Newark could soon be able to hold major sporting and cultural events as large as county championships and Newark Festival
Newark could soon be able to hold major sporting and cultural events as large as the county championships and Newark Festival.
It is thanks to plans for seating and stands at the YMCA Community and Activity Village, which will not only allow for more significant footballing events and provision for Step 5 football — but boost the town in terms of its cultural offering.
YMCA Newark and Sherwood and Newark and Sherwood District Council are collaborating for the major development to strengthen and future-proof the town's capacity for large-scale events.
Firstly, by introducing the stands, other events and activities can take place at the YMCA village on the scale of events such as Newark Festival.
Utilising periods when the pitches are not used for football, the village will be able to host more activities for the residents of, and visitors to, the district — which will be a huge improvement for the local community.
Secondly, the seating will allow the village to welcome more significant footballing opportunities, such as county championship matches which require a higher level pitch provision than the district currently has.
Finally, the seating could allow the ground to be re-graded to a level which allows Step 5 football to be played, future-proofing the facility.
The announcement comes before the YMCA is due to open its doors later this year after undergoing a major development which will see the village become a hub for sports and community provision in Newark.
The aim of the new seating installation is to further enhance the facilities with a view to widening the village’s offer even further.
David Lloyd, leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “The district council and YMCA investment forms a significant part of our wider commitment to enhance sports and cultural facilities for the benefit of all our residents. It will be a great resource for the pitches to be used for a whole host of purposes when the new seating is installed.
“We are keen to build on the momentum and passion that has been so evident since the outbreak of the pandemic from a number of community groups as well as sports and cultural providers and individuals across the district. And this is another step towards delivering our aspiration to provide high-quality sports and cultural facilities to the local community.
“The upgraded facility will, in the future, allow the site to host higher-tier football in the hope that our teams continue to climb the footballing leagues.”
Todd Cauthorn, executive director at YMCA Newark and Sherwood, said: “We agree wholeheartedly in the value of raising the aspirations of local people in Newark through football and, as such, are deeply committed to elevating grassroots teams.
“Our charity has a responsibility to the community groups that have been with us from the beginning. This responsibility especially refers to younger teams and partner clubs, which have grown exponentially since our opening in 2018, and who are the YMCA village’s priority clubs through our funding with the Football Foundation.
“The current YMCA site accommodates a weekly footfall of 2,000 football players from 210 teams, and so this development will benefit many of our younger players. This is particularly important as the YMCA village is first and foremost for children, young people and families’ and that is always at the heart of our decision making.”
The initiative is being jointly funded by the YMCA and council.
A planning application for the additional stands has now been made and planning members at Newark and Sherwood will have the final say.
The YMCA Community and Activity Village was in part funded by the £25m government’s Town Fund submission by Newark Towns Fund Board. This is one of nine priority projects for the district which also includes the Air and Space Institute (ASI), Newark Construction College and the Castle Gatehouse project.
