Vote now to support funding for Falkirk Rugby Club’s upgrade of the Sunnyside Pavilion

Falkirk Rugby Club is rallying community support at a key point in its fundraising efforts to raise money to transform the dilapidated Sunnyside pavilion into an inclusive, multi-purpose facility.

The club has submitted a bid for £146k from Falkirk Council’s Community Choices grant programme, which will help towards the total cost of the £738k development.

Local residents have a direct say on how public money can be used to help with community-led projects – and the club is seeking support to transform the pavilion into a multi-purpose building, which can also be used by other sports clubs and organisations on a not-for-profit basis.

How you can help

If you live in Falkirk’s Ward six – the north ward which includes Carmuirs, Camelon, Mungal and New Carron, Bainsford, Langlees, Bankside, Middlefield, Merchiston, Grahamston, Ladysmill and the Meeks Road area – then you can vote to support the scheme.

As well as creating the exciting new community facility, the project will also help the club to increase its offering for more girls and women to get involved in the sport. It will provide more opportunities for community sport and develop partnerships with organisations such as FDAMH, Falkirk’s mental health charity.

The project has already been given backing by the SRU, Sports Scotland, the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund and both the Scottish and UK governments, so a Community Choices award will get it over the line and turn plans into reality for the people of Falkirk.

Voting begins on January 30th. To cast your vote visit the website for further details.

To help raise funds, why not book your event at the club – there’s a refurbished bar which is available for hire.

Or you can contribute via the online fundraising page – follow the link here

What the scheme offers

The Sunnyside Pavilion, which was the former wash house for the iron foundry on the site where Falkirk RFC now play, is run-down, and has remained entirely unchanged in the 50 years since it started being used for changing rooms.

Presently owned by Falkirk Council, the scheme would transfer responsibility for operating the building to Falkirk RFC.

The club started fundraising during its half-century anniversary year in 2022 and the project would transform the building into an attractive, modern hub for local clubs and organisations, providing them with access to a new physio suite, flexible teaching area, expanded gym and fit-for-purpose changing and showering facilities.

But more than that the aim is to use the hub to deliver a variety of sport, health and wellbeing focused programmes, addressing high-priority local needs with partner organisations.

Mark Crawford, vice president, said: “These are challenging times for many sporting facilities in Falkirk, but a few years ago we realised that if we wanted to protect the Sunnyside Pavilion, make it fit for purpose for women & girls and more accessible for users of other sports, we’d need to do it ourselves. We’ve worked hard since then to secure the buy-in of several major funders, so we’re now investing new money into Falkirk’s community sports facilities. Community Choices is a great local funding opportunity for organisations operating across many disciplines, not just sport, so what we’re doing certainly isn’t at the expense of other existing sports facilities.”

Vote now

Follow the links from here to add your vote to show support for the funding grant bid.

To find out more visit the club’s website at www.falkirkrfc.com