thallon commented “Both the rugby and cricket sections of BRF&CC recognise the importance of youth and women’s sport to the future success and long-term sustainability of the club and for the wellbeing of the participants themselves.
The Club has been working on a scheme to upgrade our current facilities and we are seeking to provide two new self-contained female/youth changing rooms which will allow female/youth games to take place at the same time as male fixtures which the existing facilities cannot accommodate. In addition, we are looking to upgrade the WCs and showers to improve efficiency, including accessible WCs, a disabled access lift, an upgraded ground floor entrance hall and a new player entrance directly to the pitches.
We have been fortunate to secure just over £380,000 of facilities improvement funding as part of the Ulster Rugby Club Capital Improvement Project application to the UK Governments Levelling Up Fund (Round 2). This funding is specifically to cover the provision of self-contained female changing rooms and other associated works to the existing clubhouse facilities.
The wider Ulster Rugby Levelling Up Fund Club Capital Improvement Project will assist in the delivery of targeted projects in 29 locations across Northern Ireland. These schemes will help provide access to sport and physical activity opportunities as well as investing in energy efficient measures to bring old, inefficient rugby club facilities in line with modern requirements.
Club President, Drew Kennedy commented “It has obviously taken a lot of effort to get to the point of being able to submit this scheme for consideration by the Planning Department. I would like to thank everyone involved with moving this project forward, which now allows us to submit a planning application for this scheme. We are also delighted to be working with local Bangor architectural practice Inside Out, and believe that this scheme, once delivered, will help to secure the long-term future for both sports in Bangor.”
