COMMUNITY spirit has come to the rescue in Bentham to save the town's sporting facilities.

There were fears that the town would lose its playing fields after it emerged that committee numbers had dwindled and there was a real danger of there being nobody to run the facilities.

A crisis meeting was held at the playing fields clubhouse on Monday which was attended by more than 40 residents, many of whom volunteered to help.

Now there is virtually a full committee, plus additional volunteers to run the annual gala - the playing fields' main fundraiser of the year.

It was around 50 years ago when dedicated locals raised money for some sporting facilities, and Angus' bought the Millholme Field to lease to the Bentham Playing Field Association for a peppercorn rent.

However, in recent years fewer people have been interested in sitting on the committee which runs the facilities - to the extent that just six people turned up at the last AGM.

'It has got to the stage when it can't go on any longer. We want more help, new blood. Everybody wants to use the facilities, but nobody wants to help run them,' said committee member Jane Preston, who chaired the open meeting.

Treasurer Ken Robertson gave a brief resume of the organisation's activities over the past few years. In 1995 plans were made for new bar facilities, badly needed new showers and changing rooms, but a lottery bid for £30,000 to pay for the work along with £35,000 from the sports' club, was turned down.

The reason given for the lottery bid failure was that the club had not demonstrated a need financially.

Mr Robertson said that he felt the lottery people had misunderstood the situation.

There was a feeling that the group should try again for lottery funding, and there was also an idea floated that the clubhouse, changing rooms and showers should be refurbished as an interim measure.

Flooding on the sports fields caused by drainage problems was also discussed, and Coun John Pilkington said he was investigating the matter with Craven District Council.

Comments by Jim Guy that it was only visiting caravanners who kept the club going led to debate as members of the various sports clubs put forward their views. They said that if the facilities were improved, particularly the showers, they would probably stay in the clubhouse longer.

Bill Kennedy said he thought it was time to look to the future rather than the past and suggested that the committee should go into all the points and ideas raised.

The new committee members are: Colin and Pam Woof, Lorna Johnson, Sue Ray, Sarah Carr, Steven Lister, Bob Ellershaw, Gary Carter, Ingrid Ellershaw, Ken Robertson, Cliff Bentham, Jim Guy, Bill Kennedy, Jane Preston, Pauline Hill, Alison Murray, Sheila Cowgill. A representative from the traders is being sought.

Sue Ray is the new gala co-ordinator and the gala sub-committee is made up of Jane Preston, Lorna Johnson, Margaret Hayton, Wendy Dowbiggin and Sue Dixon.

The committee will meet on Monday February 22.

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