Friday 10 June 2011 saw the Right Honourable Ed Miliband, officially opened a brand-new extension for Norton’s popular Ryecroft Community Building on Ryecroft Road.
The scheme, led by Norton Parish Council, involved the demolition of part of the building and then the construction of a new extension. This houses changing facilities for both sexes, as well as toilets, including provisions for people with disabilities.
The building is the base for a growing number of sports teams of both sexes and the new facilities mean the complex now meets Football Association standards. As well as providing new changing facilities, the scheme also saw the creation of a new meeting room, which can now be used for community meetings, team briefings and private events.
The work cost in the region of £360,000 and funding came from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, which awarded a grant of £187,000, the Football Foundation, which awarded £100,000 and The Veolia Environmental Trust, which awarded a grant of £38,000 through the Landfill Communities Fund. A loan of £30,000 from the Public Works Loans Board was also secured.
