After positive engagement with Kidlington Town Council, we have reached an agreement to secure the future of Gosford All Blacks at Stratfield Brake. This has now been approved by KTC's Full Council. The legally binding documents are still being drawn up, so it's not quite over the line, but the agreement is made, and our home is secured for the long term.

This is a real milestone. Here's what it means for the club.

We take charge of our pitches
As part of the agreement, Gosford All Blacks will take responsibility for maintaining all the rugby pitches. This is something the club has wanted for a long time. Years of underspending in this area have cost us dearly: too many training sessions and games called off when the ground wasn't fit to play on. Now we control the standard ourselves, and we're already sourcing grounds maintenance equipment to do the job properly.

Floodlights on Pitch 1
Separately, we're moving forward with the floodlights project on Pitch 1. These will be of a higher specification than our current lights, which means we can:

Host more games of a higher standard on Pitch 1: opening up new revenue for the club; and
Move our Women's section to Thursday-night training, so they're no longer training on a Monday, the day after their Sunday games.

A safer place to play
As part of taking on the pitches, we also have the ambition to fence off Pitches 2, 3 and 4 — creating a safer playing environment for everyone who pulls on a GAB shirt.

The money (and a word on fees)
These improvements will cost a considerable amount, and we're not relying on any one source to fund them. We have:

* allocated some of our reserves;
* secured grant funding from the RFU;
* secured loan funding from the RFU;
* commitments from existing sponsors;
* and a match-funded crowdfunding campaign launching soon. Every pound you give will be doubled.
We'll also run a host of fundraising initiatives through the season. If we all chip in, big or small, we'll smash our targets together.

To cover the increased annual running costs that come with maintaining our own pitches, the board is proposing to slightly raise membership fees. This is a proposal, nothing is decided. It will be set out in full and put to a vote at the AGM, so please come and have your say before anything is agreed.

How you can help
There's a part for everyone here. Here's where to start:

* Come to the AGM: 19:00 on Wednesday 5 August at Stratfield Brake. Hear the full detail on every plan above, and have your say and your vote on the fee proposal.
* Join the GroundForce Weekend: 27 & 28 June. Help us smarten up the posts, pitches and container.
* Sign up for the grounds maintenance crew. Our new pitch standards depend on it.
* Keep volunteering. Every hour in the kitchen, behind the bar, or out on the field counts.
* Give generously and spread the word: share our fundraising as it launches, help us find new sponsors, ...
This club has always run on the people in it. Thank you for being one of them — I look forward to seeing you at the AGM.

Yours in rugby,

Phil Peirsegaele
Chair, Gosford All Blacks RFC