Last week, the newly refurbished the Paul Jarrold Monmouth Sports Association (MSA) Pavilion was officially opened— a celebration of teamwork, community spirit, and years of dedication from volunteers who’ve transformed the shared facilities into something truly special.

Terry Cleaves, President of the MSA, opened the event by reflecting on his family’s long connection with Monmouth sport — his father served on the original funding committee over 50 years ago! He recalled the old wooden pavilion “with a plunge bath” and how far we’ve come since those early days.

Terry handed over to Andy Tabb, MSA Chairman, who spoke about the huge effort behind the transformation — a project years in the making and only possible through the passion of the core committee, including Delyth Harris, Steve Gale, Nick Holt, Sophie Hughes and so many dedicated volunteers.

Andy thanked contractor Nathan Mears, and Byron Hapgood, who helped steer the design and execution of the project from start to finish and ensuring that none of the sports fixtures were interrupted.

He also thanked the Mayor and Deputy Mayor who together with John Wigmore, former president of the MSA, cut a ribbon marking this milestone as well as two other former MSA Chairmen, Wyn Hughes and John Evans for their past commitment.

A big thank-you went to the many, many sponsors and supporters, including the Welsh Government, Cricket Wales, Sport Wales, Monmouth Town Council, many local businesses and local philanthropist Dr James Hull, after whom the new bar is named. The crowdfunding campaign showed the true strength of local backing.

Special mention went to Mike Moran from Monmouthshire County Council for his ideas and guidance, and to everyone who contributed.

They mentioned Nesta Pierce, who played cricket here in the 1950s. When women’s cricket relaunched a few years ago, she had the honour of bowling the first ball of the opening match.

Steve Gale spoke about the progress they’ve made with £400K invested in facilities and over 1,200 people now actively playing sport, 270 of them are women, a huge leap from just five years ago when there were no women’s teams and only one ladies’ toilet!

Delyth Harris said how important it was to create a space where everyone can enjoy watching sport as well as playing it - a warm, welcoming environment for all. Thanks to her relentless energy and countless unpaid hours, this dream became reality. She was presented with a token of gratitude for her incredible work.

Andy finished by looking to the future: the MSA will continue to grow, welcoming new members and opening the doors to more activities including Archery, Yoga and Pilates. He also thanked Andy (Benny) Philpott, whose tireless commitment ensures that the building is always functional.

To keep everyone connected and informed, they’ve appointed Rachel Simpson as their Social Media Manager.

“We’ve come so far, but we can’t do it without ongoing support from grants and support from the community and local businesses,” Andy Tabb said. “Together we’ve built something Monmouth can be proud of.”