SHDC: "Community and club to benefit from major clubhouse overhaul"

Rugby and sport in the Brixton area is to become more inclusive and reach even more people, thanks to a major project supported by South Hams District Council. 

To help meet its priority of supporting South Hams’ communities, the council has provided £57,500 of S106 funding to Plymstock Albion Oaks Rugby Club to go towards the club’s new fitness and wellbeing suite that is open to both club members and the wider community. The project also supports the council’s strategic playing pitch policy. 

The suite acts as both a gym and indoor space to do strength and conditioning training, away from the elements in bad weather. The club is also encouraging people in the area to come and use the facility to stay fit themselves. 

The creation of the wellbeing suite is part of a wider project to improve the whole clubhouse. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has also provided the club with a £50,000 match funding grant from their Impact ‘25 programme toward the redevelopment of their four new changing rooms.  

Each of the changing rooms is RFU-compliant, with privacy doors and in-built showers. The new separation between changing rooms means that for the first time, the club can run men’s, women’s and youth games all at once, making the club more inclusive than ever before.  

The RFU Impact ’25 programme will drive growth thanks to a number of initiatives including the improvement of facilities at community rugby clubs such as Plymstock Oaks. The facilities grants are designed to break down barriers to participation and make the sport more accessible for women and girls across the country.  

As well as the support from the council and the RFU, the rugby club did its own fundraising to complete the project. 

Among those to attend the opening event of the new facilities were South Hams ward members, Cllrs Julie Carson and Alison Nix. 

John Dobson, President of Plymstock Albion Oaks RFC, said: "The new fitness suite and changing rooms means so much to the club. It’s been a project five years in the making.  

"Players will be able to do strength and conditioning training whatever the weather thanks to the wellbeing suite, and it provides us so many opportunities to open up to the community too and help local people to stay fit. 

"We’re an inclusive club – it’s a central part of who we are. Having changing rooms that allow us to put on all sorts of games at the same time is huge for us. Rather than having women’s and girls’ matches on a different day, we can run games for men, women and children all at once, with no safeguarding issues."

Cllr Julian Brazil, South Hams Executive Member for Community Services, Operations and Leisure, said: "Supporting our communities across the entire South Hams is an important priority for the council. I’m happy that we’re able to support Plymstock Oaks in a way that will benefit so many people. 

"We know how important sport is, not just physically, but also for people’s mental wellbeing and socialising. The new fitness suite will keep their players strong and hopefully, members of the community will use it too and the wellbeing benefits will be even wider. 

"The wider project at the club, which includes the creation of the new changing rooms, have transformed it and will bring together more people than ever before."

Alex Teasdale, RFU Women’s Game Director, said: "Impact ’25 is an important part of our ongoing commitment to growing the women and girl’s game. We are totally dedicated to creating more opportunities to play rugby and we believe that the tournament and its Impact Programme will really take the game in this country to the next level. 

"We firmly believe hosting this tournament across England will be transformational for the women’s and girls’ game, bringing thousands of players, volunteers and spectators to our sport."

The council funding has come from Section 106 money provided by two different local housing developments.  

The council also enjoys a strong and effective relationship with the RFU. The RFU Local Delivery Team and the council have worked in collaboration proactively to link Section 106 monies to rugby clubs’ facility projects that have been prioritised through both the PPS Action Plan and Devon RFU facility planning process.