Clubs join forces to secure future (From Penarth Times)

Clubs join forces to secure future

8:30am Thursday 1st April 2010 in Latest news

A PAIR of community sports clubs regularly used by more than 400 Penarthians could set up home together in the town, if a bid for funding is successful.

Penarth Amateur Boxing Club and Penarth Gymnastics Club hope to renovate St Paul’s Church in Arcot Street, turning it into a community centre for all.

The dilapidated Vale Council-owned building has been home to Penarth ABC for more than 30 years, but under new plans being put forward the church would be converted to also provide a base for the gym club.

Danny Willis, chairman of Penarth ABC, together with club manager Neil Munn and former Olympic gymnast Gwynedd Lingard, who founded Penarth Gymnastics Club in 1961, recently met with Vale Council officials to discuss the move.

The authority has agreed to pay for and undertake a survey of the church to determine how much money will be needed to upgrade facilities.

A bid for funding will then be put forward to the Welsh Assembly Government, under the community asset transfer programme.

Mr Willis said: “At the moment we’re waiting for the results of the Vale Council survey, but envisage a joint application with Penarth Gymnastics Club to own the building as a trust.

“We don’t know how much money will be needed to make the building fit for purpose.

“The work required is mostly structural, with a large part being used to convert the front of the church for the gym club.

“Both clubs are so important to the community,” he added.

“We want to jointly manage them as a community resource where boxing and gymnastics have their place firmly established in the culture and history of the area.”

Mrs Lingard has long campaigned for a purpose-built training base to guarantee the future of Penarth Gymnastics Club.

More than 250 young gymnasts, including some with special needs, train six days a week in the club’s current home at Penarth Pier Pavilion.

The run-down pavilion, which itself is the subject of a renovation project, has been home to the club for the last 15 years.

“Moving to St Paul’s Church is a heaven-sent opportunity,” said Mrs Lingard.

“The chance to open the club up to the whole of Penarth is a really exciting one.

“It is disappointing that we can’t move from the Pavilion now, and I think it may take some time before we can relocate to Arcot Street as we wait for funding to be secured.

“But long-term, this project fits the bill.

“We’ve got a lot to offer the community," she added.

"And we look forward to inviting everyone – from children to pensioners – along to use the new facilities at St Paul’s Church.”

The building is also set for a cash boost from the Billybanks redevelopment, as a result of a section 106 agreement between Crest Nicholson and the Vale Council.

Crest’s plans to turn the neighbouring Billybanks estate into 377 new homes called Penarth Heights will also see £800,000 being spent on St Paul’s Church.

Dave Knevett, operational manager for leisure and tourism, said: "We are in the early stages of working with both the Boxing club and Penarth Gymnastics Club to secure the future of both organisations.

"An opportunity may be available, via a variety of different funding schemes, to develop a project where as well as providing a long-term home for these two much-appreciated local clubs, we can also look at more community use of the St Paul's facility."