Corby’s Grampian club launches £50,000 fundraising appeal as they urge members to 'use it or lose it'

Earlier this month the club issued a letter to members in which they detailed their current financial situation.

The club is facing severe financial difficulties, with their biggest outlay being for utilities which has now reached a £44,500 deficit – however, they are currently in a dispute with their energy supplier over this.

In the letter sent out by the committee, they’ve said they are surviving on a day-to-day basis and need an income of at least £20,000 per week but over the past three months, they are only averaging around £9,000 per week.

The letter reads: “As we do not have the luxury of having previous investments to draw on, as a committee we are calling on our members to work with us to save our club.

“We run the risk of the doors being closed on us, not through choice.”

They are asking members for help with ideas for raising funds.

Their new accountant has also suggested they launch a GoFundMe page, which is now live in the hope of reaching their target of £50,000.

The ‘use it or lose it’ letter from the club, which supports the Scottish heritage of the town from becoming a new town, says: “The Grampian was formed in 1977 and opened to members in 1978.

"This club was the pinnacle club and was the heart of the town.

“We are asking that you share the GoFundMe page so it has the traction that the club deserves.

“To state the obvious, if we don’t use it, we will surely lose it.

“Again, we thank you for your continued support and hope, together we can save our club.”

Paul Mckenna, club secretary at The Grampian, told the Northants Telegraph: “We are basically doing week-to-week.

"We need in excess of £15,000 to £20,000 a week brought into the club.

"That’s why we’re looking at doing different non-members’ nights, people hiring out the suite, people hiring out the green, so that we can drive up that revenue.

“There was a thought that should we have approached and emailed and spoke to all the members because there was a quick solution - we’ve got over 2,000 members and if each member could afford to give £10 or £20, well you’ve either got £20,000 or £40,000 if all members agreed to that but the club is a community club, the club is for the town and further afield. So let the town and everybody know.

“We just felt there was a duty to our members that they got the information.”

To read the letter in full, visit The Grampian’s Facebook page or visit their GoFundMe gofundme.com to make a donation.