Football club appeals for help to maintain grounds

LOCAL community football club, Frome Collegians, has launched an appeal to help raise funds to maintain their ground at the Old Showfield. 

Frome Collegians, who have two adult teams and youth teams in six different age groups, say, “We own the ground in Frome but the costs of keeping the playing surface in good condition continue to rise. We are therefore seeking support to cover annual costs in the region of £1,500. All the labour at the ground is carried out by volunteers.

“Every year we need to spend money on top dressing (sand), two annual batches of fertiliser, and once year a professional has to be called in to spread weed killer on the pitch. In addition, we need to buy fuel to power our tractor.

“How this will benefit the community – we have in excess of 150 players in the club who use the ground for matches and training. Without this facility, the club would be unable to survive because there are no alternative facilities in the town.”

Collegians member, Richard Hounsell adds, “We are now celebrating 10 years since the ground was built and have plans to continually improve the playing surface, so we can avoid having to call off any matches due to adverse weather. 

“Our fundraising appeal hopes to raise enough money to pay for at least a further 100m of drains, which will be installed at the end of this season,  plus a top dressing of specialist sports sand.

Our groundsman, Colin Heath, and I have looked after the pitch for the past 10 years and Colin deserves a great deal of credit for the hundreds of hours he has devoted to the job, all of course completely voluntary. Without his dedication, the club would have been unable to maintain such a wonderful facility.”

To support the club’s appeal and donate, visit: https://localgiving.org/appeal/fromecollegiansafc/

Picture: Frome Collegians’ groundsman, Colin Heath, on the club’s mini tractor, spreading winter fertiliser provided by Mole Valley Farmers at Standerwick on the pitch.