Team effort sees Diss Town Youth Football Club complete ground transformation

A youth football club has thanked supporters, who have helped to transform it from a muddy, unloved site into a welcoming home.

Bressingham Playing Fields, used by Diss Town Youth Football Club for its home games, had fallen into a state of disrepair, including rusted containers, where mice were prevalent, and a changing room with a three-foot long hole in the ceiling.

But after a £30,000 fundraising campaign and a hugely generous community, the club has completed a full renovation.

Under-11s coach Rik Hepburn said: “We have gone through some monumental changes, such as creating a training pitch and completing our new car park.

“We have also been able to put pedestrian-friendly paving down, chain link fences, flower beds, borders and other fencing to produce a look that is so much more professional.”

One of the main targets for the project group was to replace its dilapidated tea hut, which had seen much better days.

Help was close at hand, with a number of businesses assisting the club.

“Our previous one was so heavily rusted and full of mice we had to condemn it,” said Mr Hepburn.

“But we had a company kindly donate a clubhouse; another gave us a 55-inch TV, which we use for match analysis, and one designed and fitted out our new kitchen.

“Due to its size, we have been able to put the tea hut in there as well, which has been so beneficial as it creates revenue that goes back into the club and has given us a base, which we can call our own.”

From coming up with the idea in February, to getting most of the project complete in the last week in August, it has been something of a whirlwind few months for all involved.

Mr Hepburn, who played for the club in the 1990s, said it was only made possible thanks to so many individuals and businesses giving up their time, money and expertise in order to get the all the work finished.

“I would like to send a massive thank you to everyone that has become a part of this, whether they donated time, money or products,” he told the Diss Express.

“Before, it was one of those places, where our main pitch had always been good, but it was let down by the surrounding area.

“Now, we go up there and it feels like a proper home for the football club. We have so much pride in it and get so many comments from away teams about how it now looks, which is great.

“But we could not have got here without so many shining lights offering their graft, goods and money to get the project over the line. It truly has been a team effort.”

With the completion of the work, the club is now looking for more players so that it can field under 10s, 9s and 8s teams.

“We are trying to get new teams in as we now have the raw ingredients there for new squads and youngsters in the future,” he said.

“So many people have helped us take a place which was in a real state of disrepair and create something fantastic for the whole community to use. It has secured our legacy.”

To contact the club about the new teams, email disstownyouthtreasurer@gmail.com.