NEWENT Rugby Club has launched a crowdfunder appeal to raise £25,000 as its commitment towards a pavilion on the town’s Recreation Ground.

The pavilion project is being led by Newent Town Council and work was started in May.

The rugby club, which plays its home game at The Rec, has agreed to give the council £20,000 towards the costs of more than £300,000.

The other £5,000 will be used to fit out the new facility.

The club says: “... we are, and always will be, firmly committed to the new building being for the use of the entire community of Newent.”

In a video produced to support the fund-raising, club president Paul Dando said the building will be used “for generations to come”.

He said: “The club’s been going for over 50 years.

“It’s got two very successful men’s teams, it’s got a vibrant mini and youth section and a walking rugby group.

We train and play on the Recreation Ground in Newent but we’ve never had a building on The Rec where we can entertain visiting teams and their supporters.

That’s all about to change however because the town council is putting a building on The Rec for the first time and its going to a building all parts of the community can use, the rugby club and other sports clubs and youth associations.

“It promises to be a really good project that the whole town can get behind.

In order to get this building finished, the rugby club has agreed to give the council £20,000.

“We need another £5,000 to fit it out with fridges and cooker and possibly a television set and so on.

“That’s where you can help us.

You can help us with this project by donating cash on the crowdfunding link, you can spread the word to your friends, you can get your company to sponsor the club or you can form a small group and do some fundraising yourselves.

Anything you can do to help with this will be really appreciated.

A statement on the crowdfunding website www.crowdfunder.co.uk says: “We believe it is important that the new build has the equipment and furniture needed that will make it of valuable use to all local community sporting clubs and organisations.

“This fundraising project is something that the whole club is passionate about and striving to achieve.

“The project not only gives us an opportunity to provide, for the very first time in our history, a safe, permanent, and warm building for the hundreds of kids that play rugby at The Rec every week through the winter months.

“It will also be beneficial for the future generations of wider sporting clubs and organisations that need a home.

It is something the town will be using for generations to come.”

To donate visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk and search for Newent Rugby Club.