The River Wear burst its banks this week and Bishop Auckland RUFC has been underwater ever since. Every pitch, every training area, completely submerged. When we flew the drone up, you could barely see the tops of the rugby posts.
Right now, more than 250 local kids have nowhere to play. Our minis, juniors, boys’ and girls’ sections are all stuck at home while their teammates train elsewhere or not at all.
This is where they learned to tackle, to pass, to be part of something bigger than themselves. It’s muddy knees and Sunday mornings and parents on the sideline in the rain. For hundreds of kids in Bishop Auckland, this club is where they belong.
We’ve had to cancel home fixtures and scramble to hire 3G pitches off-site at over £100 an hour just so some of the kids can keep training.
When the water goes down, we’re facing a massive cleanup and full pitch restoration. Here’s the reality: we’re in a flood plain, so we can’t stop this happening. But we can invest in better drainage and recovery systems so the next time the river floods, we bounce back faster and the kids aren’t off the field for months.
We’re raising £15,000 to cover:
* Getting our kids back training (pitch hire and transport)
* Cleanup and pitch restoration once the water recedes
* Replacing damaged equipment and repairing facilities
Every pound gets us closer to getting the kids back on the field.
If you can help or share this, we won’t forget it.
We’re not going anywhere. But we need your help to stay.