STALYBRIDGE’S MP says he will do all he can to help the town’s archery club hit the target it needs to secure a new clubhouse.
Currently housed in what was a cricket pavilion, first put up in 1961, the time has come for a new facility.
But the money it would cost to install an improved home that could help it go on to bigger and better things is substantial.
Jonathan Reynolds, however, has he will do all he can to help Stalybridge Archery Club succeed.
In a visit to the Mottram Road base, he heard about the problems hitting the club, with ‘driving force’ Kay Simpson telling him: “It’s not fit for purpose anymore.”
And he advised volunteers of where they could go to try and access funding, offering practical solutions.
Mr Reynolds said, as he fired his first arrows since 2015: “Stalybridge Archery Club is a gem.
“What I think people might not appreciate is just how diverse it is in terms of age. There are lots of young people here and hearing about the youth provision is fantastic.
“The clubhouse needs a bit of work, but everyone would recognise the massive contribution made by sports clubs like this.
“We’ve got a few different funding pots we can look to. Pride of Place, which is a big government initiative for new facilities. There’s lots of demand for that in the borough.
“I want as many people to benefit from that as possible. It’s a privilege to be able to work with clubs like this and try and get the facilities they need modernised.
“Let’s build on the brilliant things. We’ve got so many great sports clubs in Tameside. Think how many cricket clubs we’ve got. Think of all the football teams we’ve got.
“Let’s make sure they get a slice of quite a lot of resources the national government’s putting into rejuvenating facilities. We want a big chunk of that for Tameside.
“Different clubs have different needs, and it depends exactly what they want to do.
“But what we can say here is there’s brilliant stuff going on and it’s worth every penny of extra government and public investment and private investment we can get into it.”
The pock marks on the roof struts of Stalybridge Archery Club’s base highlight how it is too small to accommodate everyone, particularly in winter months.
But the sport is popular and a ‘have a go day’ at the club on Sunday, June 28 is designed to open it up to more people.
And the waiting list for membership, particularly in the junior section, highlights the popularity as Stuart Willis told The Correspondent: “A new clubhouse would mean a hell of a lot. I’ll tell you why, because we can expand them.
“We can push it above 30 easily. Our biggest problem is not through the summer. It’s the winter period, because then they shoot indoors.
“But what I have to do is basically split the juniors up into three teams, because I can only get eight juniors shooting indoors.
“The need for a new one is absolutely desperate. It’s falling apart. It’s served its purpose. It’s been brilliant, but it’s served its purpose.
“We’re desperate for a new one now.”