How Temporary Shelters Can Help Out Sports Clubs

While sports fans may have been spending a lot of time recently watching the Champions League football or the Rugby World Cup, for many the appreciation of grassroots sport is just as important.

Every weekend people will turn out for local minor club sides, or junior teams from which the future stars will be drawn, while others will simply enjoy themselves and make friends.

All that is good news, but it can be jeopardised when calamity strikes and renders facilities unusable. Storm damage, floods or fires may wreck dressing rooms and ruin equipment.

Sadly, the last of these issues can often be the result of deliberate acts, with one of the latest examples occurring in Kent. The club hut belonging to Rolvenden Tigers junior football team and the equipment in it at Cranbrook was hit by a blaze that Kent Fire and Rescue Service described as being suspected arson. The ground is also used by a local cricket club.

The loss of equipment has left the football club saying it is "having to start from scratch again", but the use of a portable sports shelter could at least provide some important changing facilities for the players, as well as cover for coaches and substitutes during games.

Portable shelters can offer flexibility according to the circumstances faced by clubs whose facilities have been damaged. It can provide something temporary while repairs are carried out, be used for longer if a full rebuild or replacement of facilities is needed, or even move if a club opts to find a different venue at which to stage its home fixtures.

The latter could be applicable if the pitch is damaged as well as buildings. East of Scotland league side Dunipace is one club that may have to use this option after vandals set fire to its artificial pitch, leaving the club with the prospect of a £300,000 bill to replace it.

A crowdfunding appeal has started to raise money towards this, but in the meantime, the club, based in Denny near Falkirk, has been receiving offers from other local sports clubs to use their facilities.