Work begins on new sporting facilities
The facilities will include football pitches, bowling greens and a club house
At a glance
Work has begun on a new club house, football pitches and bowling greens
It has been paid for with the help of a £475,000 Football Foundation grant
The facilities will include Shropshire's first 3G bowling green
- Published
Work has started on a new sports club, to upgrade ageing facilities which used to be owned by British Sugar.
The new Allscott Sports Club in Shropshire will include a new two-storey clubhouse, five football pitches and two bowling greens.
The village near Wellington used to be home to a sugar beet factory, but when it closed, 16 years ago, the sports club became independent.
It is building the facilities with the help of a £475,000 grant from the Football Foundation.
It also received contributions from Sport England, British Sugar and SJ Roberts Homes and work has begun on the opposite side of the road to the existing clubhouse and bowling green.
The new clubhouse will include changing rooms, an office, bar area, function room, kitchen and viewing balcony to watch cricket and bowls matches.
One of the new bowling greens will be grass, but the other will be the county's first 3G playing surface.
Club Chairman Pete Starling said efforts to get the independent sporting and social facilities built "had been a long and sometimes appeared a never-ending mission" but would be worth it.
He said he hoped they would increase participation in football, cricket and crown green bowls, as well offering something for local residents.