Toolstation has joined forces with Northampton Saints, Travis Perkins and social enterprise Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) for its latest project: helping transform the Northampton Old Scouts RFC clubhouse with changing room refurbishment and ground maintenance.
Predominantly used as a training and playing facility for Northampton Old Scouts rugby club, the grounds are also accessible to a wide array of sporting communities, including American football, touch rugby, cricket, fitness clubs and more, and has become a hotspot for school physical education classes and private events as a result.
Its high demand means the clubhouse is heavily reliant on volunteers to help maintain its facilities, which has become a challenge in recent years due to lack of availability. To ensure the local community is provided with a safe and enjoyable environment for all to enjoy, volunteers from Toolstation, Travis Perkins (Toolstation's parent company) and Northampton Saints teamed up with VIY throughout November to help transform the club’s grounds.
The three-week renovation project has seen volunteers refurbish the clubhouse changing rooms, helping create a more attractive and welcoming environment for the users of the space.
These improvements will enable the club to maintain and grow their player base of men’s and women’s teams, as well as growing the first ‘inclusive’ rugby team in the East Midlands they host at the club, Northampton Outlaws. This has given players from across all teams at Northampton Old Scouts a new sense of club pride, as well as hiring changing rooms out to other local clubs who have struggled to maintain their own grounds, including Northampton Heathens.
In addition to creating a high-quality sporting hub for the local community, the VIY initiative is helping young people learn DIY skills and consider a career in the construction and building industry, while renovating a space they may use and benefit from.
Toolstation is funding and helping the volunteers gain City & Guilds qualifications as part of its partnership with VIY. The project saw more than 30 young volunteers between the ages of 14 to 24, all not in education, employment or training or at risk of becoming so, referred from local youth partners including those supported by Northampton Saints Foundation and young players from the club itself come together and spend a total of 15 days work on the project, with many participants being awarded a City & Guilds accreditation in Painting & Decorating.
The project was also supported using a portion of the £46,000 funding awarded by the UK Government via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through West Northamptonshire Council to VIY to deliver impactful ‘People and Place’ outcomes, whilst Travis Perkins and Dulux donated essential tools and accessories to help complete the job at hand.
Players, mascots and staff members from local professional rugby union club Northampton Saints provided their support throughout the project through volunteering, helping provide a space for local community members with a keen interest in the sport to follow in their footsteps and embrace their sporting passion.
Rupert Nichols, Customer and Commercial Director at Toolstation, said: "We have completed several successful projects in partnership with VIY, and the transformation of this fantastic clubhouse is another one to add to the list.
“At Toolstation, we believe that supporting communities involves creating positive change where it's needed most. Partnering with VIY means we can help improve community spaces and share valuable skills with the young volunteers from the local area. We believe that this project will encourage young people to develop confidence and learn practical trade and building skills and to consider a career in the trade.”
Ed Sellwood, COO and co-founder at VIY, said: “We're proud of our long-term partnership with Toolstation and Travis Perkins, and renovating a rugby club right on their doorstep in Northampton is a brilliant way to celebrate this. Working with Northampton Saints and their Foundation again is a brilliant way for us to improve more clubs in their community and young people's lives too.”
Cllr Daniel Lister, Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture and Leisure at West Northamptonshire Council, said: “It’s fantastic to see this incredible collaboration breathe new life into Northampton Old Scouts RFC. This project demonstrates the power of community partnership, with the support of UKSPF funding helping to enhance local facilities and provide young people with life-changing opportunities. As we gear up to host the Women’s Rugby World Cup next year, it’s exciting to see our community spaces ready to support the growing enthusiasm for sport and inspire the next generation here in West Northants.”
