Asfordby Amateurs club face fight for survival

Committee members at Asfordby Amateurs Sports and Social Club have called an emergency open meeting this Sunday to recruit volunteers and help keep the site afloat.

The club was formed as a not-for-profit organisation in 1998 by a 14-strong group and has flourished. It is used by an estimated 500 adults and children every week, including a hardcore of 300 regular users.

But while its popularity and demand is in no doubt, a paucity of helpers means it’s future remains in the balance.

Founding member Chris Gamble is the longest-serving of the six remaining members of the executive committee members. Chris does the bulk of the external work on the 19.75-acre site, while John Gallagher keeps the clubhouse, sportshall and bar running.

Chris said: “There were 14 of us to start with, but the numbers have dwindled down over the years. John and I both know that if one of us goes, the other can’t carry on alone.

“One of our other members is 84 and another does shift work and can only spend odd days here at weekends.

“If no-one comes forward in the next 12 months it will have to go on the open market. It comes to a point where people are either interested or they’re not.”

The club is a massive hub for junior sport with two large junior football clubs and three senior teams basing themselves at Hoby Road which has nine football pitches and a 3G all-weather pitch.

It is also home to Asfordby Narborians Cricket Club and petanque in the summer, while the sportshall also hosts a badminton club and is hired by hundreds of sportsmen and women. Hundreds more use Amateurs for social functions and non-sports events.

Melton Council are keen to avoid the loss of another community sports facility after the closure of Melton Leisure Centre to the public and the uncertainty surrounding the former King Edward VII School site.

Melton Council’s people’s manager Ronan Browne and strategic officer Keith Aubrey will be at the meeting to lend their support and offer advice to potential volunteers.

In the worst case scenario the council could step in and set it up as a social enterprise, but hope volunteers from within Amateurs can first be found.

Ronan said: “We have been working with Chris and John to try and engage the people within the club and those that use the facility every week to take over their good work.

“If there are difficulties we will be there, but the council will do everything to ensure the club runs in its current format. The best people to run a club are those who are born and bred within it.

“It’s one of the biggest facilities there is in the borough and we want to encourage everyone to come along to the meeting. It could be make-or-break for the future of Asfordby Amateurs.”

Chris believes the club needs up to six new volunteers to spare eight to 10 hours a week, and is willing to stay on for the next year to smooth the transition.

He added: “People seem to think that it’s going to carry on forever, but we can’t go on forever. We have a lot of teams down there and they really need to wake up to what’s going on.

“But we all want the same thing, we all want to keep it going - we just want to galvanise people.”

* The meeting takes place at 11am on Sunday at Asfordby Sports and Social Club, Everyone welcome.