Players at Farnley Falcons rugby club are celebrating after they helped raise £25,000 to buy new floodlights as they look to revamp their facilities.
More remarkably, the amount was raised in just eight weeks – and means the facilities used by the club are set for a major revamp, with a new clubhouse currently being built on the Butt Lane site.
The Falcons are a community rugby league club, running 11 teams which offer the game to boys and girls aged three to 15 as well as an open age men’s team for 16+ and men’s and women’s masters teams for those aged over 35.
The club posted on social media: “After eight weeks, and a lot of hard work from so many people, our crowdfunding campaign had ended. We raised an incredible £25,161.
“Thank you to everyone who walked, ran, donated, raffled, baked, sponsored, shared, and liked anything and everything that was posted.
“Thank you to those who donated their time and money, offered their business services and asked friends for favours, and thank you to everyone who has supported us with words of encouragement and those who went above and beyond to help us smash our £20k target.”
Their successful appeal will see them be able to offer year-round training on two floodlit pitches and help save the club up to £1,000 a week for six months of the year.
The money saved by the club could be reinvested back into the facilities and offer reduced membership fees. More than 200 people train, watch and support different teams at the club each week.
As reported by WLD in January 2022, Farnley Falcons were boosted after the Rugby World Cup awarded a grant to build a new clubhouse and changing rooms.
Farnley Falcons had been without a permanent building since Farnley Sports and Social Club closed in late 2014 and was then demolished after an arson attack in 2015 and replaced with houses.
