Groby Community Hub

It's time to consider what you want

December 2019 Down at the Parish Council office members of the Groby Hub Committee are continuing their examination of current community facilities, and the potential to develop a new centre. It involves considering whether there is a shortfall of facilities, and the cost and location of anything new. It's not the first time that the needs of the village have been reviewed.

Back in 1976, before the large scale housing estates were completed in Groby, the Borough Council put together a District Plan for Groby. The Plan was designed to look at the needs of the residents and looking forward to 1991 land for recreation was allocated in the plan to accommodate

7 football pitches,

1 hockey and 1 cricket pitch,

a sports pavilion/club house and car parking, tennis courts,

a bowling green and squash courts, when such facilities are needed.

However, with the construction of a Community College it was thought that the question of the joint use of the recreational facilities should be further investigated. Public use of such facilities would affect the future requirements for open space within the village and the allocation should be reviewed if there was dual use. It forecast insufficient demand for rugby in Groby and it was considered that one pitch at Glenfield should also be sufficient to serve Groby and Ratby.

Groby Parish Plan

Fourteen years ago, in 2005, the Parish Plan was produced. This was a comprehensive examination of Groby village life based on the 1395 questionnaires returned. The interests of residents were collated, together with an indication of whether they pursued those interests in Groby/Field Head or outside the Parish. Of the 22 activities listed only three – allotments, walking and cycling – had more residents enjoying the activity within the village rather than outside. Only 4 residents felt that the parish provided excellent facilities for sport. More than 60% took part in activities that were not available in the village such as bowls, golf and swimming.

Providing facilities comes at a cost, but less than half of respondents to a question on fundraising events indicated that they would participate. Another source of income to pay for facilities is higher council tax, but only a third of those who answered the question said they were prepared to pay more. With this in mind the Plan warned residents to be realistic in their expectations of what improvements could be made. Fourteen years later residents are faced with similar choices, but hopefully more external help by way of grant aid is available now.

So what could be considered?

In addition to a home for Groby Juniors Football Club the Committee has been listing the activities that have been mentioned as desirable from time to time, such as bowling, cricket, rugby, boules/petanque, boxing and a gym. Then there's the potential for new Parish Council offices, activities to tempt the lonely elderly out of their homes, or facilities to supplement local healthcare provision. Dancing, yoga, pilates, aerobics, badminton and bridge, the list could go on and on.

But for these things to have a chance of happening the community has to participate. A bowls club, for example, might be great, but someone has to organise it, and whilst the Parish Council may be able to provide the infrastructure it isn't within the remit of the Parish Council to run clubs and activities. Indeed many of the respondents to the Parish Plan questionnaire indicated that many did not think it was fair for them to contribute to activities they would not use.

The final decision in 2020

If all the analysis and sums add up you may be presented with a proposal next year for you to vote on. If you have a particular interest which isn't currently catered for in Groby, and you would like it to be part of the proposal, now is the time to speak up and state your case. It may not make it to any final proposal but if you don't act now you may regret it later. It's time not just to think about what you believe the Parish needs, but to share your thoughts with the Parish Council and consider the part you can play. December 2019

Parish Council contacts

Write : Village Hall, Leicester Road, Groby, LE6 0DQ Phone : 0116 287 6985 email : parishclerk@groby.com

Make your views known

Does Groby need a Juniors Rugby Club?

Television coverage of sporting events often results in an increase in interest in the sport and more people deciding they want to give it a try. In recent years women's football has been 'on a roll' and the England Women's World Cup defeat against the United States in July was watched by an average of 8.8 million viewers on BBC One. The recent Rugby World Cup in Japan also generated a huge amount of interest and ITV reported that viewing figures peaked at 12.8 million as England was beaten by South Africa in the Japanese city of Yokohama. It was the UK's most watched sporting event of 2019.

Groby Juniors Football Club has been a terrific success and has outgrown the available capacity in the village, failing to find a suitable site for a home for the club. It wants to continue its expansion, build the girls football side of the club and perhaps offer football to other groups, for example the disabled or the older generation. This, together with the need for improved changing facilities, more pitches and an administrative home, explains the club's support for the concept of a Groby Community Hub that could provide for both sport as well as accommodation for other activities or community services.

But what about rugby?

In order to survive every sport needs to encourage young people to get involved. Rugby is no exception, but it seems there are no facilities for training or playing in the village. Who knows, those that manage to get involved may just have a life enjoying their pastime or they may excel and play for the Leicester Tigers, or even become our sporting heroes.

Groby Juniors Football Club encourages everyone to enjoy the game and in the rugby world Age Grade Rugby reflects the same philosophy. It ensures that every player is able to enjoy rugby in a safe environment where they can develop their personal and social skills as well as a wide array of transferable multi-sports skills.

“This results in their holistic development as well as their life long involvement in rugby and other sports,” explains Rugby England. “Age Grade Rugby is the game for all players aged 6 – 18 in clubs, schools, colleges and within the representative pathway and it incorporates the rules of play, regulation, competition formats and the structure of the season. It is based on the principles of being player centred, development driven and competitive, supported with the wants and needs of young people at its heart.”

What kind of pitch?

Where space is at a premium an artificial pitch for more intensive use is an advantage and with careful scheduling of matches and training it is thought that rugby could perhaps be shared with teams such as Groby Juniors Football Club. When considering the best way to complement the existing facilities in Groby, if the proposed Community Hub is approved and developed, the Juniors have decided that an artificial all weather pitch should be the aspiration.

There have been huge technological advances since artificial pitches were introduced. The latest 4G pitches remain soft during cold snaps, and they don’t freeze like earth does. Every blade of artificial grass on a 4G pitch has a solid spine that allows it to snap back into position when it is trodden on – ensuring it always looks good. Ball bounces are true, and it's claimed there is sufficient give in the modern artificial pitch to minimise injuries. FIFA has given the technology the highest possible rating and allows matches in the Champion’s League to be played on the surface.

A 4G pitch isn't cheap, but grant funding is a possibility, and if the use is shared might be available from more than one source, though that is pure speculation. Groby Juniors Football Club is unable to comment as the idea has not yet been discussed by their management committee.

For the moment the question is whether or not Groby needs a Juniors Rugby Club. If you think the answer is 'yes' you need to be making your views known now. There may not be another opportunity. December 2019

Parish Council contacts

Write : Village Hall, Leicester Road, Groby, LE6 0DQ Phone : 0116 287 6985 email : parishclerk@groby.com

Parish Council creates new committee to examine proposal

Earlier this year a presentation and consultation evening was held for members of the public to hear more about the proposals for a new Groby Community Hub, including a home for the Groby Juniors Football Club. Although poorly attended work has continued behind the scenes, and a presentation to the Borough Council drew a favourable response and cross party support.

In September 2019 the Parish Council created a new Committee to examine the proposal. In addition to football pitches a new building could provide additional recreational and meeting space for local organisations. The Committee will consider the proposals and associated services and facilities, and conduct a step by step process and review. It will report back to the full Parish Council and will consider consultee documents from other authorities and bodies which relate to the Groby Hub. It will also examine and answer the steps of the assessment criteria provided by the Borough Council's head of planning.

The Committee will have to carefully examine issues like the need for the proposed hub, the potential costs, the funding and grant alternatives, and the availability of a suitable site. If all the boxes are ticked, and the only impediment is the availability of a suitable site either in public ownership or on the open market, consideration may be given to the compulsory purchase of a site.

Who would use the Hub?

As mentioned by Borough Councillor Martin Cartright in his monthly report part of the assessment of the need for the Hub is likely to be some form of consultation with local community groups, and it might be helpful if they began thinking now about the opportunities that a new Hub might create. Some will no doubt be using facilities which meet all their needs so they may feel they have no reason to relocate to any new building. Others may be tolerating any perceived disadvantages with their present location and may believe that a purpose built resource could better meet their needs. If they had access to funding which could help with the costs that would be particularly helpful. What the Committee will need to assess is which groups would use the hub and which would wish to stay where they are. What they won't be looking for are initial promises to use the Hub which are later withdrawn.

What might it cost?

It has been suggested that the proposed building could be modelled on an successful existing facility built 10 years ago in a village just outside Newark. There would be savings in starting with an existing design but nevertheless the cost at today's prices could be in excess of £1 million, with some additional costs being site specific. It has been suggested that the investigatory work done to date indicates that although the numbers are big they are achievable.

Members of the Parish Council are concerned, however, that even with external funding local householders could be faced with a significant levy or precept hike to balance the books. They feel that they have insufficient details of potential costs at this early stage to be able to include them in their submission to the Borough Council for Council Tax bills in 2020/21. There is currently some cash set aside which could be called upon to meet any costs incurred next year, and the view has been expressed that before they commit residents to higher Council Tax bills consideration should be given to further consultation or even another Parish Poll.

As a new-build project one of the advantages suggested for the Hub is that it would be carbon neutral, a building for the 21st century. In addition to generating power from solar and heat pump

sources it could also harvest rainwater for uses other than human consumption.

There's a lot of analysis, investigation and public consultation to take place before the Committee will be in a position to make a recommendation to the full Parish Council, but following the creation of the Committee this is definitely 'work in progress.' October 2019

Groby Juniors a key player in Community Hub proposal

In January John Caswell and Paul Chick, who represented The Groby Juniors Football Club, outlined the challenges the Club faces and their vision for the future at a meeting to consider the creation of a new Community Hub.

It's a project that would be led by the Parish Council but still have Groby Junior's needs at its heart,whilst also providing community facilities, including perhaps a bowling green. Full details of the proposal are available on the Parish Council website.

At the meeting John and Paul didn't just talk about why the Club supports the initiative. They spoke enthusiastically about what they do and the philosophy of the club which has been established for many years and is well thought of in the football community.

Groby Juniors was formed in 2003, initially with 10 all male teams. It now has 7 girls teams and 16 boys teams. There's also an Academy focussing on fun and games for players too young for a team. These youngsters are supported by 29 Football Association qualified coaches and 42 adult volunteers. The club also runs 2 tournaments a year for teams from the county and also attracts teams from outside of the county. It runs a Girls only tournament which is held in high regard.

The club is organised on an amateur basis, and arranges for all coaches to attain the necessary coaching levels set out by the FA, for children to enjoy their football in a fun and safe environment. The philosophy is to enjoy, develop and succeed. The focus is on development of the players player's skill, physical, psychological and emotional growth, as well as focusing on a high level of team work.

An equal opportunities attitude means that no matter what the child's skill level there is place for them within the club, no-one is turned away. The club's ethos of focusing on "kids enjoying football" has resulted in an increase in player numbers and a bi-product is that the club has teams that play at different skill levels within each age range. Not all clubs work this way, some are more focused on winning and encourage players to look for pastures new if they do not meet their minimum standard. At the other end of the scale some players move to Groby Juniors if they feel they have outgrown their existing club.

Expansion plans

The club plans to expand over the next 5 years, but there needs to be a step change in the facilities available in order to realise the vision of 'football for everyone,' not just boys and girls. “Currently we cannot offer disability football, veterans football or walking football,” John explained, adding that they also had difficulty in offering the facilities young people deserved once they reached their mid teens. “Small, sometimes poorly drained, pitches and inadequate changing facilities fall short of their expectations.”

As part of the plan to grow further, one area of particular focus is girls football. Currently opportunities are provided to play up to Under 18's whilst it is possible for boys football to run to Under 21's. The club would like to see the girls teams compete in open age football. In order to encourage players at the older age groups Groby Juniors wants to be able to offer midweek floodlit football as well as Saturday mornings with the Midlands Football Alliance. Clubs in nearby villages are not as well advanced in the development of girls football, so there is a large catchment area waiting to be developed and plenty of grant funding available to help. This year's Girls Tournament, which attracts entrants from Solihull, Worcester, Luton, Manchester, Grimsby and beyond, is already half full.

Whilst the Brookvale Groby Learning Campus has served the club well, additional facilities are now required as football is played on all the space available on a Sunday morning, so much so that it is having to play at various other sites within Groby. The school changing facilities do not fulfil the FA requirements needed for the future plans.

Brookvale Groby Learning Campus at full capacity and in order to expand it is vital to find other areas to play on within the Groby area. A new Hub would also provide a place that could be called home which would give a real sense of identity. With a marquee floodlit pitch and all weather training area it would inspire existing players as well as attracting new ones.

The search for a suitable site has gone on for years, but high land prices have blocked the club's aspirations. “Grants are only available for building costs,” John explained, “we cannot obtain grants to acquire land.”

Groby Juniors Football Club is an organisation which balances aspirations of winning with a philosophy that football is for everyone whatever their skill, gender, age or disability. And when Paul Chick says “it's about putting smiles on faces,” that's something most would agree is worthy of support. February 2019