Ballymackey launch fundraising plans to complete impressive facilities
By Shane Brophy
Ballymackey FC are looking for the support of the local community to help with its fundraising efforts to complete its impressive development in Ballinree.
Ballymackey began the first phase of its three-phase development last December with the construction of a community centre, which is expected to cost in the region of €250,000.
The complex will contain a large general-purpose room, a spacious meeting room, kitchen, and toilets, including wheelchair accessible facilities. This project is will be completed in the Autumn and will be of huge benefit to the club and the wider community.
Phases 2 and 3 will incorporate a clubhouse and a dressing room complex and this will cost in the region of €250,000 to €300,000, taking the total cost of the project to over €500,000.
The development is to be funded by a combination of fundraising and grant aid. This method of funding has seen €650,000 been spent on facilities to date with minimum borrowings, with a current outstanding loan of €13,000 and in these uncertain times the club are now anxious more than ever not to burden the club with debt and stick to its successful model of strong fundraising.
Towards the total cost of the project, Ballymackey FC have secured grant aid from North Tipperary Leader Company, UEFA, and the governments Sports Capital Programme, totalling €302,500 with €150,000 going towards the current building and the balance towards the phases 2 and 3.
The club had hoped to mount a major fundraising drive in 2020 to see all three phases of this project to fruition within two years, but the restrictions due to Covid-19 have hugely hampered their efforts.
The clubs membership has expanded to over 400 playing members equally divided between male and female and from 4 years of age to over 50 and a busy Saturday in the peak of the playing season would typically see up to ten matches and blitzes take place in Ballinree during the day.
The portacabins the clubs currently have are not sufficient to cater for the amount of players, parents and spectators that come through its gates on any given weekend the and completion of the clubhouse and community centre in as timely manner as possible is very important to the running of the club.
The fundraising plan for the year was to promote its annual Patrons Draw in February and March, launch a Buy a Brick Fundraiser in the Summer and hold an event type fundraiser in the Autumn.
These efforts have been severely impacted by the Covid-19 restrictions. The Patrons Draw, which has been the backbone of the clubs fundraising efforts since 2008 has been traditionary sold door to door but only a small proportion of the usual amount of tickets were sold before the shutdown in March.
These tickets are still available to buy online until the end of June for €50 for a single payment or with two monthly €25 payments. The €50 ticket is entered into 10 monthly draws with a €200, €100, and €50 prize been drawn each month. The postponed draws for March, April, May & June will take place in early July.
As it was not possible to coordinate a Buy a Brick fundraiser with the restrictions ongoing, the club have launched a GoFundMe campaign to try and regain some momentum into its fundraising efforts. The response so far to this campaign has been very positive in its first two weeks with €3,450 received in donations of various sizes small to large towards a target of €10,000.
The link to the GoFundMe platform is https://www.gofundme.com/f/ballymackey-fc-building-project and is also available on our Facebook and Twitter pages as well as the website www.ballymackey.com
Ballymackey FC are hoping all who appreciate what they do for members can contribute to this vital fundraiser and this will allow them to complete the building project in as timely a manner as possible. All contributions to the GoFundMe campaign will be acknowledged in a place of prominence in the Community Centre when it opens later this year.