Leading Cumbrian community Rugby League club Wath Brow Hornets officially opened their new playing facilities in Cleator Moor on Saturday June 25.

The development work at the home of the National Conference League club has included the installation of floodlights and perimeter barriers, drainage and pitch levelling work, major landscaping of the surrounding area and the installation of a wind turbine.

Paul Martin from Wath Brow said: “The club's main aims and objectives are to provide the people of Cleator Moor and the surrounding community with a safe, flat, modern, mud free and floodlit playing facility.

“We want to attract new members to use the clubs facilities, promote health and fitness in structured, supervised sporting activities and offer excellent coaching methods and playing facilities.

“It is very rewarding to watch individuals moving through the various age groups and monitoring their progress. Some players may progress to represent their County or Great Britain at amateur level, some may even progress to Professional level.”

Wath Brow Hornets run a number of junior and youth teams at Under 8’s, U9’s, U11’s U12’s, U14’s, U16’s & U18’s as well as two open age teams and the Copeland Wildcats Ladies team.

The development work was part funded by the RFL Facilities Trust and David Gent, the RFL’s Director of Participation and Strategic Partnerships was present at the official opening of the new facilities.

David Gent said: “We are delighted that through the RFL Facilities Trust we were able to help Wath Brow develop their facilities.

“The club now have the facilities worthy of a club of this stature and I’m sure that this will help them attract even more players to what is already a thriving Rugby League club as they prepare for summer rugby in March 2012.”

The club were awarded the nationally recognised “Sport England Clubmark” award in 2005 and Sport England Clubmark Gold in 2009. In 2005 the club was also runner up in another national award: The Foundation of Sports and Arts sports club of the year award.

The club also have a community function room, a fitness suite and a Golf Society whilst a football team and equestrian Club also use the clubs facilities.

Funders involved in project

1 - Cumbria Community Foundation (CCF)
2 - Cumbria Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (CALSF)
3 - Francis C Scott Charitable Trust
4 - The Hadfield Trust
5 – The Copeland Community Fund
6 – The Neighbourhood Forum
7 – The Rugby Football League (RFL)
8 – Cumbrian Mine Research
9 – Forth Engineering
10 – Hertel Engineering Services
11 – The Banks Foundation
12 – Government Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP2)
13 – Wath Brow Hornets (Various Sub sections)
14 - Copeland Wildcats