Leighton Buzzard RFC receive a financial boost

Leighton Buzzard Rugby Club have received a financial boost from a local housebuilder.

After sponsoring its under-12s team last season, Redrow South Midlands, which is currently building at Leestone Park on Heath Road, has donated an additional £1,000 to the club.

Despite being negatively affected by the pandemic, like many grassroots sports organisations, the club made its facilities available to Leighton Buzzard Primary Care Network, which has since been using the location as the community Covid Vaccination Centre for local patients.

Thanks to Redrow’s donation, the club, which supports boys and girls aged five or older to be active and enjoy the team-building sport in a community environment, will be able to keep its doors open as the Leighton Buzzard Covid Vaccination Centre while preparing for a return to play in the coming months.

The housebuilder is now hoping to inspire other businesses who are able to support the club.

Suzanne Irons, Sales Director for Redrow South Midlands, said: “Grassroots sports organisations, such as Leighton Buzzard Rugby Club, are essential to our communities, and provide young people with an outlet to socialise, develop physical skills and learn valuable life lessons through team sports.

“The club has more recently demonstrated its ‘community-first’ ethos by making its facilities available to its local primary care network, so people in the Leighton Buzzard area are able to receive the Covid-19 vaccine safely.

“We couldn’t be prouder to support such a fantastic organisation.

“In these difficult times, it’s important to back up local causes and we’re thrilled to have been able to make a difference.

“We’d like to call on other organisations to reach out and support the Buzzards, if they’re able. In the meantime, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that the teams are back on the pitch soon!”

The club’s commercial manager Pippa Bruckland added: “After sponsoring our under-12s team last year, we were over the moon to hear that Redrow South Midlands was keen to continue their support of our club.

“It has been a difficult time for everyone in the community, but we’re proud to be able to do our bit too, by turning our clubhouse into a Covid Vaccination Centre.

“Redrow’s donation will certainly go a long way to helping us keep our doors open as we prepare to return to play, hopefully very soon.

“On behalf of everyone at the Leighton Buzzard Rugby Club, I’d like to say a big thank you to the Redrow South Midlands team.”

Leestone Park is situated just a mile and a half from the centre of Leighton Buzzard and, in due course, there are also plans for a community centre to be built on the development, as well as an orchard and plenty of open spaces.

For more information about Leestone Park, call 01525 351 716 or visit www.redrow.co.uk/developments/leestone-park-leighton