OREANDA-NEWS. August 09, 2016. Members of Bishopton Rugby Club and Bishopton FC joined Scott Wilson, Chair of the Bishopton Community Trust and Jon Gettinby, Bishopton Programme Manager for BAE Systems at Holmpark to receive the cheque.

The donation is part of BAE Systems’ commitment to improving sport, recreation and play facilities across Bishopton, and will used by the Trust to support community development projects.

Commenting on the donation, Jon Gettinby, Bishopton Programme Manager, BAE Systems said: “Our vision for the Dargavel Village development is to create an aspirational village, where people can live, work and play, with a community spirit at its heart. The facilities that the Community Trust will develop will not only bring great facilities for the local sports teams and residents but will secure future playing areas and facilities for generations to come.”

Bishopton Community Trust is already engaging local residents to understand how they would like the money to be spent for the benefit of the community. The intention of the Trust is to focus on health and wellbeing through new and improved sports facilities for use by the entire community.
Scott Wilson, Bishopton Community Trust said: “This donation will help to secure the future of much-needed sports and recreation facilities for residents, families and local sports teams alike. We hope that these facilities will not only serve the needs of the local community but will also inspire a generation to get involved in sport.”

Andrew Fian from Bishopton FC said: “It will be great to have some new sports pitches where we can regularly train and play instead of having to use facilities in other villages. It will also mean that all my family can come along and watch me playing here in Bishopton.”
Calum Findlay from Bishopton Rugby Club added: “We have some great sports teams in Bishopton and it will be great for us to have some new purpose built pitches and facilities that we can use to train and for matches. It will also be great to have somewhere were other people in the village can go to play sports.”

The payments to the Community Development Fund, managed by the Bishopton Community Trust, will be paid in stages throughout the development phase with the first two payments, totalling ?100,000 being made now.

In addition, BAE Systems will also be undertaking localised improvements to the drainage at Holmpark, and the upgrading of the boundary around the recreation ground. Upon completion, BAE Systems will transfer ownership of the nine acres (around 3.7 hectares) to the Trust.

BAE Systems is in the process of redeveloping the 1,800 acre former Royal Ordnance Factory site in Bishopton. Dargavel Village is one of the largest brownfield developments in the UK, providing Bishopton with new housing, community and development facilities, improved road and motorway linkage and public open space around the existing village. Construction of Dargavel Village began in 2013 and over 510 homes are now occupied.
Ref: 102/2016