Whiteshawgate 3G Sports Trust (W3ST) have officially opened their new changing room block in Strathaven.
The four-room block will allow W3ST – a partnership between Strathaven Dynamo and Strathaven Rugby Club – to offer the town’s sports clubs and other groups an independent changing area when using the facility.
Dynamo and others have been using the rugby club’s changing rooms since the facility was opened in 2017.
Funds have been raised over three years through a combination of key donations from Strathaven Dynamo, a grant from South Lanarkshire’s Renewable Energy Fund (REF) and donations from 10 other groups to enable the project to go ahead.
Lanarkshire firms PMK Civil Engineering, Burnbrae Contracts and RL Building Services have also lent their substantial support and donation of work for the project.
Grant Law, chair of the W3ST committee, said: “We are delighted to open this new changing room block and are confident it will become a great asset to W3ST and those who use the pitch as a whole, and allow us to push on and offer an even greater service to the young people of Avondale and South Lanarkshire.
“We would also like to thank our main funders for their kind donations that allowed us to push ahead with the build, and to Strathaven Rugby Club for giving us permission to plan it out in the first place.
“We are also indebted to other generous sponsors and superb contractors who financially contributed to creating our fantastic new changing rooms.
“Without our specialist local contractors really buying in to working with our limited funds over the last two years and supporting the whole planning and construction, this would not have been possible, so full credit to them.”
Strathaven Dynamo chair Frank McGraw said: “The club has relied on and benefitted from the rugby club allowing us to use their changing rooms since the 3G pitch was opened in 2017.
“But it is important for both clubs to have their own spaces as we move forward and support increased use of the pitch, especially at weekends.”
Colin Dalgarno from Strathaven Rugby Club, also a W3ST committee member, added: “The benefits to the Dynamos, the Rugby Club and W3ST will be clear as sports restart this spring, and it will help us when we host youth festivals, tournaments and multiple matches and events in the future.”
Players at Strathaven Dynamo were also encouraged to suggest inspirational wall slogans for two of the four changing rooms in a contest that was launched in February.
Five of the best were chosen to go alongside other creative areas, such as a neutral ‘Friendship through football’ wall, and walls dedicated to club founder Eric Caldow and honorary president Bertie Auld.
‘Kicking it for the Community’ by Thomas Beebee, 2005s; ‘Generating electric performances since 1968’ by Beth MacKinnon, 2010s; ‘Our town, our game, our team’ by Luke Thomson, 2013s; ‘Play for your mates, play for your team, play for your badge, play for Strathaven Dynamo’ by Lewis MacKinnon, 2005s, and ‘Once a Dynamo, always a Dynamo’ by Lewis Kirkland, 2014s and Black Kirkland, 2015s have been adopted.
All winning players received a match ball and a club scarf as prizes for their fantastic efforts.
Grant Law, said: “Their excellent slogans will no doubt inspire generations of Dynamo players for years to come.”
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