Pavilion opens after 10 years of hard work
TEN years of hard work by Mepal villagers was rewarded when a new £270,000 pavilion was officially opened on Saturday. The new centre will provide changing rooms for home and away sport teams, a new kitchen and social area. The facility was opened by Jim
TEN years of hard work by Mepal villagers was rewarded when a new £270,000 pavilion was officially opened on Saturday.
The new centre will provide changing rooms for home and away sport teams, a new kitchen and social area.
The facility was opened by Jim Hill of the Cambridgeshire Football Association at the village's fun day.
He said: "It's great to see such enthusiasm for sport. Such brilliant modern - even comfortable - facilities for players and spectators will, I am sure, encourage even more people of all ages to use this splendid field and play sport of all kinds, improving the quality of life in this rural community."
The pavilion was funded by a number of grants including £160,000 from the lottery-backed Football Foundation, the landfill tax charity WREN and East Cambridgeshire District Council among others.
As part of the project a new land drainage system was installed, which allows all- round use of the recreation field.
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Both projects were managed by Mepal Parish Council with strong support from local charity the Mepal Sports Action Group set up in 2000 to promote sports and recreational activities in the village. It will run the pavilion on behalf of the community.
The centre will be available for hire at low cost to sport and recreational groups and will be available for private functions.
Mepal Parish Council chairman, Elizabeth Stazicker, said: "We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all of our funders, national and local. Without all of them the project would have been quite beyond our reach.
"I hope and believe that the pavilion will provide the base we need to extend sports and outdoor activity in the village and locality."
The formal opening will take place at 1pm as part of the village fun day. The event starts at 11am on the recreation field at Witcham Road, and throughout the afternoon there will be sports' taster sessions, craft activities and stalls and a football tournament.
