Member Article

Housebuilder hands over rugby centre to Bournville club

Bournville Rugby Club has taken ownership of its first permanent home in its 109 year history, built on derelict playing fields in Edgbaston.

Persimmon Homes Central, in partnership with the rugby club, developed the 14 acre site on the former Avery and M&B recreation grounds in the Summerfield area of the city that had remained unused for the past 30 years.

Persimmon owned the site but as part of a Section 106 agreement gifted it – along with a financial package to develop the facility – to the Avery Fields Community Sports Trust. Persimmon subsequently named their nearby housing development Avery Fields, to bring the project full circle.

The state-of-the-art community rugby centre now boasts a floodlit all-weather artificial grass pitch, two full-size grass pitches and a 7,500 sq. ft. clubhouse. The building has four en suite team changing rooms, two referee changing rooms plus a physiotherapy treatment room at ground floor level. The first floor provides an office, cafe bar and restaurant area that also doubles up as large community function space available for hire.

Darren Clegg, Hon Secretary of Bournville Rugby Club said: “We are extremely pleased with the end result and enjoyed a ‘soft opening’ to players, members and fans earlier this month. About 350 attended and the reaction from them all was exactly what we had hoped for.

“The players are over the moon to have their own purpose built facility and the club reaction has been universally positive.

“We couldn’t have done any of this without Persimmon Homes so are very grateful to them for their support.”

Neil Williams, Director in Charge at Persimmon Homes Central, said: “We are delighted to hand over this fantastic facility to the rugby club and it is pleasing to hear that it has received such a great reaction.

“We worked closely with Birmingham City Council to develop something that was community based and fit for purpose while also being visually striking and future proof.”

The club plans to hold an official ribbon cutting opening next spring.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Taylor .