Funding boost from Grassroots Facilities Programme could be a game-changer for Wellington Rec, says chairman
Wellington Rec chairman Kenny Thompson says potential funding from the Grassroots Facilities Programme would help raise the profile of the club and be a major asset for the local community.
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announced the £9 million pilot scheme on Wednesday, which is intended to improve facilities for grassroots football in Northern Ireland.
The first awards from the pilot scheme are scheduled to be payable to applicants as early as financial year 2026/2027. Applicants can apply for funding awards between £500,000 and £1.5 million.
Six projects, which includes four clubs from stream one and two councils from stream two, are set to benefit from the funding. Clubs will have to provide 5% of partnership funding to the total cost, with councils having to fork up 40%.
After availing from other grants throughout the years, Mr Thompson is hoping that Larne-based Wellington Rec will be one of the clubs who get the green light from the Department when they make their decision around autumn time this year.
He explained: “We've worked very hard at progressing this club. We are a community-based club and we have 24 teams here from senior men and women's teams right down through to the toddlers.
"That means continually trying to improve this place is vital for us as a club and the community. We need to do things around here to try and improve the facility and the experience for the people who are coming here.
"We don't have toilet blocks where they should be and we don't have a kitchen for example. Yes, it looks okay but we've a lot of things still to do.
"You have to go for several funds because you just can't expect money from the one pot.
"You have to be in loads of pots and anything that's there we will try in order to improve everything.
"We don't sit on our laurels...any money that this club brings in goes into the club itself in terms of what we have.
“We're a community amateur sports club and everything that comes in goes on improvements. Nobody gets paid at this club, we're all volunteers.
"We do have ambitions to move up leagues and make the facilities even better for the people coming here.”
Despite the rising costs of building materials, Mr Thompson believes that the minimum amount of £500,000 can still have massive benefits.
“We have plans approved for an upstairs level here, which will incorporate bringing in a kitchen, viewing lounges, a room for coffee and a big hall for the community to do other things,” he added.
"We want to change the downstairs into more football and sports related in terms of having more changing rooms for men and women, a small gym, a training room for the kids and even an meeting room because we don't have any space for a meeting.
“We had that costed probably four or five years ago at £400,000...so you’re probably looking in the region of £700,000 now with the prices of stuff, so it's right in the ballpark of what would do us.”