Belper RUFC

Thank you all for your continued support of BRUFC during these testing times. We wanted to send out a brief update to you all in respect to how we as a club are continuing our recovery from the floods and how we are starting to recover from COVID 19.

Despite the restrictions and negative impact of the 2019/20 season has had on our club and all of you as members of the BRUFC Family, we remain resilient and internally strong. This of course is primarily due to you - our members; the patience, time and support you have, and continue to offer; and the hunger to get back to doing what we do best in being the best little club in Derbyshire (if not the world)!!

We are still some way off being ready to open the club and facilities and this is for several reasons. That said we are using this time as effectively as possible to develop and prepare the club to be able to open in a phased approach, but we thought it be a good time to let you know some what we have been doing to get the club ready.

The vast majority of this work has been carried out by a small number of club members who have committed their time, energy and resources to getting this work done. We are enormously grateful to them and would welcome support from other volunteers.

What we have done so far

• Developed a Club Strategic Plan to support the club in benchmarking and moving forward in a sustainable fashion.
• Installation and replacement of the riverside fencing - brush cut back, and new fencing installed along the riverbank for additional safety and security.
• Brush removed along Babington wall and the riverside border
• Internal club maintenance to include deep clean/tidy up and redecoration. Loft cleared, changing rooms decorated, jet-washed and showers fixed
• Old clubhouse cleared and additional space created
• Clubhouse decking repaired and refreshed, with slip-proof paint, railings painted
• Area between the 1^st team and second team pitch prepared and rolled out to create a new training area.
• Areas around the Club tidied up and cut back, memorial garden tidied, benches painted
• Installation of new double gates
• Pitches cleared, scarified, rotavated and reseeded and cut. Pitch markings rotovated, refilled

What we still need to do

• Launch Strategic Plan at AGM – Timescale August 20
• Launch New Club Website – Timescale July 20
• Whole site risk assessment and internal infrastructure work to enable the clubhouse to be both H&S compliant and meet COVID Safe Regulations – Timescale September 2020
• Whole grounds weed killer application Timescale July/August 2020
• Pitch and grounds recovery and reopening – to include drainage work on pitches and soakaway drains near Babington Corner – Timescale September 20
• Repair floodlights to relocate electrical components to above flood water levels Timescale August 2020
• Resume rugby activity in line with Government and RFU Guidelines. Ongoing

The maintenance work has been carried out after receiving grant monies from various funding bodies – and we are obligated to complete this work within certain timescales.

Major Issue – With the work progressing on the grounds, we have experienced several delays. It was our intention to be able to open the outdoor facilities on a limited basis in August 2020, however due to circumstances, this is being pushed back now until September. We are aware that this has ramifications on all aspects of the club and whilst we look at reconfigurations, we are not in a position to reopen the ground to rugby activity, nor the clubhouse to social activity  just yet.

Therefore, we need to consider in line with the RFU Roadmap how we can progress activity in a safe manner and there are some workstreams looking into this as a matter of priority. Further updates to follow.

I hope you will agree that we have used this time positively and constructively, and that these improvements will benefit the whole club in the future

Yours in Rugby

Gaz and Jackie

To have a look at some before and after photos of the work please click here.