Dewsbury based sports club Dewsbury Rams RFC today announced it has received support from Barclays through the Government backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) in order to maintain the club and grounds through the COVID-19 crisis.
Established in 1875, Dewsbury Rams RFC play at the Tetley Stadium, Owl Lane, Dewsbury. Steeped in history, the club competes in the Kingstone Press Championship and is at the heart of the local community. Dewsbury Rams have banked with Barclays for over 20 years and the new funding will secure the future of the club. It will help provide flexible funding to meet fixed costs, so that the grounds and facilities will still be there for the supporters once sport can return to times that are more normal and see matches played locally.
Mark Sawyer, Chairman said: “We were devastated to learn about the lockdown and the impact it would have on our historical club. We knew that we would still need to pay for utilities, insurance, maintenance, repairs, and contractual costs and with no ticket income realised this would be a herculean challenge. Barclays stepped in to the breach and we’re hugely grateful that they have been able to provide a CBIL facility which will support the club over the coming months.”
Dewsbury Rams RFC cannot wait to get the players back in to training and the gates open for the fans.
Molly Nicholson, Barclays Relationship Manager put together the funding package for the deal and said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has been so tough on businesses and sports clubs alike and it was brilliant that we were able to support the Rams – the love for sport is so vital during these difficult times. I know Mark, Andrew and the team are excited to get their gates back open to the public, so securing this funding will provide some breathing space over the next few months.”
Dewsbury MP Mark Eastwood is a big fan of the club and said: "I know how busy banks have been dealing with unprecedented high volumes of loan applications so it's great to see funding coming through for our local businesses and sports clubs such as Dewsbury Rams, to help them get through this extremely challenging period."
