On the 15th November the Monmouth Sports ground was inundated by flood water from the River Monnow. The pavilion and the sports clubs’ storage containers were severely damaged; the wreckage scattered over Chippenham and a vast amount of equipment lost; a disaster for community sport in Monmouth

Faced with this, the Monmouth Sports Association approached Rotary Monmouth for help. Working together, they applied to the Rotary Disaster Recovery Trust for financial assistance, resulting in a grant of £35,965. 'This, together with match funding of £17,624 from the Clubs and Sports Association means that the magnificent sum of £53,589 is now available to replace all that has been lost.

The grant will allow the old and leaking storage facilities to be scrapped and new, watertight containers installed, anchored to the ground and resilient to future flooding. Also, it means that the essential equipment lost by the sports clubs can be readily replaced. As a bonus, the grass sports pitches, rendered unusable by flood water, can be repaired and made ready for use.

Bill Parnell, President of Monmouth Rotary, explains that “One has only to look at the range of sports available in Monmouth, enjoyed by people of all ages, genders, shapes and sizes, to realise that sport plays a vital role in the wellbeing of our community. Rotary are delighted to have worked closely with the Monmouth Sports Association on this project and thrilled that the Rotary grant will play a big part in restoring community sport to Monmouth.”

It was only in October that same year the newly refurbished the Paul Jarrold Monmouth Sports Association (MSA) Pavilion was officially opened, described as a celebration of teamwork, community spirit, and years of dedication from volunteers who’ve transformed the shared facilities into something truly special.