On Monday 10 th July, as the tents were still being dismantled and the traffic was still leaving the village following the Grand Prix, the ground was cut on the refurb of the Pavilion Bar!
We were delighted to be joined by a number of guests including Dr Frank Newton and Gerald Lovell, both founding members of the SRA from 1974, members of Silverstone Parish Council, representatives of West Northamptonshire Council and Aston Martin, who have already given a very generous donation and have promised to support us over the coming months.
As we sat in the drizzle and the spade struck the ground Dr Frank mused, “We’ve been here before – a number of years ago. There was just a field in front of us and it didn’t take us too long to make a mess of it!”
And aren’t we all grateful that he had the vision back then to make the SRA what is has become – a much loved facility for so many. Gerald Lovell believes “The SRA is the best thing to happen in my lifetime. It is an organisation whose sole aim is to help other village organisations grow and develop to improve the quality of life of every part of our community.” And who wouldn’t want that?!
Martyn Nash, Chairman of the SRA Committee, thanked everyone for attending to witness the start of the SRA evolution as work begins to the Pavilion Bar and current changing rooms. Trustees have worked hard over the last five years to raise over £540,000 so the refurbishment can happen in what we believe will be the start of many new projects at the SRA bringing more and more of the growing community together with broader facilities for all.
There is much to be excited about over the coming months and we’re all looking forward to the new and improved facilities that will be available. Councillor Dermot Bambridge said “it’s great to see the start of the build project after I submitted the initial grant application to South Northants Council back in 2019 for just £130,000 with the initial cost of the work being £240,000.
I’m looking forward to seeing the finished project.” A lot has changed since that initial application went in. The plans are now bigger and better and will benefit many more SRA users.
The SRA is still open for business throughout the works – just some things may be a little different than you expect! We’re looking forward to sharing updates over the coming months so do pop back to the website every so often, keep an eye on our Facebook page or head down to Church Street and see the progress for yourself!
Silverstone Recreational Association
Church Street, Silverstone, Towcester NN12 8XA
Phone: 01327 720007 • Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm