Cash boost for Rastrick groups

Two community groups have received thousands of pounds worth of funding to help make their dreams a reality.
Representatives of Rastrick Junior Football Club with Mayor of Calderdale, Lisa LambertRepresentatives of Rastrick Junior Football Club with Mayor of Calderdale, Lisa Lambert
Representatives of Rastrick Junior Football Club with Mayor of Calderdale, Lisa Lambert

Rastrick Junior Football Club and Your Back Yard received a share of £65,000 thanks to the Rastrick Big Local ‘Voice Your Choice’ event.

The initiative saw more than 1,375 local people cast their vote to decided who should be awarded a share of the money.

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The funds - a boost of £25,000 for Rastrick Juniors and £40,000 for Your Back Yard - will now help both groups to make a real difference to the Rastrick community and its residents.

Pete Edwards, Rastrick Big Local chair, said: “It was pleasing we had so many applicants, there were 14 in total.

“It was a difficult choice for the residents as they only had one vote each and we’re very pleased to think it has gone so well.”

Rastrick Juniors will use their money to create new facilities for the club - and the village.

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Jason Clough, club secretary, said: “It was fantastic and really great news.

“This is the first time the Rastrick public have voted, there were some fantastic schemes involved so to come out on top and to know we have that support within the community is massively pleasing.

“We have a big club, we have kids who travel from outside the area to play for Rastrick, but at the moment we can’t provide a toilet.

“This money will help provide facilities, we can offer a changing room, a bit of shelter for the kids when the bad weather comes and an education room.

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“There’s a lot of things we try and push which we can’t do on the field. That room will also be available to the community, it will be a real asset.”

He added that the money would also help to establish and run a girl’s team.

Your Back Yard were also successful in their bid and their share of the money will be used to improve parks and play areas in Rastrick.

Sites earmarked for improvement include Field Lane, Burnsall Road, Carr Green recreation ground and Oaklands.

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Tony Mullins, director of Your Back Yard, said: “We have enough funding to improve at least three sites, making them really good locations with something on offer to all ages of children.

“If we have a successful local funding campaign, we can do even more work on these sites already identified, making them even better play areas, and hopefully include one or two more sites.”