After 10 years of fund raising and continuous lobbying by a group of dedicated volunteers Charsfield Recreation Ground (The Alan Pedgrift Memorial Field) finally opened for business in 2008. The ground is owned by Fields In Trust and run by Managing Trustees, Charsfield Recreation Ground Committee. Apart from a small annual grant from Charsfield Parish Council towards the cost of grass cutting it is entirely maintained by fund raising and voluntary labour.
The field has many facilities: tennis court, multi-use games area, children and toddler play areas, adult fitness equipment, football pitch and a “wild fun” picnic area. The original conception was to provide a village amenity for all ages and all interests or just a place to chill out!
The recreation ground committee organise several fund raising events in the village hall and on the field. Our Quizzes and Big Breakfasts are very popular and for the last ten years Charsfest has brought all the village organisations together in a joint celebration on the field.
One of our biggest incomes is the 100 Club – a monthly draw where 50% of the income is given in prize money and 50% towards our maintenance costs.
Village tennis started over 90 years ago in Charsfield on the vicarage court and still thrives today following its move to the Recreation Ground in 2008. A permit can be obtained for £30 and entitles all members of a household to play unlimited tennis year round (contact charsfieldrgtennis@yahoo.com for details).
Next to the tennis court the open-access MUGA court is marked out for basketball, 5-a-side football, as well as for tennis, and has basketball nets at each end.
We welcome everyone on the recreation ground but there are a few rules we would like you to be aware of.
DOGS: We had to fight for dogs to be allowed on the field (Most Fields in Trust properties ban them) as we consider dog walkers an essential element of our “customers”. However they MUST be kept on a lead. This is a legal requirement under a Public Space Protection Order and is also a condition of the Play builder grant that we obtained for the play equipment. Please make sure you pick up after your dog – there is a fido bin at the entrance or it can be placed in any of the bins on the field.
BBQs: There is a dedicated area with two brick BBQs – please do not light fires in any other part of the field. In prolonged spells of dry weather please be sensible and do not light BBQs.
NEIGHBOURS: The recreation ground does not close but please respect the neighbouring houses and keep noise to a minimum after 10pm.