MAWNAN Football Club, who play in the Kernow Stone St Piran Football League, have celebrated the official opening of their new changing rooms and kitchen at the Carwinion Road playing field.

The rebuilding and refurbishment was only made possible thanks to the investment from the Premier League, the Football Association and the Government’s Football Foundation.

This was the first major overall of the premises since it was first built in 1953 although over the years the football club has made a number of piecemeal improvements.

With the building gutted and reshaped inside, the club can now boast enlarged changing rooms with toilets and wash handbasins along with five new showers in each of the home and away changing rooms. For the first time the officials’ have their own changing room with a toilet, wash handbasin and shower.

With two Saturday teams and a veterans team, the number of people needing to access each changing room is 16 players when, in fact, the original changing rooms were built for just 11 players as substitutes and squads were a long way from coming into being in the 1950s.

Daniel Greenough – Cornwall FA’s football development manager who was a key player in the early stages – said: “It’s great to see Mawnan AFC taking advantage of the advice from Cornwall FA and the current funding available.

“We want to encourage as many of our clubs and partners to apply and attract funding to build a brighter future for football in Cornwall. “The funding has allowed the club to modernise their facilities, helping sustain and build on their current football provision. It was great work by everyone involved.”

Club chairman Mr Gregg Renfree said: “None of these changes would have been possible without the excellent support of the Football Foundation who provided a 75 per cent £25,000 grant towards the costs.

“The football club, for their part, sourced another £10,000 including support from the Carwinion Playing Field Trust, Hine Downing (Falmouth), Mawnan Community Association, Mawnan Cricket Club, Councillor John Bastian’s Community Chest and especially Hotel Meudon who were extremely generous in helping to provide the club with access to high-quality grassroots sports facilities."

Mr Renfree thanked Mr Mark Hutchinson of the Football Foundation for his help and guidance and expressed his thanks to Mr Kevin Bate of Fox Construction Solutions for the work carried out on transforming the pavilion.

The new-look pavilion was opened by Mr Renfree who was assisted by president Mr David Rickard and Carwinion Playing Field Trust’s Mr Rex Sadler, MBE. Abby Picken of Hotel Meudon and Mawnan Cricket Club’s chairman Mr Martin Ley, along with officials of Mawnan Football Club, also attended.

For more information on facility development and funding clubs should contact the Cornwall FA.