A West Lothian community is celebrating after netting a £2.6million sporting facility.
Broxburn United Sports Club’s (BUSC) impressive new clubhouse and FIFA two-star third generation synthetic pitch at Albyn Park was officially opened by Council Leader Peter Johnston and sportscotland Chief Executive Stewart Harris last week.
The ambitious project is the culmination of over a decade of hard work by local community volunteers, and will deliver excellent facilities to the club’s 650 members and the wider community in the Broxburn area.
It has been funded through an innovative partnership approach, with West Lothian Council providing £1.6m, sportscotland contributing £500,000 and a £150,000 donation from the Scottish Government’s Cashback For Communities scheme.
The club themselves also put £100,000 towards the total, with other contributions coming from the Robertson Trust, Social Investment Scotland and Gannochy Trust.
Council Leader Peter Johnston said: “I’m absolutely delighted that West Lothian Council was able to provide substantial support for this excellent project, which will provide more quality sporting opportunities for the whole Broxburn community.
“The project is an excellent example of how partnership working can deliver huge benefits to our communities and how, by working closely together, our council and our community can deliver sports facilities that everyone can be proud of."
sportscotland Chief Executive Stewart Harris said: “At sportscotland we recognise the importance of strong clubs and community initiatives in helping to build a sustainable future for Scottish sport.
“The community-led approach taken by Broxburn United and its partners, including West Lothian Council, is a great example of how we see facilities developing in the future.”
BUSC is a charitable, not-for-profit social enterprise company, which brings together local clubs with the aim of creating sporting pathways and opportunities for young people in the area. They will run the new resource on behalf of the council on a 50 year lease, in the first community-led project of its type in West Lothian.
As well as the 3G pitch, the new facilities includes a ten changing room pavilion plus officials room, community club room/social space, and a physiotherapy centre.
BUSC club secretary Alan Cunningham said: “Today marks the celebration of our long journey and a lot of hard work by many people in our club over the last decade.
“The new facilities are superb and will make a real difference to the whole Broxburn community, as the clubhouse will now become a sporting and social hub. Our youngsters will at last have fit-for-purpose playing and changing facilities, which will allow us to cater for many more youngsters in the years to come as well as provide quality facilities for our local schools to use.
“A huge number of people have contributed to make this project happen, but I’d especially like to thank West Lothian Council, sportscotland, and our consulting partners PMR Leisure.”