A proposal for an independent Sports Council, which will unite all the different clubs in Ross, will be the subject of a meeting at the Larruperz Centre on Friday, February lst, at 7 pm. Representatives from all the local sports clubs and relevant organisations are being invited to attend. However it will be an 'open' meeting at which any individuals with an interest in sporting and leisure activities will be most welcome. Councillor John Edwards, chairman of the Town Council's finance and administration committee, will put forward a draft blueprint for the establishment of an 'umbrella' organisation to coordinate the development of sporting and communal activities in Ross and the surrounding districts. This would be then subject to comment and discussion before decisions are made on the next stage. Councillor Edwards emphasised that the proposed Sports Council would not seek to interfere with existing individual sports clubs, many of which are highly successful. Instead, the new Council would aim to provide any back-up support that might be needed especially in identifying grant-giving bodies to raise funds for expansion and development. As an independent organisation, with an executive comprised of local people, with financial and management expertise, it would be in a strong position to tap into the many sources of grants and funds available. An immediate priority would be to deal with the present run-down state of the Sports Centre at Wilton. A spokesman for Herefordshire Council, which owns the Centre and surrounding grounds, has indicated that it would be prepared to hand over responsibility for running the Centre to a properly constituted Ross-based organisation. It is planned to seek both short-term and long- term measures to exploit the full potential of this important centre for sporting activities. At the same time the new Sports Council would look at other possibilities for expanding sports facilities elsewhere in the town including the possibility of a purpose-built sports complex catering for a range of leisure activities including, perhaps, a cinema. Councillor Edwards said Ross had fallen behind neighbouring towns in the development of sporting facilities because of a lack of direction and leadership, including from the Town Council. He said that was about to change. The Sports Council would give the town the chance to control its own destiny in deciding what is best for Ross. The provision of more sporting and communal activities would not only benefit younger people, with energy to burn, but also improve the whole status of Ross as a place to live, visit and invest.
