Winter Sports
We’ve acquired one of the loveliest spots in Sussex, with stunning views along the South Downs, so it’s important that nothing spoils that”
gliding club runs in line with the Storrington oil field, so we were required to position our third pitch further from the clubhouse than we would have liked,” says Jim, peering into the distance at the playing area. “Our future plans could include the
purchase an extra one and a half acres, then build a fourth pitch, as we’re pretty much up to capacity now. We’ve acquired one of the loveliest spots in Sussex, with stunning views along the South Downs, so it’s important that nothing spoils that.”
Pulborough had agreed a lease with
the Parham Estate, with an option to purchase, which the club took up in 2009, creating a lasting rugby legacy for the village for generations to come. Projects often
flounder because of the welter of planning red tape. In successful examples, like this one, you’ll usually find a committed army of members working tirelessly behind the scenes. Pulborough were fortunate in that they were able to raise a game- changing sum of money through member donations, which accounted for more than half of the total cost of £500,000. The proximity to two landfill sites also made Pulborough eligible for other funding opportunities, and the club received two substantial sums from both Viridor and Biffa waste management companies. Horsham District Council were very supportive, both financially and through the planning process and, with significant assistance from Nissan UK and Young’s Brewery, the necessary funding was secured.
crucial. Alex and Jim freely admit that they were fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, as the project went through at the peak of Britain’s economic boom, before the banking crisis, credit crunch and recession hit the country. “We were riding the
crest of the wave, so were able to gain access to money that we would likely not have benefitted from had we begun the
First XV pitch Scan Haus design fits in well in the rural surroundings
The committee also took advantage of wider national schemes and locally run initiatives. Besides the £100,000 maximum interest-free loan from the RFU, Pulborough tapped into grant-aid from the Sussex County Playing Fields Association, whose remit is to encourage recreation in East and West Sussex in cooperation with local authorities. Timing for the development proved
44 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013
process just a year later,” Jim explains. The preparatory earthworks began in earnest in July, with competitive play kicking off as the 2006/7 season dawned that September. The land was far from fit-for-purpose for sporting use, as the rolling terrain required levelling ready for the three full-sized rugby pitches to be laid - an unenviable undertaking. The club is fortunate, indeed, in being able to draw on the varying expertise of its membership, many of whom are only too willing to work for the good of the club in their spare time. When it comes to grounds maintenance, things are no different. Kevin Church is the man charged with everything turf based, and he’s able to juggle the requirements at the club with his own day job. “I’ve been affiliated with the club for seventeen years, since I began coaching my eldest son’s team from the age of six,” he explains. His
role as Farm Manager for locally-based Harwoods allows him to take care of grounds and pitch maintenance. Today, Harwoods is best known locally as a 4x4 dealership, but the regionally successful enterprise also has roots in horse racing and farming. The company’s portfolio includes a 2,000- acre arable farm and 200-acre racehorse training area. Harwoods achieved world renown in the 1980s and ’90s for training thoroughbred horses, with current owner Guy Harwood moving away from garages into horseracing nearly forty years ago. Today, his daughter and son-in-law - Amanda and Mark Perrett - own the racing licence, whilst the focus for Kevin’s boss has returned to its motoring origins, and twelve Harwoods centres line the south coast. The free reign allowed to Kevin gives him the independence to devote time to Pulborough when he can fit it around his daily schedule. “It’s nice to work with such a wide range of facilities, offering different challenges,” he explains. “We are more than just a farm and, on the equestrian side, we have some renowned riders training here. Two recent Olympians both currently train at the Harwoods site.”
It was at the tail-end of Pulborough’s
tenure at their old venue that Kevin began his involvement with pitch maintenance. “I’m from a self-taught agricultural background really, so I learned a lot on the job but, when planning was going through, I told the
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