==================================================
FUNDING APPLICATIONS WERE SUBMITTED TO SPORTSCOTLAND AND THE MINERALS TRUST IN FEBRUARY 2001 TO GAIN THE NECESSARY FUNDS IN ORDER TO UPGRADE OUR CHANGING FACILITIES.PLANS WERE DRAWN TO BUILD AN EXTENSION TO THE PRESENT FACILITY INCORPORATING A TOILET BLOCK AND SHOWERS.ESTIMATES FOR THE WORK CAME TO OVER £50,000 AND INCLUDED CONNECTING A WATER AND ELECTRICITY SUPPLY FOR THE FIRST TIME.
THE SPORTSCOTLAND APPLICATION WAS THE HARDEST TO ACCESS WITH ONLY 1 IN 5 APPLICATIONS SUCCESSFUL.OUR APPLICATION CAME SAILING THROUGH DIFFERENT STAGES AND IN JULY 2001 WE WERE OFFERED AN AWARD OF £25,000, DEPENDANT ON OUR CLUB FULFILLING THEIR CONDITIONS.MANY OF THESE CONDITIONS WERE LEGAL MATTERS.THE CLUB HAD TO GET A LEASE FOR THE GROUND WHERE THE CHANGING ROOMS ARE SITED.WE ALSO HAD TO GET A LONG TERM ACCESS AGREEMENT TO THE PLAYING FIELDS.BOTH THESE HAVE BEEN LONG DRAWN OUT AFFAIRS WITH SEVERAL SIDE ISSUES AND HAVE TAKEN ONE YEAR TO RESOLVE.
THE MINERALS TRUST APPLICATION WAS FOR £20,000 BUT THIS WAS TURNED DOWN INITIALLY AND WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NO APPEAL.WITHOUT THE TRUST MONEY WE ALSO STOOD TO LOSE THE SPORTSCOTLAND GRANT AS BOTH WERE NEEDED ALONG WITH AN INPUT OF £5,000 OF THE CLUBS MONEY TO COMPLETE THE FUNDING.WE WERE SUPPORTED BY PROVOST JIMMY BOYD,COUNCILLOR ERIC ROSS,MP GEORGE FOULKES,MSP CATHY JAMIESON,CUMNOCK COMMUNITY COUNCIL,EAST AYRSHIRE SPORTS COUNCIL,BARSHARE PRIMARY SCHOOL, CUMNOCK JUNIORS FC AND MANY OTHERS AND BATTLED ON,SUCCESSFULLY WINNING AN APPEAL.
OUR PLANS FOR THE CHANGING ROOMS INVOLVED THE USE OF A SEPTIC TANK.AGAIN WE WERE HIT WITH PROBLEMS A VOLUNTARY,YOUTH BODY LIKE OURSELVES SHOULD NOT HAVE FACED.THE SCOTTISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY RULED WE MUST CONNECT TO THE NEAREST SEWER.THIS WAS DESPITE BEING TOLD THAT THE SEWERS IN CUMNOCK WERE STRUGGLING TO COPE WITH DEMAND AND NO NEW HOUSING APPLICATIONS WERE TO BE GRANTED.WE APPEALED....WE LOST.WE GOT OUR MP AND MSP INVOLVED....WE LOST AGAIN.WE THEN SPENT 4 MONTHS NEGOTIATING WITH BIELD HOUSING TO CONNECT TO THE SEWER AT MENZIES COURT.BIELD WERE HAPPY TO OBLIGE BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE A PUBLIC FUNDED BODY IT HAD TO BE DONE THROUGH LAWYERS.WE GOT PERMISSION....AND SCOTTISH WATER KNOCKED US BACK!
WE ARE NOW RUNNING A SEWER THROUGH TOWNHEAD PARK TO CONNECT WITH CUMNOCK JUNIORS CHANGING ROOM SEWER.ALL THESE CHANGES MEANT WE THEN HAD TO GO OUT AND SEEK 3 NEW TENDERS FOR THE WORK.THIS MEANT A SPORTSCOTLAND DEADLINE FOR BEGINNING WORK WAS ALMOST UPON US AND WE WERE GOING TO LOSE THEIR GRANT.WE HAD TO APPLY FOR AN EXTENSION AND CONVINCE THEM WE COULD STILL GET OUR PROJECT UP AND RUNNING.THIS WE HAVE DONE TO THEIR SATISFACTION.WE HAVE NOW RECEIVED AUTHORISATION FROM SPORTSCOTLAND TO COMMENCE WITH THE PROJECT.THE WORK WILL BEGIN IN OCTOBER 2002 AND WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS TO COMPLETE.
WE WILL THEN BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MODERN FACILITIES NOT ONLY FOR OVER 100 MEMBERS OF OUR OWN CLUB BUT FOR OTHER GROUPS WITHIN THE AREA WHO MAY WISH TO USE THEM.THIS WILL INCLUDE COACHING SESSIONS BY DONNA CHEYNE,THE SFA WOMENS FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT OFFICER.