A Berkeley football club has been given a boost in funds to help with the upkeep of its pavilion.

Berkeley Town Football Club applied for the funding as part of Persimmon Homes Severn Valley’s Community Champion scheme.

The initiative is a national programme where clubs, groups and good causes can apply for funding up to the value of £1,000 to match money they have already raised themselves.

The club is looking to make improvements to its pavilion, which is not only used on match days, but always forms a wider part of the community, with many other groups using the facilities, including Berkeley Youth Club.

Vicki Kerr, fundraising officer at the club, said: “We are grateful to Persimmon Homes Severn Valley for this generous donation.

“This funding is crucial in maintaining our pavilion. We continue to make it a community hub where all families are welcome, and we encourage young people to keep active with activities. Like many clubs, we are run by volunteers and therefore donations such as this are vital.

“We would love to provide a play area for children and benches for spectators – this £1,000 donation takes us one step further to making this happen.”

Persimmon Homes Severn Valley is currently building in Berkeley at its Canonbury Rise development, off Canonbury Street. The development will be providing much-needed housing to the local area, with two, three, four and five-bedroom homes available.

Carly Spear, head of sales for Persimmon Homes Severn Valley, said: “As a housebuilder we like to give back to the communities in which we are building, and Community Champions is just another way for us to do just that.

“The football club do tremendous work for the community in Berkeley and we hope this £1,000 will help the pavilion to become a real community hub, bringing people together.”