Sports stars scoop grant windfall (From Gazette Series)

Sports stars scoop grant windfall

11:00am Tuesday 2nd December 2008

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HUNDREDS of young sporting stars are celebrating a huge win this week – but their success did not come in goals or tries.

Aspiring footballers and cricketers who use Chipping Sodbury’s only training ground came in top of the table when they scooped £40,000 in a regional grants give-away.

The announcement that The Ridings sports facilities had won ITV West’s People's Millions came after a live broadcast from the field last Thursday.

David Shipp, chairman of Chipping Sodbury Town Trust which owns the land, said: "Hundreds of kids and mums and dads turned out and there was an excellent atmosphere.

"Bob Crampton, from ITV West, did the weather from The Ridings which added to the evening."

The town trust put in a bid for the money to improve drainage on the football and cricket pitches and tennis courts so they can be used all year round.

The area is also an important green space for Chipping Sodbury and stages the town’s annual beer festival, regular car boot sales and other community events.

"At the moment it is like a quagmire up there," said Mr Shipp. "We need to improve the drainage so we can use it for most of the year.

"We have 1,000 under 18s who regularly use it and lots of sports clubs.

"A lot of people think the land is owned by the town council but it is not and we don’t receive a penny of help from anyone to run it."

The Ridings beat off competition from Meadow Vale Community Centre in Speedwell, where the local community was bidding for money to improve the building.

"We owe a great big thank you to the people who must have supported us on the night by phoning in," said Mr Shipp.

"We don’t know how many votes we received but I know they came from far and wide and we are especially grateful to the local sports groups."

The drainage work will be completed during a six-week improvement schedule next year and will be completed by July.

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