by Ian Lamont

ian.lamont@essnmedia.co.uk

THE mother of a promising runner at Reigate Priory Athletics Club is working hard to "do what she can" to help the club gain the facilities she believes the young athletes deserve.

Sarah Finch says she found many people frustrated at the lack of sporting facilities in the borough when she was canvassing as a borough council candidate for the May elections.

The Green Party candidate missed out by three votes on being elected, having recently been "co-opted" onto the committee of the athletics club.

And she is keen that the borough does not miss the opportunity to find its own legacy from the inevitable interest that the London 2012 Olympic Games will bring to Britain.

At present, Priory use various sites as training bases, from Old Reigatians rugby club or Reigate RFC and Royal Alexandra & Albert School, where a 150 metre sprint track has recently been built, to Battlebridge Lane, where a decaying one exists, and even K2 in Crawley.

Finch said: "We're looking to work with other sports clubs and others to find funding to improve facilities at Battlebridge sports club.

"Within the athletics club there is a really strong desire to have those facilities improved.

"Travelling down to K2 once a month seems tragic when it only needs a bit of development at Battlebridge, so I've volunteered to help.

"It wouldn't take a huge amount of work to clear the track, the floodlights are there, you can see them."

While canvassing for votes, she met many people who wanted to see Battlebridge restored to former glories, where a bowls club and Redhill & Surrey Beagles were based before their clubhouse burnt down several years ago.

She said: "Up in that area of Fairhaven Road and that part of Redhill there is frustration the clubhouse has never been rebuilt and while there is a new boxing club residents would like other sporting facilities."

The boxing club benefited from £225,000 designated for leisure from the developers who built 400 homes nearby at Watercolour.

"As for relocating as a permanent base I don't think that's the will of the majority of the club at Reigate Priory."

While the juniors might benefit, Old Reigatians at Park Lane has been their base historically and opinion would be divided on moving wholesale to Battlebridge, which knits Redhill to Merstham. However, this winter, problems over floodlights and work on Old Reigatians' new clubhouse has been a disruption and the club has used Colley Lane, home of Reigate RFC.

"Reigate Priory is a fantastic club and Redhill as a town has got a real history of sports and a new centre at Battlebridge would be great."

Finch is mother to 15-year-old Calypso, who improved her 1,500 metres time by 25 seconds over last season, placing her 37th in the country at U17 level. "My daughter has benefited from training at the athletics club," she said. "It's a really great club, a lot of it down to great individuals, Stewart [McIntyre] being one of them.

"It's just such a shame they have to put so much into finding facilities. The clubs that have got facilities in Redhill, it really shows in their performances. We've got really good athletes and they deserve good facilities.

"Battlebridge is going to waste and it is very frustrating for everyone."

Battlebridge Boys Club previously put in an application for the site, but it came to nought and while there are noises of another football club toying with the idea, no planning application has been received by the borough council to date.

For Finch, the Olympics in London in 2012 also loom large. "People think it is only East London going to benefit, but it is a great opportunity to promote athletics and we now need to cater for it."

When canvassing, she met plenty of people who wanted to know why £2.5 million was spent on Reigate Priory Park, opened by Prince Edward in 2008.

Another development locally is the £3.4 million refurbishment of Donyngs, but that is part funded by Nuffield Health.

And that is the council's general stance on projects – there needs to be an outside group to take charge of the site, which would lead to external funding, privately or through grants.

A council spokesman said: "Without a club using the site the council cannot justify further investment in the facilities and external funding sources are difficult to identify. Over the last year or so we have let groups know that this facility is there, available to use, and so we are pleased to hear that Priory Athletics Club would like to use it (albeit informally as they have not approached us to 'book' the venue).

"There is currently no council-led proposal to build any facility there, but we will continue to work with interested clubs to see whether any would be prepared to put together a scheme for improved facilities on the site, as Woodmansterne FC did with Woodmansterne Pavilion.

"We would hope that any future scheme incorporates improvements to the athletics facilities, and if there was a club such as Priory Athletics Club willing to get involved, then this would probably help any external funding bid."

While £15 million has been earmarked for improving leisure facilities in the 2009-2012 corporate plan, the council has focused on Woodmansterne, completed last summer with £400,000 from the council and £440,000 from the Football Foundation, and Lady Neville Pavilion, Banstead, which includes Big Lottery Fund cash.

"A combination of finite resources and the changing economic climate means that further council funding is unlikely at this stage. However we will continue to work will clubs who want to make Battlebridge their home.

"We run athletics holiday activities and Priory Athletics Club deliver our Star Track Athletics programme for children aged 8+.

"We also used the venue for the recent Sports Relief Mile event."