We need your help in turning this muddy field above into something like this!

A vibrant and much needed sports and community facility; where our local community, friends, members & supporters can enjoy a game of rugby and cricket without being battered by the wind, frozen by the cold or stood in mud up to their ankles ….. or even worse burnt by the sun! Oh we wish!!!!

But it will also be much more than that – it will be somewhere for the local community to use as a hub for meetings, parent & toddler groups, health and well being activities, educational and employment support, yoga, Pilates, fundraising or hospitality events, additional sports such as football, walking rugby, Touch Rugby or somewhere to just come and have a coffee, a chat and meet friends (old ones or new ones) and so much more ….. the list is endless.

Why a community hub and not just a sports centre? Well for one, we want to make it easier for local residents to access the health, social, cultural, recreational and other resources they need together in one spot as well as having access to sports - and not just rugby and cricket.

We want to include the local community so that they are involved in the facility, what services it provides, how the building is used and to help & support the facility through volunteering.

We agree, it doesn’t look like much at the moment, just a muddy field with nothing on it and that's true and this is where we need your help in turning it into something special! You can do this by donating via our Just Giving page here or via our website www.orrellrugbyunion.com or Winstanley Park Cricket Club http://www.winstanleypark.play-cricket.com.

We have been fundraising and collecting donations from members and supporters - which means we have managed to fund the activities outlined below.. However, we need to raise a further £20,000 by the middle of this year – which we can't do without your help!

We are applying for grants from the major fund holders, ECB, Sport England, RFU, etc – but like all other major funding bodies, each and every application has to be carefully accessed and awarded on merit. We are hoping that our submissions later this year get us a merit badge! But we do need to show that we are doing our bit by fundraising on our own.

So, please help! You can donate via the Just Giving page or you can donate via the Rugby Club web page www.orrellrugbyunion.com. You could even put on your own fundraiser and/or event – no matter what you do – big or small – we are extremely grateful for your help, support and friendship. Every little helps in building the dream and creating a legacy for our members and the community.

To help with our fundraising efforts we’ve also joined forces with Easyfundraising – a very simple and easy way of helping the club raise monies just by shopping online. Given the latest weather, we’re sure you’d much rather stay at home; so if you do shop online, you can raise free donations for Orrell and Winstanley Community Sports Club (Orrell RUFC and Winstanley Park Cricket Club). Over 4,000 shops and sites will donate to us when you use #easyfundraising to shop with them! To sign up sign up and support us, please go to: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/owcsc/?utm_campaign=raise-more&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=gs

So, what have we done so far on site? The site has all been pegged out and as the site has been designated a Site of Special Biological Interest, we have had to take extra special care to protect the woodland (and have submitted our special fencing specification to the local Woodland Officer for approval). We’ve also completed the newt survey (well you never know) and submitted our Method Statement for their protection should they ever turn up on site (hopefully not during a match). The soil evaluation survey has been completed and we are now waiting for the permit from the council for the site entrance. Work also continues on the detailed drainage designs.

These are exciting times for everyone involved with all the sporting sections and the Joint Venture Board itself”, said Tony Havlin, Chair of the JV Board. “We are very proud of what we have achieved so far and are looking forward to completing the next steps”, he continued.