Progress is being made at Fawley Rugby Football Club as the new clubhouse takes shape

WORK to build a new clubhouse at a popular Waterside rugby club is well underway thanks to fundraising and donations – but still needs £20,000 to finish the project.

Fawley Rugby Football Club said the roof went on before Christmas, making it watertight – which it hailed as a "a fantastic achievement for all those involved in the construction thus far".

It added: "With close to 100 children taking to the training pitches every Sunday the move to a clubhouse from a container is going to have an immense effect."

As reported in the A&T, soaring costs forced the club to nearly halve the size of the new building when it made its second planning application to New Forest District Council last year.

NFDC had approved the first scheme in 2020 for a new single-storey building with 630 square metres of floorspace at its ground off Newlands Road in Gang Warily.

Work to build the smaller 340-square metre clubhouse began in October.

Fundraising efforts were boosted thanks to a £50,000 grant from the Dibden Allotments Fund in memory of former trustee and long-serving rugby club coach and life vice-president Declan English.

The club spokesperson added: "That grant, together with £50,000 raised by the club, £25,000 from NFDC community grant scheme, a £1,000 grant from Barker-Mill Estates and a £150,000 loan from the RFU has made the dream a reality."

At least a further £20,000 to complete the project is hoped to be achieved through sponsors and the club's Buy A Brick scheme.

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/FawleyRFCClubhousebuyabrick or www.justgiving.com/campaign/Fawleyrcfclubhouse