Gallery and special report: Haywards Heath’s new rugby clubhouse – a project to be proud about

A series of events will be taking place in the Spring to mark the official opening of the Clubhouse when the car park and padel courts are completed.

See a gallery from the clubhouse’s first day in use on this page and the ones linked – pictures courtesy of Johan Siebke and HHRFC.

The Clubhouse Project journey to this point has taken seven challenging years, during which time 15 successful grants or donations were secured independently by the Club from a cross section of organisations and individual benefactors, including significant contributions from the Community Ownership Fund (DLUHC), MSDC s106 funds, Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust, Grundfos Foundation, Focus Foundation, Aviva Community Trust, Humphrey Price, Ansty & Staplefield Parish Council and the Club’s own Crowdfunder Campaign alongside smaller but important contributions from others such as Cuckfield Parish Council and Gatwick Airport Charitable Trust and loans from the RFU and Sussex RFU.

The Club was also very fortunate to receive enormous support from its build partner Mitchell Design & Construction who was introduced to the team at a vital time in the Project and designed a build solution that met the requirements of the Club within an achievable budget, and then delivered the plans to brief on time and on budget.

The Clubhouse project also had the important financial and emotional support of three key corporate partners - the Adelphi Group, Pets Corner and Kalimex – who provided advice and encouragement throughout, even when the going got particularly tough. The time and effort that went into the application processes for the funding, notwithstanding the many grant applications that were unsuccessful often for the most frustrating reasons, should not be under-estimated.

The Club was fortunate to have a small team of committed volunteers who devoted themselves to making this happen, especially during the last three years post Covid when most capital funding had all but ceased to be available. Refusing to give up even when the task seemed impossible, the team found a way to make the vision a reality for current and future generations of rugby players in Mid Sussex to enjoy, along with other local sports and social organisations and the wider community.

The process was not straightforward and obstacles appeared in the most unexpected places. Although MSDC has been supportive by way of funding there were challenges in securing its administrative approval for utilities, with both electricity via UKPN and water via South East Water being delayed and proving problematic.

In fact the Clubhouse only opened due to the ingenuity of the Clubhouse team who secured independent generators to deliver power to the new Clubhouse and diverted the existing old Clubhouse water supply in order to provide water in time for the opening. These work around solutions were to prove very costly but the Club was determined not to miss either the delivery date promised to its members or the potential income that Christmas and New Year in the new facility would offer.

Commenting on the Club’s achievement, Phil Herbert HHRFC Commercial Director and a key part of the Clubhouse Project team said “There is still a lot to be done before the Clubhouse is complete, both in terms of making sure the utilities are installed properly as quickly as possible whilst recovering the unbudgeted cost of finding interim solutions and in finessing the day to day workings of the Club.

”We also have one eye on the need to raise more funds as soon as possible to build a community gym next door to the Clubhouse which will make the facility more inclusive, accessible and sustainable for all, while providing more reasons for everyone to use the Clubhouse on a regular basis.”

The Clubhouse provides six changing rooms with showers, two match officials changing rooms, a shop, physio suite, lift to the first floor function room, the Cripps meeting room, bar and restaurant and large viewing balcony across the 1st XV pitch. The new bar has been constructed with a lower section at one end allowing wheelchair users to access and order their own drinks.

There are two accessible toilets and balcony available for match viewing, all accessible via wide doorways to allow wheelchair entry.

A pub-style menu by The Boondocks Kitchen is open most days and during the month of January non-members receive the 10% member discount available on drinks in the bar, so it’s a great time to drop by and check out the fantastic new facilities. Multiple screens with spectacular TV and audio facilities show live sport of all genres whenever possible and the amazing bar furniture and shelving has been made to bespoke colour specifications by local craftsman The Table Guy who generously sponsored the raffle at the recent Christmas lunch.

Preparation works have started for the building of three padel courts alongside the new Clubhouse in collaboration with Smash Padel and it is hoped these will be open by Spring 2025. Offering a new inclusive sport activity on the doorstep for Mid Sussex residents improving health and wellbeing and social inclusivity for all ages.

Together with the plans for a new gym on site, it is clear that the Club’s work is not yet over but it has taken a giant step forward in delivering an amazing state of the art Clubhouse of which the rugby community and beyond should be extremely proud.

If you would like to talk to the Club about how you or your business could help achieve the next milestone in helping to build a community gym at Whitemans Green or discuss new sponsorship and facility usage opportunities generally, contact [email protected]. In addition to the function room and bar, there is a physio suite and a well-equipped 10-person meeting room for hire.

The new Clubhouse and planned future developments are an amazing achievement for the Rugby Club and bring enormous benefits for the wider Mid Sussex community. It really shows what a determined group of volunteers are capable of, even when faced with political, practical and financial challenges throughout.

More at www.whitemansgreensports.club