Guildford City
Boys & Girls FC

A Sport Pavilion For The Next 25 Years

 

Based at Stoughton Recreation Park, Worplesdon Road, Guildford, it became clear to Guildford City Boys & Girls FC that the existing facility was never going to be enough to allow the club to develop to its full potential. The facilities are Council owned, but the Pavilion was over 40 years old and out of date by a club which required a uni-sex facility for players and referees, and to further the FA’s requirements for football in the future.

 

Through the efforts of the Project Committee, and after meetings with the County FA Development team and the Borough Council we were able to prepare a suitable grant submission which left the Football Foundation in no doubt as to our requirements and development intentions.

We were successful in securing £261,000 form the Football Foundation, and with Council support access to claim a further
£42,000 for the establish value of the project.

As the first part of the application we requested and secured a 25 year tenancy on the property. This is a pre-requisite of obtaining a grant for this purpose.

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It Need To Be Improved

 

Over 300 players, male and female, were operating out of four small changing rooms, and had the use of 3 toilets, no showers, no disabled access, and 1 unsecure referees room.

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The Project – To Develop And Upgrade A Tired Facility

 

To meet new and specific guidelines laid down by the FA for improvement in football standards at grassroots level, a plan was drawn up to develop the Pavilion to provide state of the art changing facility, toilet facilities and showers for males and females, referee changing facilities for both sexes, and a dedicated social/lecture facility to improve the expertise of not only our own coaching staff, but to provide opportunities for our young players to take courses in football coaching and to qualify as Referees. Access for disabled players and officials was later required by law – but had already been included in our first plans.

There was a basic need for a facility in Guildford for 
lecturing and study in this sport and in the long term. We now hope that this facility can be used jointly with other
local youth football clubs as a base for FA lectures, and possibly for other sports and activities during the ‘closed’ season.

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The Project Achieved

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• Improvement of the existing changing rooms, and modesty facilities for boys and girls.

• Showering and closet toilet facilities in every changing room.

• Exclusive shower and toilet facilities for male and female referees.

• New female guest facilities.

• A disabled toilet facility, and better disabled access via ramp and widened door access.

• A larger social/lecture area for coaching and meetings.

• Improved storage space.

• Upgraded services.

• A vandal proof and leak free roof.

Secondarily – subject to the funding we will continue to look at the installation of a rainwater recovery system for internal and external use. Piping and basis for the installation is in place.

Over the period of the lease and life of this facility we hope to be able to coach and provide football for over close on over 8000 players, and involve many more adults in Youth Football.

If success comes with the pleasure of playing the game, and we win along the way the happier we will be.