Club Extension

BEDFORD ATHLETIC RUFC Clubhouse Redevelopment Supporters, players, sponsors, friends of the club, why not help the community, help sport and have your name recorded for posterity on a roll of honour THEY'RE NEARLY THERE .. with the new clubhouse! Putnoe Wood will have � A new clubhouse for the Ath � A community, recreation and amenity hall for Putnoe. The project is so nearly finished but the club needs one last push at fundraising. BEDFORD ATHLETIC RUFC DEVELOPMENT NEWSLETTER The building works currently taking place represent just the first phase of a long awaited redevelopment of the Clubhouse and its surroundings that will be an ongoing project over the next ten years. The first phase could only start after long consultations and negotiations with the RFU and the Borough Council, both of whom needed to give approval to the scheme in terms of specification and price. Architects and building professionals from the RFU and Borough Council checked the drawings and specifications and tenders were received from five contractors approved by the Council. CP Commercial and Industrial Contractors were appointed and work started in November with an expected completion date at the end of April The first phase focuses on the commercial end of the building and consists of: . Community, recreation and amenity hall extension . New pitched roof . New ceiling and flooring to the new and existing main hall areas . New male, female and disabled toilet facilities . New kitchen . New kitchen equipment and fittings . Covered walkway and paving in front of new hall extension for spectators. The extension almost doubles the existing floor space which along with the new kitchen will provide facilities that will allow the development of community rugby at all levels through Bedford Athletic RUFC, Bedford Junior Blues and Queens RUFC. It will also allow the club to offers the amenity for a wider range of events to the local community with consequential direct benefits to the Club. The contractor is on programme and is up to roof level on the main hall extension. Currently work has just begun breaking through into the existing kitchen area ready for construction of the new toilet facilities and breaking into the existing roof space ready to commence construction of the new pitched roof. As you are probably aware the Rugby Football Union's Rugby Football Foundation has granted them an interest-free loan to help fund the venture. This together with pledges from club members and friends, existing monies set aside from fund raising and the Borough Council grant means they have sufficient resources in place to start the project. Richard Peck